CHINA


Vatican takes Beijing to task for restricting church freedom


THE VATICANhas severely criticised China’s state-sponsored Catholic Church for holding a national assembly last month aimed at keep- ing Chinese Catholicism independent from Rome and for imposing attendance on “numerous” bishops, clergy and laity who wish to remain obedient to the Pope, writes Robert Mickens. In a communiqué just before Christmas, it said the Eighth Assembly of Chinese Catholic Representatives, held from 7 to 9 December 2010 in Beijing, demonstrated “intransigent tolerance” of religious freedom and was a “sign of fear and weakness”. The Holy See condemned the meeting’s “declared purpose to implement principles of independence and autonomy, self- management and democratic administration of the Church”, saying this was “incompatible with Catholic doctrine”. It described the December assembly and the recent ordination of a bishop without papal approval as “unac- ceptable”. China said the Vatican’s statement was “imprudent and ungrounded”. Meanwhile, Pope Benedict on 23 December named a Hong Kong seminary professor as new archbishop-secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples (Propaganda Fide). Archbishop-elect Savio Hon Tai-Fai SDB, 60, is a Hong Kong native and former head of the Salesians’ China Province.


SUDAN


Bashir predicts Islamic state


THE SUDANESEPresident Omar Hassan al- Bashir has warned that North Sudan will move towards Islamic extremism if the South breaks away after the referendum to decide its future on 9 January, writes Ellen Teague. He vowed in a speech last week to turn Sudan into a state governed by sharia law if the South chooses to secede. He also raised the spectre of a mass movement of Christians from the North. Nevertheless, southerners look set to make the break. On Christmas Day, Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro of Juba in Southern Sudan threw his weight behind making the semi-autonomous region fully independent. In an address at St Teresa’s Cathedral in Juba, he called on eligible southern voters to opt for separation, describing the referendum as “God’s plan for Sudan at this time”. In the congregation was South Sudan’s


www.oikocredit.org.uk 32 | THE TABLET | 1 January 2011


President Salva Kiir, who urged people to vote so that there could be no doubt about the wishes of the people.


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