After a break, we return with the weekly column “From the Vatican”, to present the readers of Diario Las Américas with an exclusive look at the most relevant news events that occur in the heart of the Catholic Church.
In this installment we begin with an event that, although it was not at the center of the international media spotlight, is of great importance to decipher the steps of the pontificate of Jorge Mario Bergoglio: the International Conference “100 years of the Concilium Sinense, between history and the present”, held last Tuesday, May 21 in the Aula Magna of the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome.
The first chiaroscuro. The event dedicated to the Church in China was organized by the Dicastery for Evangelization of the Holy See, in collaboration with Fides Agency and the Pastoral Commission for China. The presence of the bishop of Shanghai, Monsignor Shen Bin, unilaterally appointed by the Chinese government and later recognized by Pope Francis, stood out.
But not only was the presence of Mons. Shen Bin, who is an organic bishop of the Chinese Communist Party who chairs the Council of Chinese Catholic Bishops, a state body that carries forward the vision of Sinicization promoted by the Chinese Communist Party; but also the large presence of speakers linked to the Beijing regime was evident, sitting next to Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See.
It is appropriate to remember that diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China have been non-existent since 1951. However, on September 22, 2018, China and the Holy See signed a “confidential” agreement, which allegedly allows the Roman Pontiff to appoint and veto bishops approved by the Chinese Communist Party. Today such an agreement is a mystery and has not prevented Xi Jinping from unilaterally appointing his bishops and continuing the violent persecution of Catholics. For example, the same year the agreement was signed, local government officials destroyed two Marian shrines, one in Shanxi and another in Guizhou.
As expected, Bishop Shen’s speech was aligned with the regime’s narrative and he even said (read here) that the development of the Church in China must follow a process of Sinicization that must integrate Chinese tradition into the liturgy, in line with today’s society; that is, in line with the model conceived and implemented by President Xi Jinping. Furthermore, he believes that the Patriotic Association should not be seen as state interference in religious affairs, but rather as a reaction against “foreign powers.”
We ask ourselves, isn’t the Vatican a foreign power for the communist regime? How can Chinese tradition be included in the liturgy without changing doctrine or committing heresy? Will the Vatican give in to Xi Jinping’s demands to break diplomatic relations with Taiwan?
Second chiaroscuro. In a closed-door meeting with more than 200 Italian bishops, which opened last Monday, May 27, the general assembly of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), Pope Francis made a very strong call for a more demanding selection in access to the seminars, pointing out the excess of “frociaggine” (“faggots” in Italian). The expression was leaked to the Italian media and sparked an immediate controversy that forced the Holy See press office to issue a statement the next day, in which the accusations against Bergoglio were not denied: “he never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of the term.”
The Pope’s words only highlighted something that is well known, not only in the seminaries, the Church is invaded by a wave of homosexualism that runs through all environments. But how do you explain why a young “drag queen” has been invited to the first World Children’s Day, held on Saturday, May 25 and Sunday, May 26 in Rome.
The American newspaper reviewed it Lifesitenews: This is the Italian Carmine De Rosa, 23 years old. The young man appeared in striking women’s costumes at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, to entertain the children who were participating in the event organized by the Vatican on Saturday (see video). A spectacle definitely more suited to a gay pride event than to an audience of Catholic children waiting for the Pope.
These are the wavering positions that are increasingly evident in Jorge Mario Bergoglio, of an “oscillating” Pope, who says one thing with his words and shows others with the actions of his pontificate, leaving more and more confusion in his wake.
