Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki - if he can betray his role as custodian of this Cathedral, he can betray the true Shepherd and the sheep of his pasture!

More rot from Germany. 

"They have set up their signs for ensigns"

It could only be an evil man that would allow the desecration of the Temple of  God in such a manner. 

What kind of bishop would allow this to happen in his Cathedral? 

What kind of man with faith in God would permit such an abomination?

"They have set fire to thy sanctuary."

"They have defiled the dwelling place of thy name on the earth."

Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki. A disgusting curse upon the Church in Germany. A despicable prelate who cares not about the One, True, Faith. A syncretist and Masonic stooge. A traitor of Our Lord Jesus Christ. An effeminate, a Judas.

If he cares so little about the integrity of his Cathedral, what does he care about the sheep of his flock?

What kind of man is this?

Or is he even, a man.

NovusOrdoWatch, (Nota bene: sedevacantist) has all the details and videos.

Ut quid, Deus. A prayer of the church under grievous persecutions.

1. Understanding for Asaph. O God, why hast thou cast us off unto the end: why is thy wrath enkindled against the sheep of thy pasture? 
2. Remember thy congregation, which thou hast possessed from the beginning. The sceptre of thy inheritance which thou hast redeemed: mount Sion in which thou hast dwelt. 
3. Lift up thy hands against their pride unto the end; see what things the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary. 
4. And they that hate thee have made their boasts, in the midst of thy solemnity. They have set up their ensigns for signs,
5. And they knew not both in the going out and on the highest top. As with axes in a wood of trees,
6. They have cut down at once the gates thereof, with axe and hatchet they have brought it down. 
7. They have set fire to thy sanctuary: they have defiled the dwelling place of thy name on the earth. 
8. They said in their heart, the whole kindred of them together: Let us abolish all the festival days of God from the land. 
9. Our signs we have not seen, there is now no prophet: and he will know us no more. 
10. How long, O God, shall the enemy reproach: is the adversary to provoke thy name for ever?
11. Why dost thou turn away thy hand: and thy right hand out of the midst of thy bosom for ever? 
12. But God is our king before ages: he hath wrought salvation in the midst of the earth.
13. Thou by thy strength didst make the sea firm: thou didst crush the heads of the dragons in the waters. 
14. Thou hast broken the heads of the dragon: thou hast given him to be meat for the people of the Ethiopians. 
15. Thou hast broken up the fountains and the torrents: thou hast dried up the Ethan rivers.
16. Thine is the day, and thine is the night: thou hast made the morning light and the sun.
17. Thou hast made all the borders of the earth: the summer and the spring were formed by thee.
18. Remember this, the enemy hath reproached the Lord: and a foolish people hath provoked thy name. 
19. Deliver not up to beasts the souls that confess to thee: and forget not to the end the souls of thy poor. 
20. Have regard to thy covenant: for they that are the obscure of the earth have been filled with dwellings of iniquity.
21. Let not the humble be turned away with confusion: the poor and needy shall praise thy name. 
22. Arise, O God, judge thy own cause: remember thy reproaches with which the foolish man hath reproached thee all the day. 
23. Forget not the voices of thy enemies: the pride of them that hate thee ascendeth continually.

Bye-bye, Mark!

No, not that Mark.

This Mark!

Mark P. Shea WAS A NOT SO popular NEO-Catholic writer and speaker. The author of numerous books, his most recent work is The Work of Mercy (Servant) and The Heart of Catholic Prayer (Our Sunday Visitor). Mark contributes numerous articles to many magazines, including his popular column “Connecting the Dots” for the National Catholic Register. NOT ANYMORE! Mark is known nationally for his one minute “Words of Encouragement” on Catholic radio. He also maintains the Catholic and Enjoying It blog. He lives in Washington state with his wife, Janet, and their four sons.

It seems that the National Catholic Register has finally had enough of him and the LifeSiteNews story may have been the final straw. 

There is a greater matter here. What is going on at National Catholic Register that would allow these writers to write unedited blog posts? The same thing happened a few weeks ago with John Paul Schimek. The Register has a serious problem that it needs to address.

While it would be wrong to rejoice in somebody's misfortune, having been directly on the receiving end of his hypocrisy, rage and false-mercy, it reminds me of the old phrase, "what comes around, goes around." 

Schimek - gone.

Shea - gone.

What neo-Cath will be next?

The delusional papacy

"The Church is not falling to pieces. It has never been better. This is a wonderful moment for the Church, you just need to look at its history. 

Meeting with the priests of the Diocese of Rome in Saint John Lateran, September 16, 2013

And things have gotten just so much better since he uttered this delusion.

Full Definition of delusion

1. the act of deluding :  the state of being deluded
2. something that is falsely or delusively believed or propagated
3. a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary; 
4. the abnormal state marked by such beliefs

Denzinger-Bergoglio does it so well.

The blood of Syria is on the hands of many and Hussein Obama and Hillary Clinton are at the top of the list!

Some of you may know that the blood running through my veins is entirely Lebanese. My grandparents were born in that beautiful land. On their immigration papers to Canada, it is noted that they were from, Greater Syria. Lebanon and Syria were not independent countries. 

The Lebanese were an identifiable ethnic group descended from Phoenicians and Canaanites They spoke the same language of Our Lord Jesus - Aramaic, as did their cousins in Syria, until they were Arabised by the Mohammedan hordes 1300 years ago. 

Notwithstanding that, the Christians and Muslims of Lebanon and Syria, for the most part, got along. 

The blood on this poor little boy is the fault of many, not the least of which is Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain and many others in the United States. This boy, may have been injured by Russian bombs, made necessary because America funded insurgents against the legitimate government of Syria under Bashar Assad. Interestingly, Russia is the only foreign power operating legally in Syria.

Yes, Donald Trump is correct. America, through Obama, Clinton and others created ISIS by funding rebels which undermined the legitimate government of Syria. 

We, in the West, are responsible for this outrage. Bashar Assad is a civilised man. He is the legitimate head of the Syrian Government. It is not up to us to depose him. If we depose him, why not Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe? Why not the tinpot madman in North Korea? America has destroyed this country and both parties are responsible. John McCain demanded even more invasion. Obama, instead, funded insurgents, most of whom became ISIS.
What threat did Syria pose to Europe or North America? What threat did they even pose to Israel? The picture is of President Assad and his wife at Christmas Mass in Damascus. Can you imagine what Syria would be under the rebels supported by Obama. Would this most ancient Christian population even survive? No, they would go the way of Christians in Babylon, Ninevah and Chaldea after Saddam was assassinated, another, who was no threat to America or Europe.

Will Sykes-Picot ever end?

Many will be held accountable before God for what has happened to this beautiful land and these people; my cousins. Obama and Clinton will be at the head of the line, Sykes and Picot have already been judged.

I will kneel before no man, even if Bergoglio declared me a schismatic! But at least, I know that the fish and loaves were multiplied by a miracle of Our Lord!

Adore God, and Him alone!

Father Bergoglio does not genuflect at Mass, but he grovels to wash the feet of man.

In his letter to the Kasperian, Vincenzo Paglia, on his appointment to the new dicastery, Bergoglio writes:

“To kneel before the wounds of the human person, in order to understand them, care for them and heal them, is the duty of a Church that trusts in the light and the strength of the risen Christ,”

More nonsense emanating form the mind and mouth of this man we call Pope! 

And more diabolical disorientation from this Paglia, who, according to Crux:

Along with writings of Pope Francis and other Vatican initiatives, Archbishop Vicenzo Paglia told the United Nations on Thursday that thanks to 'phenomena like the media production “Modern Family,”’ or same-sex marriage initiatives in a significant number of jurisdictions, the family has become the subject of increasingly intense interest and discussion.”

Let us ask the question.

Is Vincenzo Paglia a homosexual? 

Earlier today, in Rome, Father Bergoglio, its Bishop also said:

“He shows them that the few loaves and fishes they have, with the power of faith and of prayer, can be shared by all the people,” the Pope said. “It is a miracle that he does, but it is the miracle of faith, of prayer with compassion and love.”

He has said this before as some of us will recall, four times, at least, according to Oakes Spalding at Mahound's Paradise.

Pure, unadulterated, insanity and heresy. The fish and loaves were multiplied miraculously by Our Lord Jesus Christ. It was not through "sharing." 

An unacceptable statement by Bergoglio 

An unacceptable appointment by the Bishop of Rome intent on "making a mess" and creating "chaos." Yes, "order out of chaos" the motto of a 33rd Degree Freemason.

No, we do not kneel before the wounds of man, we kneel to God and HIs wounds. We comfort our neighbour, we tend to his wounds, we aid the best we can but we kneel to God and Him alone, Father, Son and Holy Ghost!

In Appointing Bishops, the Pope Leans Toward Beijing - sells out Chinese Catholics to the devil

More than once, I have written on the issue of the recognition of Communist China's Catholic Patriotic Association and the Vatican's recognition of this schismatic government church at the expense of China's real Catholics. Chinese Catholic bishops and laity alike have suffered decades of harassment, persecution, imprisonment and death at the hands of the communists. The government set up an "approved" church that mimics the real Church. 

Now, Francis will go down in history as the Pope who made a deal with the devil. 

Magister reports below at the link and by clicking on the labels at the bottom, you can find my other posts.

http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1351357?eng=y

In Appointing Bishops, the Pope Leans Toward Beijing

He is preparing, that is, to grant the communist authorities the privilege of selecting candidates. And he is exiling to an island in the Pacific the highest ranking Chinese archbishop in the curia, contrary to the agreement. But in China, Cardinal Zen has already taken the lead in the rebellion

by Sandro Magister

ROME, August 14, 2016 – In China, among the one hundred and nine Catholic bishops there are eight who have been consecrated at the behest of the communist authorities and who have never received the pope's approval, thereby incurring excommunication, a couple of them with children and lovers.

But for none other than these eight, by the end of this summer or at the latest before the end of the jubilee Francis is ready to perform a spectacular gesture: a pardon.

Black Mass Sacrilege on this Holy Day. - O Mary assumed into heaven, ever-glorious Virgin Mother of God, pray for us.

https://gloria.tv/article/qz6ooBQUJPGwJnDnnToAo8z7i

Urgent Prayer Request - Cardinal Burke; Planned Black Mass: Please help take action

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I am outraged and most profoundly saddened by the news that a public sacrilegious Black Mass is scheduled to take place in Oklahoma City on the 15th of August, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I have also been informed that, after the horrible sacrilege of the Black Mass, a further blasphemy will be perpetrated directly against the Blessed Virgin Mary. All of this is being done with the official sanction of the legitimate authorities.

For this reason, let us turn to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, through the recitation of the Holy Rosary, to storm Heaven with our prayers to make reparation for these sins and blasphemies that further provoke God's just wrath upon our beloved Nation.

It is the fundamental obligation of every faithful Catholic to stand up for the honor and glory of God and the honor of the Mother of God. In this critical hour, may we not fail to fulfill our obligation of love and devotion toward Our Lord and His heavenly mother.

I ask and beseech each of you to unite with me on this day as I offer Holy Mass and pray a Holy Rosary in reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Let us also pray for the poor souls that are perpetrating these blasphemies.

I urge you to invite your family members, your friends and other fellow Catholics to join in this act of reparation.

Yours devotedly in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary,

Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke

* ** *** **** ***** ****** ***** **** *** ** *
Take Immediate Action:

Call the Mayor of Oklahoma City, Mick Cornett, and the governor of Oklahoma, Mary Fallin, to voice your opposition to a Black Mass to be followed by the desecration of a Blessed Mother statue, scheduled to take place by satanists at their civic center on Monday, the Feast of the Assumption.

Both offices are taking calls and keeping a tally. Unbelievable that they are allowing this on the grounds of free speech! This situation begs for a moral compass to be applied.

In the United States, call:
Mayor Mick Cornett - 405-297-2424

Francis and his team are not happy campers

There are reports that Pope Bergoglio is not happy.  

Good!

You too can meet the celebrity Pope, only $25,000.00! Oh can't afford that? How about a gala for $7,500.00!

From an article in the San Francisco Chronicle we find an interesting opportunity through an organisation called Ifonly.com: a chance to buy time with the man in the Chair of Peter, the very Vicar of Christ on Earth.

For a contribution of $25,000 this is what you have a very special event to attend.

Held in Vatican City, the Killerspin World UnPlugNPlay Festival welcomes Pope Francis for a spectacular few days of tournament and technology talks — and you’re invited. IfOnly has partnered with Killerspin to offer a once-in-a-lifetime meeting with Pope Francis. This extraordinary event is the result of the Pope’s interest in “unplugging” from technology in order to better connect with family, friends, and colleagues. A meeting with Pope Francis will undoubtedly be the defining point of this trip and an unforgettable memory. Several other delightful features will cap off this remarkable package. In addition to meeting the world leader and humanitarian, this package includes several gatherings, including the Connect21 Ping Pong Diplomacy Cocktail Reception and gala dinner. The Pope has been invited to open the panel with the topic of the night on the impact of technology and human connections.

Can't afford the $25,000.00? No problem, for only $7,500.00:

IfOnly and Killerspin invite you and a guest to Vatican City, where some of the world’s greatest minds will join Pope Francis for a few days of enlightening conversation and charitable dinners. Kick off your incredible experience with a tour of one of Western Civilization’s crowning artistic achievements: the Sistine Chapel. Your package also comes with two seats at the Vice Chairman’s table for the Connect21 Ping Pong Diplomacy Cocktail Reception and Gala Dinner, where the Pope has been invited to open a discussion panel on the impact of technology on humanity. You will also receive a Killerspin Revolution SVR Bianco table tennis pack with a full set of World UnPlugNPlay Day racquets. In keeping with Pope Francis’ lifelong dedication to public welfare, this experience will benefit Best Buddies, a nonprofit dedicated to providing opportunities to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Of course, it is all good, the money is for a charity called BestBuddies

They sell the Sistine Chapel to Porche for a corporate function. Then, they desecrate it with a rock music concert.

Now, the man in the Seat of Peter, the Pope, the Vicar of Our Lord Jesus Christ allows access to himself to the very rich.

 https://www.ifonly.com/pope-francis-experiences

http://www.killerspin.com/unplugnplay-festival

https://www.facebook.com/IfOnlycom/?fref=ts

Some thoughts on Comments

Since allowing "anonymous" comments on this blog a few years ago, the number of comments has increased significantly. Debate has been robust at times, to be sure. I have very few rules in the combox, they are posted where you leave a comment. I don't believe in a lot of "rules," but it did become necessary to moderate and not allow comments to be published, automatically.

There are a few commenters that some others find frustrating. I appreciate their insights and the insights of those who rebut them. In the case of one, he allows me to become more circumspect, no matter how frustrating he seems. I allow sedevacantists because, while I don't adhere to their position at all, I understand their pain and believe we need to speak together and reason together. They are Catholics every bit as much as the SSPX and those who attend regular parishes. All of us are upset about the state of the Church but we cannot keep attacking each other. We know where the enemies are, let's save the attacks for them.  

I wish to address another matter.

A commenter, under the "anonymous" name has been here for quite a while. A number of months ago, I wrote to him in the box to go away, that he "bored" me. He did for a while. 

A few weeks ago, he left a comment one night on a matter that could not have been known by anyone but a priest. I was already aware of the situation, so the news did not come as a surprise to me. What came a surprise was that a commenter to this blog also knew and would have the temerity to publicly state it. It was quickly determined that because he knew and because of the language employed, the commenter was a priest.

I did not post his comment (and will not discuss the matter). suffice to say, it was a disgraceful and sinful revelation about a brother of his, another priest. It was a disgusting and vile sin of detraction and gossip. It was an attempt on his part to destroy another and use me as the tool to do it.

He has found out that I am nobody's tool, and nobody's fool.

His comments became more numerous, and except for a few when he stopped attacking his brother and kept the comment to the post, I did not publish any of what he left. He became more angry over being ignored and STARTED WRITING IN CAPITALS, the equivalent of screaming. The more I ignored him, the more angry, he became. His comments will not be published, ever. It was not a difficult exercise through my StatCounter, to make some determinations.

One might say, "don't let him live in your brain." Yes, I agree. He does not. What does live in my brain is the fact that the commenter, a priest and alleged self-described canonist, is using my combox as a vehicle to attack a brother priest and disclose private information that is nobody's business. It is repugnant and it is evil.

When this writer comments on a priest, it is about what he might say or write or do in public; - there is a massive difference.  

As for my anonymous canonist friend, he knows what he can do.

The Vatican sells out the real Catholics of China

Looks as if I was right!

And here:
http://voxcantor.blogspot.ca/2016/04/the-real-catholics-of-china-about-to-be.html

And here:
http://voxcantor.blogspot.ca/2016/01/cardinal-zen-calls-out-francis-parolin.html

Is the sell-out of Mindzenty and Slipyj for "Ostpolitik" about to be repeated in China?

Originally published on March 27, 2015.

Last week, a friend with strong ties to various figures in the Holy See told me over lunch something brewing on the front-burner in Rome. I was sworn to refrain from blogging and even now, cannot say more that I know but there is a story made public earlier this week by Sandro Magister. 

Is this potential of diplomatic relations between The Holy See and the communist People's Republic of China something which we've seen this before? Is history is repeating itself?


Is the Ostpolitik of Paul VI and the sell-out of Hungary and Ukraine and the great Cardinals Mindzenty and Slipyj about to repeated by making a deal with the devil himself?

Is the persecution of Roman Catholics in the People's Republic of China to be ignored for the sake of diplomatic prestige and convenience?

Are the Vatican diplomats, held at bay by Benedict XVI, ready to put before Pope Francis the selling out of millions of Catholic bishops, priests, religious and laity who gave up their lives for their faith rather than submit to the communist devils?

What is the price for relations with China?

What will this mean for the Nunciature in Taiwan and the Catholics there?

Click above for link to Ignatuis Press

Will the Church recognise these schismatic bishop of the Chinese Patriotic Association who sold-out to the communists and still not find a way for the good bishops and priests and religious of the Society of St. Pius X to find a sure way home and a secure structure in which to evangelise?

What would relations with China mean for its evil "one-child policy" and forced abortion upon women? Will the Church demand it be dropped for recognition and diplomatic relations?

What would it mean for the real Catholic Church in China, that which is underground; will they become the new schismatics?

What of the opinion of the great Emeritus Cardinal Zen of Hong Kong; who says, "no agreement is better than a bad agreement? 

Are we about to see the Catholic Church make an equivalent deal as Obama with Iran on nuclear weapons for the sake of an agreement?

Perhaps there has been too much reading around the Vatican of Mao's Little Red Book and not enough about The Red Book of Chinese Martyrs.

http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1351013?eng=y

The Cardinals Are Dueling Over China, but the Mandarins Dominate the Game“No agreement is better than a bad agreement,” says Zen, criticizing secretary of state Parolin. The pope is keeping silent. And Shanghai remains without its bishop, under arrest for three years
by Sandro Magister

ROME, March 25, 2015 – “Do I want to go to China? Absolutely: tomorrow! All the Church is asking for is freedom for its mission, no other condition." This is what Francis said on August 18 of last year, while he was crossing over Chinese airspace, the first time any pope had done so.

Seven months have gone by since then, and the statements of readiness for “fruitful dialogue” have multiplied. On the Vatican side, with the voices of cardinal secretary of state Pietro Parolin and of Fr. Federico Lombardi. And on the Chinese side from the mouth of the spokesmen of the foreign ministry, Hua Chunying and Hong Lei.

At the beginning of March Fr. Lombardi granted a long interview to Phoenix TV, a Hong Kong television channel close to the central government. In it, among other things, he expressed hopes for an agreement on episcopal ordinations in China similar to the one in place in Vietnam – set up by none other than Parolin when he was undersecretary for relations with states – in which the Holy See presents its candidate to the government and if this does not approve presents another, until there is agreement on both sides.

In the name of the Chinese foreign ministry, spokesman Hong Lei echoed the interview with Fr. Lombardi with soothing statements released to the English-language newspaper “Global Times,” an outlet of the communist party. These were accompanied, however, by this tap on the brakes:

“Beijing on Thursday [March 12] urged the Vatican to face the historical tradition and reality of Catholics in China, after the Vatican reportedly suggested a joint review on bishop ordination.”

In effect, the ordinations of bishops are a crucial question for the Catholic Church in China. With Mao Zedong in the 1950’s the communist authorities appropriated the appointment of bishops, creating the structures of a Church subservient to the regime, independent of Rome and potentially schismatic, as well as being in conflict with the Chinese bishops and priests faithful to the pope but not recognized by the government and therefore in a situation of permanent illegality and of dramatic vulnerability.

After the end of Maoism, the Holy See succeeded in reconciling some of the illegitimate bishops with itself. But the authorities of Beijing never abandoned the “tradition” inaugurated by Mao, which continues to have its executive and supervisory body in the so-called patriotic association of Chinese Catholics and its formal expression in a puppet episcopal conference never recognized by Rome.

Vatican efforts to reconstruct the unity and fidelity of the Chinese Church reached their peak with the publication in 2007 of a letter from Pope Benedict XVI to the Catholics of China, a document that Pope Francis has confirmed, calling it “fundamental” and “timely” and thereby accepting its guidelines:

Letter...

That year Benedict XVI also set up a commission expressly dedicated to examining the case of China, made up of officials of the secretariat of state and of the congregation for the evangelization of peoples, of representatives of the Chinese bishops, of missionaries and experts. The commission met periodically and there was a prominent role on it for Hong King cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun.

But the Chinese authorities continued to ordain bishops not recognized by Rome. The latest two, installed in 2011 in the dioceses of Leshan and Shantou, were excommunicated by the Holy See, which also asked the bishops who had taken part in the illicit ordinations to justify their actions, on pain of excommunication for them as well.

The following year came the most spectacular case, that of the new coadjutor bishop of the archdiocese of Shanghai, Thaddeus Ma Daqin. Ordained on July 7 of 2012 with the approval of both the Holy See and the Chinese government, he quit the patriotic association on the same day, obeying the 2007 letter of Benedict XVI, which defined membership in the association as incompatible with fidelity to the Church. And because of this he was immediately punished with house arrest, which made it impossible for him to take up the succession of the elderly archbishop of Shanghai, Aloysius Jin Luxian, who died in April of 2013.Since then the diocese of Shanghai has remained headless, with its legitimate bishop still under house arrest, bearing witness at a high price to fidelity to the universal Church.

But meanwhile the pope has changed. Benedict XVI has been succeeded by Francis. And the diplomats have regained power in the Vatican.

With the new pope, the commission for China has not been convened again. The combative approach of confrontation with the regime embodied by Cardinal Zen has been replaced with an approach of reiterated offerings of dialogue and of silence on the painful points.

To their own advantage, the proponents of this diplomatic approach attribute to themselves the cessation of the appointment of illegitimate bishops since 2012.
But on the part of Rome, the appointments of faithful bishops have also ceased. With the consequence of a growing number of dioceses deprived of leadership.
The resumption of illegitimate ordinations also continues to hang like a sword of Damocles. Last January it was the ministry of religious affairs that threatened a new batch of appointments without papal mandate in 2015.From what has leaked out, the Vatican authorities are trying to coax Beijing into an agreement on the appointment of bishops according to the model of Vietnam.

And in order to reach this goal they are willing to keep public silence on everything. Even on the most offensive prevarications of the Chinese authorities toward the Catholic Church.

Silence on the enduring impediment on the bishop of Shanghai’s exercising his office.

Silence on the disappearance of Bishop Cosma Shi Enxiang of Yixian, in Hebei, arrested on Good Friday of 2001 and imprisoned in an unknown location. Last January 30 his relatives were given the news of his death, at the age of 93, news that was afterward retracted confusedly and without explanation.

Silence on the disappearance of another bishop, James Su Zhi-min of Baoding, taken away by the police 18 years ago and never heard from again.

The official Vatican media are silent on everything that could irritate the Chinese authorities. For information on the persecution of the Church in China, the most timely and trustworthy Catholic source is the online agency “Asia News," published in Italian, English, and Chinese, founded and directed by Fr. Bernardo Cervellera of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions.

On the other hand, beating the drum with boundless optimism for the approach currently adopted by the Vatican diplomats is the journalist and expert on China Gianni Valente, a friend of Jorge Mario Bergoglio from before his election as pope and a writer for “Fides,” the online agency of the Vatican congregation for the evangelization of peoples, as well as being a prominent contributor to the portal “Vatican Insider.”

The historical model to which Valente refers, in dealing with the question of China, is the “Ostpolitik” practiced by the Vatican with the regimes of the Soviet empire, overlooking the fact that at the time this diplomatic stance was balanced and ultimately supplanted by the different approach that had in John Paul II its victorious protagonist.

And also today the diplomatic steps underway in China do not fail to raise criticisms.The most explicit and authoritative of these come from Cardinal Zen, who gave a lively reaction last February 17 to two interviews - with “leading questions,” according to him - conducted by Valente for “Vatican Insider” with two Chinese bishops in communion with Rome:

 Zen: It looks like someone is trying to shout us down 

Referring explicitly to secretary of state Parolin, Zen warned against concession: “No agreement is better than a bad agreement. We cannot, pro bono pacis, tolerate an agreement which betrays our identity.”

This was followed by another interview “steered” by Valente with a third Chinese bishop. And also the publication, by “Vatican Insider,” of a stinging “ad personam” invective against Cardinal Zen, signed by a Chinese priest and blogger, Paul Han Qing Ping:

> "Cardinal Zen, don’t you believe in miracles?"
And then again by a defense on Valente’s part of the Vietnam model in the appointment of bishops. The limitations of which were however brought to light by “Asia News,” in a letter from a Vietnamese Catholic and above all in an editorial by Fr. Cervellera on the grave risks of the Vatican’s striking a diplomatic agreement without first establishing commitments in terms of religious freedom:

> Nothing to toast between China and the Vatican: Beijing wants complete control

Freedom for the Church, without conditions, is exactly what Pope Francis has said that he wants, in his most explicit statement on China so far, seven months ago.

After which he has said nothing more about this. On January 19, flying over China for a second time, he limited himself to saying, after justifying the lack of an audience with the Dalai Lama: “The Chinese government is considerate, and we too are considerate and do things step by step, as things are done in history.”
Not one word on China, not even in the speech that the pope had given to the diplomatic corps a week before.

The guidelines of the 2007 letter of Benedict XVI are still in place. But between Parolin and Zen, Francis seems to side with the former.
___________

The three interviews of Gianni Valente with the three Chinese bishops criticized by Cardinal Zen:
> Joseph Wei Jingyi, Bishop of Qiqihar
> Joseph Han Zhi-hai, Bishop of Lanzhou
> Paul Xie Ting-zhe, Bishop of Urumqi
__________

All of the previous articles on this topic:
> Focus on CHINA
__________
In the photo, Cardinal Zen, behind the banner, demonstrates in Hong Kong for the truth on the disappearance of Bishop Cosma Shi Enxiang.