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by AsiaNews.it

CHINA - VATICAN Chinese bishops to attend the meeting deported Patriotic W. Zhicheng - Z. Yuan

The gathering, incompatible with the faith of Catholics, should elect the Presidents of the Patriotic Association and the Council of Bishops. Some bishops have been hidden for not participating, while others were taken against their will. The bishop of Hengshui, seized and torn to the defense of the faithful, was brought to Beijing.
Beijing (AsiaNews) - AsiaNews sources say that dozens of bishops of the official Church have been deported by force to the capital to force them to participate in the House of Representatives Chinese Catholics, which the pope is incompatible with Catholic faith.

The Assembly opened today in Beijing and is surrounded by secrecy and a low profile can not contact anyone, even the Xinhua did not give any news event. It should lead to the election of national president of the Patriotic Association and chairman of the council of Chinese bishops, two bodies are unacceptable to the Catholic Church because they are intended to build a separate, detached from the pope. "It's just a meeting for a new round of leaders," said Liu Bainian, vice president and director of the PA Assembly. In fact, the gathering is the "sovereign body" of the official Chinese church in which bishops are a minority among Catholics and government representatives. In its decisions are ecclesial shots rigged elections. Before today's meeting, all participants received by Liu Bainian indications of what to do and what to vote.

The Assembly has been postponed for at least four years because the official bishops, in obedience to the Holy See's, have consistently refused to participate.

AsiaNews sources report that many bishops from different provinces, to avoid being dragged in Beijing have gone into hiding or are given to patients. Others were taken by representatives Assembly Government and dragged against their will. Still others, who knew they could not escape, agreed to come to Beijing, but decided not to celebrate together the masses Assembly, being some bishops excommunicated.

The same sources claim that there are still bishops who have opposed any resistance. The Diocese of Beijing, in its newsletter, published two articles in honor of the event.
The most serious and obvious violence occurred in Hengshui (Hebei), where Mgr. Feng Xinmao was seized by about 100 police officers and government representatives, who have fought for hours against the faithful and priests who did shield the bishop to ensure freedom. In the clashes was a fair shot in the shoulder. In recent days, the bishop had been kept in isolation, away from his home. The faithful were able to snatch control of the police and take him to bishop. After hours of siege, the bishop was again arrested and last night at 20:30, Mgr. Feng Xinmao was dragged to Beijing to attend the meeting. One of the faithful, weeping, while the bishop is escorted away, said: "Our poor bishop has no freedom."

Another prelate, Msgr. Li Lianghui Cangzhou (Hebei) has disappeared to escape the meeting in Beijing. The police threatened that if the diocese is the bishop delivery sarà ricercato in tutto il Paese come “un pericoloso criminale”.

L’Assemblea e la deportazione dei vescovi gettano un’ombra buia sui rapporti fra Cina e Vaticano, dopo anni di stand by. La situazione è precipitata nelle scorse settimane, dopo l’ordinazione illecita di p. Guo Jincai a vescovo di Chengde, lo scorso 20 novembre. In essa, l’Ap ha obbligato otto vescovi ufficiali a prendere parte alla cerimonia, contro il volere della Santa Sede che ha condannato l’accaduto come “una grave violazione alla libertà religiosa”.