Chinese Joseph Card. Zen’s Open Letter to all the other Cardinals

The great Chinese prelate Joseph Card. Zen has sent a letter to all of the members of the College of Cardinals.   HERE  It includes Dubia of the cardinal regarding “Pastoral guidelines of the Holy See concerning the civil registration of clergy in China”

This pontificate doesn’t have a great track record with dubia.

Here is Card. Zen’s letter, which was originally at Marco Tosatti’s place in Italian.  My emphases and comments.

27 September 2019

Dear Eminence,

Please forgive me for the disturbance that this letter will cause you. I am writing you because, in conscience, I believe that the problem that I am presenting concerns not only the Church in China, but the entire Church, and we cardinals have the grave responsibility to help the Holy Father in guiding the Church.

Now, based on my analysis of the Document of the Holy See (June 28, 2019) “Pastoral guidelines of the Holy See concerning the civil registration of clergy in China” it is absolutely clear that it encourages the faithful in China to enter into a schismatic Church (independent of the Pope and under the orders of the Communist Party).

On July 10 I presented my “dubia” to the Pope. His Holiness, on July 3, promised me that he would be interested in it, but until now I have heard nothing[It has only been… what?… half a year?]

Cardinal Parolin says that when we speak of the independent Church today, we should no longer mean that this independence is absolute, because the agreement recognizes the role of the pope in the Catholic Church.

First of all, I cannot believe that there is such a statement in the agreement and I still have not seen it (among other things, why should such an agreement be secret and not even given to me, a Chinese cardinal, to see it?), [?!?] but, even more clearly, the whole situation after the signing of the agreement shows that in reality nothing has changed.

Cardinal Parolin quotes a phrase from the letter of Pope Benedict completely out of context, indeed, in such a way that it is diametrically opposed to the whole meaning of the paragraph [from which it comes].

This manipulation of the thought of the Pope Emeritus is a grave lack of respect; indeed, it is a deplorable insult to the person of the very meek still-living pope.

It also disgusts me that they often declare that what they are doing is in continuity with the thought of the preceding pope, when in fact the opposite is true. I have good reason to believe (and I hope that one day I will be able to prove it with archival documents) that the accord that has been signed is the same one that Pope Benedict had, at the time, refused to sign.

Dear Eminence, can we passively witness this killing of the Church in China on the part of those who should be protecting and defending it from its enemies? Begging you on my knees, your brother

Cardinal Joseph ZEN, S.D.B.

This just makes your heart cry.

The dubia.

Perhaps he and Cards. Brandmüller and Burke should have special jackets made.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in Modern Martyrs, The Coming Storm, The Drill and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

25 Comments

  1. mysticalrose says:

    Of all the things that I do not understand and that trouble me about this pontificate, Pope Francis’ betrayal of Chinese Catholics tops the list. And no matter how many “company men” are among our Cardinals and Bishops, I cannot believe that they have largely remained silent. One would think even the progressive/liberal faction of the Church would oppose the Vatican’s new policy. I am absolutely disgusted.

  2. This is not the first time a “conciliatory” approach has been used with Communist powers. The current policy simply resurrects that of Paul VI and Cardinal Casaroli with the Soviet Block. The results today seem to be mirroring those then.

    Now at least some in the hierarchy are objecting. They were pretty much all silent back in the 1970s as well, with the exception of two courageous Poles. History proved them right. See on this:

    https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2016/07/the-ostpolitik-failed-get-over-it

  3. Nathanael says:

    The scriptures of the loyal Leonatus,
    All turn’d to heresy? Away, away,
    Corrupters of my faith! you shall no more
    Be stomachers to my heart. Thus may poor fools
    Believe false teachers: though those that
    are betray’d
    Do feel the treason sharply, yet the traitor
    Stands in worse case of woe.

  4. teomatteo says:

    In my miniscule understanding of what is quite complicated, I cant help but wonder what the Holy See is gaining from the Chicoms for this agreement? I am sure the Cardinal knows. Sad.

  5. samwise says:

    Time > Space? , whole > part?…clearly with China this mode of decision making underestimates the gov’t. In the interest of time and preserving space, likewise respecting a part in the interest of the whole, an about-face is necessary, saying “yes, predecessors were correct in not making this deal, We shall retract agreement “

  6. JustaSinner says:

    Marxists do what Marxists do… what’s new about this?

  7. Amerikaner says:

    No Pachamamas in China and so Rome doesn’t care.

  8. carndt says:

    Money?
    China being able to say that the Vatican believes China is right about having the right to regulate religion.
    In bed with Satan.

  9. Benedict Joseph says:

    Does not Cardinal Zen’s appeal simply say it all about the current state of affairs in the Church?
    They have eyes but they do not see.
    They have ears but they do not hear.

  10. Benedict Joseph says:

    Does not Cardinal Zen’s appeal simply say it all about the current state of affairs in the Church?
    They have eyes but they do not see.
    They have ears but they do not hear.

  11. Kathleen10 says:

    Yet tomorrow is Friday and the sun will come up and things will go on as they did today and nothing will change. The church is on fire and the world is suffering as a result but our bishops and Cardinals and man on the Chair just continue on having circuses and dancing boys and ladies gyrating at the altar and talking about their Freemasonic goals for humanity and fraternity and none of them care an iota about the Chinese Catholics or Catholics anywhere. We watch while madmen have taken over and they flaunt in our face that they have taken over. We who would do something about the poor Chinese Catholics can do nothing. But we may end up joining them.
    Please God, help us soon. Bless Cardinal Zen because when you call him home we are going to see the last of his kind leaving us. At least the Chinese can say they had a Cardinal who loved them deeply and fought for them.

  12. Archlaic says:

    Cardinal Zen lays it bare. As much as anything else in this pontificate – perhaps even more – this Chinese betrayal stinks to highest Heaven, especially in the nostrils of the remnant Faithful.

  13. chantgirl says:

    If Francis declines to answer the various dubia sent to him, could not a future pope answer them, possibly with answers contrary to those Francis might have given?

    Just a thought.

  14. The Astronomer says:

    This is Our Lady of Fatima’s worst nightmare coming true. I am sadly reminded of Saint John Fisher’s answer to Bishops Stokesley, Gardiner and Tunstal, who were sent to the Tower of London by Thomas Cromwell to persuade Fisher to submit to the King:

    “Methinks it had been rather our parts to stick together in repressing these violent and unlawful intrusions and injuries dayly offered to our common mother, the holy Church of Christ, than by any manner of persuasions to help or set forward the same…

    And we ought rather to seek by all means the temporal destruction of the so ravenous wolves, that daily go about worrying and devouring everlastingly, the flock that Christ committed to our charge, and the flock that Himself died for, than to suffer them thus to range abroad.

    But (alas) seeing we do it not, you see in what peril the Christian state now standeth: We are besieged on all sides, and can hardly escape the danger of our enemy. And seeing that judgment is begone at the house of God, what hope is there left (if we fall) that the rest shall stand!

    The fort is betrayed even of them that should have defended it. And therefore seeing the matter is thus begun, and so faintly resisted on our parts, I fear that we be not the men that shall see the end of the misery.

    Cardinal Parolin, are you listening? Have you no fear of God, man?!?!?! You are acting like the Man Iscariot.

  15. pascal788 says:

    Kathleen. You are right of course. The Holy Catholic church is in meltdown everywhere. Something must be done soon before it is completely gutted.
    We need good holy priests who offer the TLM to lead us out of this disastrous mess.

  16. pascal788 says:

    Chant girl. Yes we desperately need a new pope to correct and undo all the disaterous things this unworthy man has done. I hope he goes soon.

  17. pascal788 says:

    Thank you Fr. Z for this blog. By it you are giving help to catholics who are otherwise completely isolated in their faith. They have no TLM they have no priests who are genuine. They have nothing but an old missal and the internet.

  18. HvonBlumenthal says:

    Yes Pascal788, I am truly grateful for Fr Z and his blog. Even though I am lucky enough to have Tridentine Mass every Sunday in my own house, attended by 60 people or so, I would still feel isolated and insular without this blog.

  19. DeGaulle says:

    The kind of ‘Church’ that the Chicoms seem likely to engineer seems to me to closely resemble that kind to which those now in charge in the Vatican aspire.

  20. SanSan says:

    heartbreaking. Prayers for Cdl. Zen. We need more faithful like him at the top. Praying for our poor brothers and sisters who faithfully live out their love for Holy Mother Church. God be with them.

  21. samwise says:

    @chantgirl: well said. But I will pray for Francis’s metanoia on this. Trouble with time > space criteria is that one can presume that there will be time for mercy. Meanwhile, entire chinese parishes are being wiped out or their space is filled with idols to the State

  22. Suburbanbanshee says:

    Even the “Patriotic Association” churches are being destroyed or closed, and the churches that stay open are defiled by putting pictures of Communist leaders in place of Jesus.

    The same thing is happening to pagan temples, mosques, and Buddhist shrines. (Probably synagogues too, but I haven’t seen pictures of that.)But

    It’s amazing how much time and energy the Communists spend on destruction, when they could be building and growing. But it isn’t about what would be good for the country or the people. It is about control.

    And some Vatican bureaucrats are.like that, too.

  23. DisturbedMary says:

    The third annual Lepanto Conference will take place in New York City on Saturday, February 15, beginning with a Pontifical Mass in the traditional rite at the church of St Vincent Ferrer, a Votive Mass of the Chinese Martyrs. The Mass will be celebrated by His Eminence Joseph Cardinal Zen, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, beginning at 11 am., and followed by followed by conferences and a procession; for more information, see the event Facebook page. The church is located at 869 Lexington Avenue. Last year’s conference was a massive success, boasting 700+ in attendance.

    Bookmark and Share
    Posted Thursday, January 09, 2020 Comments (1)

    Labels: Cardinal Zen, Lepanto Conference, St Vincent Ferrer NYC

    More recent articles:

    Special Chants for the Epiphany 2020
    Gregory DiPippo
    As they do every year, our friends of the Schola Sainte Cécile have posted on their website the current year’s Proclamation of the Movable Feasts, which is traditionally sung after the Gospel on the feast of the Epiphany. Also known from its first word as the Noveritis, its tone is basically the same as that of the Exsultet. Here it is in a jpg, w…

    Photopost Request: Epiphany 2020
    Gregory DiPippo
    Our next major photopost series will be for liturgies celebrated on the Epiphany, whether in the OF or the EF, or any of the Eastern Rites, Ordinariate Use, etc.; as always, we will be very glad to include other liturgical ceremonies such as the Proclamation of the Movable Feasts, the blessing of the waters, of chalk etc. Please send your pictures…

    Christmas 2019 Photopost (Part 4)
    Gregory DiPippo
    Our fourth and final Christmas photopost beautifully highlights the richness of our Catholic liturgical tradition, with several examples of the various feasts and rites attached to the Christmas octave, especially in the first two items. We will soon begin the next photopost series with your Epiphany liturgies; a reminder will be posted tomorrow. …

    Liturgical Notes on the Feast of the Holy Innocents
    Gregory DiPippo
    In the Missal of St Pius V, the feast of the Holy Innocents is celebrated in violet vestments, rather than the red used on all the other feasts of Martyrs. It is also the only feast on which the Gloria in excelsis is omitted, and with it, the Te Deum in the Divine Office; furthermore, the Alleluia at Mass is replaced with a Tract, and Benedicamus …

    Christmas 2019 Photopost (Part 3)
    Gregory DiPippo
    In the last couple of days, we have had quite a few more photos sent in, and so we will have four posts of Christmas liturgies this year before we move on to Epiphany. This set has a lot of variety in it, and as always, we very much appreciate these contributions! Happy New Year, and continue to evangelize through beauty! Church of St Stephen – …

    Droning at Mass: Guest Article by Mr Joseph Ahmad
    Gregory DiPippo
    Our thanks to Mr Joseph Ahmad, who works as a researcher at the École Biblique et Archéologique Française in Jerusalem, for sharing with us this very interesting article on the use of the “ison” or drone in Gregorian. The subject of this piece is neither homiletics nor ill-timed bee-keeping, but rather some practical notes on how to support a line…

    Medieval Variants of the Saints in the Canon
    Gregory DiPippo
    As a follow up to Peter’s recent post on the addition of St Joseph’s name to Canon, this article will sum up the historical precedents for this as attested in the manuscript tradition. This information is taken from the critical edition [1] of the Canon by Eugene Moeller, Jean-Marie Clément, and Bertrand Coppieters ’t Wallant, published by Brepols…

    Byzantine Epiphany Liturgies in Minneapolis
    Gregory DiPippo
    St John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, will hold the following ceremonies for the upcoming feast of the Theophany of the Lord. The church is located at 2215 3rd Street NE. Saturday, January 4th: Great Vespers at 4:30pm, preceded by Confessions. Sunday, January 5th: Confessions at 8:30am, Third Hour …

    All Gospels of the Year with Music for the Dominican Rite
    Fr. Augustine Thompson, O.P.
    I am pleased to announce that Dominican Liturgy Publications has just released the Evangelarium O.P.. This volume contains all the Mass Gospels of the year for the Temporal and Sanctoral cycles of the Dominican Rite. Each Latin Gospel is set to the traditional Dominican tone. The volume also includes all the Common Gospels and those for all Ritual …

    Christmas 2019 Photopost (Part 2)
    Gregory DiPippo
    Our photopost series for Christmas continues; with the exception of the last set, these are all of Midnight Masses, but there will be a few things from the Christmas season in the upcoming third and final post, before we move on to the Epiphany. As always, we are grateful to all those who contribute to the work of evangelizing through beauty by sh…

    The Feast of the Circumcision 2020
    Gregory DiPippo
    In the great economy [1] of His compassion, God the Father deigned to send for the redemption of the human race not an angel, not an archangel, but his only-begotten Son. And because we cannot see Him in the appearance of His divinity, further, by the great design of His love, He took care to bring Him forth unto human sight as a true man, made of…

    Station Churches of the Christmas Season – Part 2
    Gregory DiPippo
    By the end of the fifth century, there were a number of Roman churches dedicated to St Stephen the First Martyr, including a monastery behind St Peter’s in the Vatican, and a large basilica on the via Latina. That which was chosen as the station church of his feast day, St Stephen’s on the Caelian Hill, is the one closest to the ancient Papal resi…

    Solemn Mass for Epiphany in New York City
    Gregory DiPippo
    On Monday, January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany, the Society of St Hugh of Cluny and the Roman Forum will sponsor a Solemn High Mass at the church of the Most Holy Redeemer in New York City, featuring the Missa Sancti Wilhelmi by John Taverner. The Mass will begin at 6pm, with a reception to follow; the church is located at 173 East 3rd Street. …

    This is Spiritual Warfare – But Take Heart, the War is Won!
    David Clayton
    Are you worried about the state of the world and where it’s all going? Don’t be. The war is already won and here is the victor, our King, Jesus Christ. Here is His Mother, the Queen of Heaven, whose support is so vital. And here is his Sargeant-at-Arms… We can be His footsoldiers and participate in the assured victory. I am delighted…

    A Litany of Subdeacon Saints (For Candidates in Preparation)
    Peter Kwasniewski
    Ordination of a Roman subdeacon As promised in my article “A Litany for Sacristans and Those Receiving Minor Orders,” published on October 7, 2019, today I publish a similar litany for those men about to receive the major order of subdiaconate, in accord with the theological and liturgical tradition of the Roman Catholic Church as maintained in…
    For more articles, see the NLM archives:

    Search

    Daily Digest
    Enter your email address:

    to submit your own photos:
    photopost@newliturgicalmovement.org
    CMAA Books

    McCrery Architects

    McCrery Architects

    Luzar Vestments

    ALBL Oberammergau, Woodcarvings

    Duncan G. Stroik, Architect

    Latin prayer cards

    Cram and Ferguson, Architects

    Baker Architects, LLC

    St. Philips Books

    Beyer Studio

    Ferdinand Stuflesser Church Interiors

    Christendom College Organ Scholarships

    Murals by Jericho

    Watts and Co.

    The Latin Mass Society

    Sacred Window Rescue

    Liturgical Environs

    Benedictus Arte Sacra

    HolyArt

    Stained Glass Inc.

    Davis D-Ambly

    Liturgical Journals
    Antiphon journal Sacred Music Journal Sacred Architecture journal Latin Mass magazine
    Support NLM
    PayPal – The safer, easier way to pay online!

    Illustrator MatthewAlderman

  24. MI1 says:

    The letter was personally addressed to Cardinal Zen’s fellow Cardinals. I have not heard of any of his fellow Cardinals responding publicly with support. Where is Burke, Brandmuller, Muller? Any others? If any of them could get beyond their own private calculations of advantage, the Church might be able to weather this storm. It will take a hagiographer of Boswellian talents to write the lives of any member of the current College of Cardinals.

  25. Pingback: SATVRDAY LATE EDITION – Big Pulpit

Comments are closed.