Frankie must be so proud


‘Patriotic’ Chinese Bishop Says Religion Must Be Subordinate to Communist Government
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.
14 Mar 2018

In a statement sure to confirm the worst fears of skeptics of a new China-Vatican deal, a Chinese bishop of the government-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association has said that loyal citizenship must take priority over Christian faith.

Bishop Peter Fang Jianping of Tangshan said this week that Catholics should give their allegiance to President Xi Jinping “because we, as citizens of the country, should first be a citizen and then have religion and beliefs,” according to a recent report.

Fang, who was ordained a bishop in China without Vatican approval in 2000 and later legitimized by the Holy See, is a member of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the Chinese parliament that on March 11 voted to eliminate presidential term limits.

Asked about church-state relations, the bishop justified his subordination of the faith to political powers by citing Jesus’ injunction to render to God what is God’s and to Caesar what is Caesar’s.

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Missionary Father Bernardo Cervellera rebuked Sánchez Sorondo for his “exaltation” of Chinese society, saying that because of his “naivete” he has “made the Catholic Church a laughingstock.”


http://www.breitbart.com/national-securi...ist-government/