We have survived an ingenious attempt to murder us by an induced spike of very high blood pressure. Or, of course, it might just have been produced buy stupidity. Or the inability to read.
Anyway, it was said of us ‘Are they still trying to get married priests ?’ Yes, us.
As our readers know, we’d sooner found the Square Wheel Society of Great Britain, or the Chocolate Teapot Association.
We are for two things: the first is the extension of ordination beyond the present limits of celibacy, six years of theology and parish support, so that the Eucharist can be provided for the Flock.
The second is for China to become part of the Church, with the same result.
This leads us to Cardinal Zen, former archbishop of Hong Kong,. Now 85, he had to run for his life during the Mao era in China. He certainly knows what he is talking about when it comes to Communist persecution, and has been a fearless and outspoken critic of the regime throughout his life.
He now, unfortunately, reminds us of the old general in the film of ‘The Four Feathers’ for whom every meal was an opportunity to fight the battle of Balaclava yet again , thirty years later, with knives, spoons and the sugar bowl.
As ever, we have someone else who does not realise that this is 2017, and once again the Code of Canon Law of 1917 appears. In China, there is the underground church and the state controlled church. Both have validly ordained bishops. But Cardinal Zen believes that any attempt to allow the state controlled church to nominate bishops is for some reason a betrayal of the underground church , although such nomination was common practice in Europe for hundreds of years.
Against a background of the most delicate and Byzantinely complex nature of the negotiations going on at present with the Chinese government, his language is negative and essentially adversarial- ‘betrayal’; selling’,’capitulation’. It is interesting that we have not heard much from the underground church on how it feels about the rest of China being able to join the Church; they might not see it as a selling out but as a glorious passing on of belief , as the early Christians must have felt when they were allowed to leave the catacombs.
The Cardinal is on record , in November 2016, as saying he would rather have no bishops than fake bishops., Even Code of Canon Law (1917) fans must feel that we are now wildly over the top. Since the bishops of the state controlled church are validly ordained, if ‘illicitly’, i.e. without the permission of the Curia ,this is really not just an actual challenge Canon Law but denies the Apostolic Succession.
All we can do is remember him in our prayers, and hope that there are not too many like him in the Chinese Government.
The Church exists to provide the Eucharist for the Flock. Anything, positively or negatively which prevents it from doing so is denying Christ’s imperative at the Last Supper.