Vatican and China have been moving towards an accord on appointment of bishops in what would be historic breakthrough and precursor to resumption in diplomatic relations after seven decades of estrangement
Catholics in Hong Kong stepped up their opposition to a deal between the Vatican and Beijing on Monday with an all-night prayer vigil and an open letter warning of dire consequences for the faithful in the communist country.
More than 200 people crowded into a hall of the St. Bonaventure Church in a residential neighborhood to show their concern over the deal, which Vatican sources have said could be signed in the next few months.
«It’s a precarious situation. There’s a real danger of division,» said one priest at the prayer service who declined to give his name.
The Vatican and China have been moving towards an accord on the appointment of bishops in what would be a historic breakthrough and a precursor to a resumption in diplomatic relations after seven decades of estrangement.
But the prospect of a deal has sparked stiff opposition from many in the global church, some of whom say the Vatican would be selling out Catholics who have remained faithful to the pope during years of persecution.
The Chinese church is split between the state-backed Catholic Patriotic Association, where bishops are appointed by the government, and an «underground» church whose bishops have been appointed by the pontiff.
