Church leaders express mixed reactions after Chinese ordination

Published: 2006-05-01

KUNMING, China (CNS) -- An episcopal ordination recently conducted without papal approval has drawn mixed reactions from Chinese church leaders concerning its possible impact on Sino-Vatican ties. Father Joseph Ma Yinglin, 41, was ordained bishop of Kunming April 30, with nine papally approved bishops from the government-approved church taking part, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. The ceremony proceeded despite the Holy See issuing a message April 29 via the Hong Kong Diocese asking that the ordination not take place. Anthony Liu Bainian, vice chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, attended the event in Kunming, 1,300 miles southwest of Beijing. He told the press that Bishop Ma's ordination would not harm China-Vatican relations, since the new prelate was chosen by election. However, a high-ranking Vatican source told UCA News before the ordination that the Holy See might regard Father Ma's election as problematic because most of the 26 electors who chose him -- 14 laypeople, 9 priests and 3 nuns -- were not priests.

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