Vatican
City, 10 July 2012
(VIS) - Following is the communique released this morning on the
episcopal ordination of the Reverend Joseph Yue Fusheng in Harbin and
the Reverend Thaddeus Ma Daqin as Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of
Shanghai.
"With
regard to the episcopal ordination of the Reverend Joseph Yue
Fusheng, which took place in Harbin (Province of Heilongjiang) on
Friday 6 July 2012, the following is stated:
1)
The Reverend Joseph Yue Fusheng, ordained without pontifical mandate
and hence illicitly, has automatically incurred the sanctions laid
down by canon 1382 of the Code of Canon Law. Consequently, the Holy
See does not recognize him as Bishop of the Apostolic Administration
of Harbin, and he lacks the authority to govern the priests and the
Catholic community in the Province of Heilongjiang.
The
Reverend Yue Fusheng had been informed some time ago that he could
not be approved by the Holy See as an episcopal candidate, and on
several occasions he had been asked not to accept episcopal
ordination without the pontifical mandate.
2)
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.
3)
Appreciation is due to those priests, consecrated persons and lay
faithful who prayed and fasted for a change of heart in the Reverend
Yue Fusheng, for the holiness of the Bishops and for the unity of the
Church in China, particularly in the Apostolic Administration of
Harbin.
4)
All Catholics in China, pastors, priests, consecrated persons, and
lay faithful, are called to defend and safeguard that which pertains
to the doctrine and tradition of the Church. Even amid the present
difficulties, they look to the future with faith, comforted by the
certainty that the Church is founded on the rock of Peter and his
Successors.
5)
The Apostolic See, trusting in the concrete willingness of the
Government Authorities of China to dialogue with the Holy See, hopes
that the said authorities will not encourage gestures contrary to
such dialogue. Chinese Catholics also wish to see practical steps
taken in this direction, the first among which is the avoidance of
illicit celebrations and episcopal ordinations without pontifical
mandate that cause division and bring suffering to the Catholic
communities in China and the universal Church.
The
ordination of the Reverend Thaddeus Ma Daqin as Auxiliary Bishop of
the Diocese of Shanghai on Saturday 7 July 2012 is encouraging and is
to be welcomed. The presence of a bishop who is not in communion with
the Holy Father was inappropriate and shows a lack of consideration
for a lawful episcopal ordination".
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