Hong Kong bishop predicts China will stop ordaining bishops illicitly

Published: 2006-07-20

SEOUL, South Korea (CNS) -- Hong Kong Auxiliary Bishop John Tong Hon predicted China will stop ordaining bishops illicitly and spoke of positive changes in relations between the mainland's open and underground Catholic communities. "The Chinese government wants to dialogue with the Holy See, (so) it will have no more illegitimate ordinations; the illegitimate ordinations will stop," Bishop Tong told 35 bishops, priests, religious and laypeople at a July 18-20 seminar just south of Seoul. His remarks were reported by UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. The seminar, "The Search for Christian Unity: Where We Stand Today," was organized by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences. The church in China ordained two bishops without papal approval earlier this year: Father Joseph Ma Yinglin of Kunming Diocese, April 30, and Father Joseph Liu Xinhong of Anhui Diocese, May 3.

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