IN 2011 the Vatican said, without giving details, that there were “proven and very grave reasons” why Lei Shiyin could not be made a bishop. On Easter Sunday he was nevertheless sporting a crosier and mitre, sprinkling holy water onto 300 or so worshippers at a cathedral in the south-western city of Leshan. Bishop Lei is one of several Catholic prelates who have been appointed by China’s state religious authorities without the blessing of the pope. To forestall protests by Vatican loyalists, officials mount tight security at churches where he helps ordain other bishops.
Bishop Lei is a senior official in the government-backed Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association. He is also an adviser to the national parliament. The cathedral in Leshan appears to reflect the favour he enjoys with the Communist Party. It was completed in 2015, four years after he was declared by Rome to have been automatically excommunicated for accepting his post as bishop. The building has big chandeliers, Ionic columns and...Continue reading
Source: China https://ift.tt/2KgXly9
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