Vatican's Battle With China Over Unapproved Ordinations Continues

The Vatican yesterday issued a communique (full text) stating that Rev. Joseph Yue Fusheng, who was ordained in China's Heilongjiang Province on July 6 as a bishop, without Vatican approval, has automatically incurred the sanction of excommunication as provided by Code of Canon Law, Canon 1382. It says he now lacks the authority to govern the priests and the Catholic community in the Province. The statement went on: "The Bishops who took part in the illicit episcopal ordination and have exposed themselves to the sanctions laid down by the law of the Church, must give an account to the Holy See of their participation in that religious ceremony."  Catholic World News, reporting on these developments, notes that the Vatican statement also applauded the July 6 ordination of Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin as an auxiliary of the Shanghai diocese with the approval of both the Vatican and the Chinese government.  However apparently Bishop Ma has now been taken into custody by Chinese officials after he announced during his ordination ceremony that he was quitting the government-backed Patriotic Association. [Thanks to Alliance Alert for the lead.]