Vatican urges underground Chinese bishops to step aside in favor of government-backed ones

The Holy See has reportedly asked two underground bishops in China to retire and make way for church leaders that are backed by the Communist government.

According to Asia News, Bishop Peter Zhuang Jianjian of Shantou in southern Guangdong province was asked to retire in favor of an excommunicated Bishop Huang Bingzhang, while Bishop Joseph Guo Xijin on Mindong was asked to accept demotion under government-backed Vincent Zhan Silu.

Zhuang was secretly ordained in 2006 with the Vatican's approval, but the Chinese only recognizes him as a priest.

In a letter dated Oct. 26, the 88-year-old bishop was asked to resign and make way for Huang, who was excommunicated in 2011 after being consecrated without Vatican approval.

In December, Zhuang was reportedly escorted to Beijing, where he was asked to retire with the provision that he could nominate three priests, one of whom would be named by Huang as his vicar general.

It was believed that Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, the former president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and a veteran in China Church affairs, was the prelate that asked for Zhuang's resignation.

Celli has been known to be responsible for negotiations between the Vatican and China since the two parties officially resumed contact in 2014.

The bishop said that the aim of their travel to China was part of the effort to reach understanding with the Chinese government, and let Huang, who is also a member of Chinese parliament, become the legitimate bishop of the diocese, according to a source.

The source further stated that Zhuang burst into tears on hearing the demand, noting that "it was meaningless to appoint a vicar general, who is still a priest that Bishop Huang could remove him anytime."

Meanwhile, a Vatican delegation reportedly traveled to Fujian province where hey asked Guo to downgrade himself as assistant to Zhan, one of seven bishops awaiting the Vatican's official recognition.

Last year, Guo went missing for some time after authorities reportedly forced him to pay a visit to the religious affairs bureau in Fuan.

While he was in detention before the Holy Week in 2017, the government reportedly asked him to sign a document accepting "voluntary" downgrading before he was released.

An underground priest in Mindong said that he was not aware of the Vatican delegation's visit. "We of course feel hard to accept but do we have the rights to oppose the Vatican?" the priest said, adding that he may consider leaving the priesthood over the Vatican's decision.

Bob Fu, president of watchdog group ChinaAid, expressed disappointment with the decision, saying, "It's a shame to Vatican politicians, who put their political interests above the church's by kowtowing to Communist Beijing."

"This action constitutes a true betrayal both to Christian principles and to the ongoing persecuted faithful [Christians] in China. I hope Pope Francis can intervene and correct the course before the damage is too great to remedy," he added.