Director of Asia News speaks on China, Vatican relationship

The Chinese government estimates that less than six million Catholics live in China.  Others say the number may be as high as 12 million. This discrepancy reflects the two bodies, both sanctioned by the Holy See, assuming the title of Church in China: one officially approved by the Chinese government and one that remains underground.

Father Gianni Criveller considered these realities in his lecture titled, “Present Challenges Facing Catholics in China.” Fr. Criveller is an Italian theologian, author, and director of AsiaNews, a Catholic news agency that covers the state of the Church in China. The lecture was hosted by the McGrath Institute for Church Life in the Andrews Auditorium of Geddes Hall on Wednesday, November 12. 

Fr. Criveller began by considering the history between the official and underground Church in China. In 2018, the Vatican signed a Provisional Agreement with a Chinese delegation allowing Beijing to appoint new Church bishops to government-approved houses of worship, according to Human Rights Watch. Although the existence of the agreement was public knowledge, its specific details remain unknown, leading to a series of abuses and manipulations by the Chinese government.

One such issue, Fr. Criveller noted, was the suppression of the transmission of faith from parents to their children. According to Asia News, minors are not allowed to attend the Mass in some areas of China. Fr. Criveller said, “This is a very important issue for me, and is an important issue for everyone in the world. … [The transmission of faith] is even more difficult because they do not have the freedom to organize things that promote the faith among young people like camps, associations, free meetings, and Bible sharing.”

The Underground Church emerged as a response by Chinese Catholics to such regulations in the past. Though unsanctioned by the Chinese government, it is still recognized as a legitimate Church by the Vatican.

Fr. Criveller underscored the Underground Church’s resilience and witness to the Catholic faith even when facing difficulties. “The Underground Church in China exists and is [operated] not [by] fanatic people who [will not] accept reality, but [by] people who are true to themselves,” he stated. 

Fr. Criveller then described other conflicts related to the Vatican agreement. During its early stages, he noted how Chinese officials responsible for enforcing religious policy attempted to make underground priests sign a document that said the Church in China was independent from the Vatican, falsely telling the priests this was part of the agreement. In a 2019 response, the Vatican clarified that China had relayed misinformation to the underground priests. 

Despite the controversy it has raised amongst Catholics in China, Fr. Criveller noted that the Vatican agreement has resolved some tensions in bishop appointments. According to the document’s terms, China recognizes the right of the Pope to appoint bishops, which Fr. Criveller called “a very important step forward.” While Chinese officials are permitted to select an appointee, the Pope has the ultimate power of veto on whether the candidate can become a bishop.

Fr. Criveller discussed several Chinese bishops and cardinals, emphasizing the importance of giving these bishops recognition and respect. In particular, he highlighted Underground Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo, who recently passed away. “[Bishop Zhiguo] had an amazing life devoted to the faith. Loyal to the Church and loyal to his faith,” Fr. Criveller said. He also highlighted Bishop Ma Daquinn, who is currently facing house arrest in China.

Fr. Criveller also expressed disappointment in Pope Leo’s silence on the abuses in the Chinese Catholic Church. When one student attendee asked Fr. Criveller what actions he anticipates the Vatican taking to support Catholics in China, he responded, “I don’t know what [Pope Leo] is going to do, but what I hope he will do is show all Catholics in China, including Catholics still serving in the underground, that yes, a sacrifice is required to them, but there is a testimony of their faith … the meaning of their resistance is appreciated, is noted, is rewarded.” He added, “I accept there is a need for an agreement with China … but you don’t need to be quiet about the issues that are at the heart of the Gospel and our freedom.”

During the Q&A, another student expressed concerns about limitations on the Church in Hong Kong. Fr. Criveller said that there is a distinction between religious freedom and democratic freedom—a distinction which may explain discrepancies between claims that religious persecution does not occur in Hong Kong and the lived experiences of Hong Kong Catholics. While the special administrative region does enjoy religious freedom, the government in Hong Kong has been suppressing democratic movements. 

Fr. Criveller said, “Democracy is not an evangelical value, but it is certainly by recent popes the system that is closest to the Catholic idea that everybody has a right to participate in the common good for a society. … These people are not in prison because they are Catholics. They are in prison because they are democrats, who are people who fight for justice and freedom.”

Numerous student and faculty attendees shared that they appreciated Fr. Criveller’s global perspective.

When asked his thoughts on the lecture, Dr. Nicholas Teh, Professor of Philosophy, told the Rover, “Fr. Criveller’s lecture was a frank, balanced, and insightful overview of the challenges faced by Catholics in China. Of special interest was his discussion of the ways in which these challenges have been exacerbated (but also in some limited respects ameliorated) by Pope Francis’s policies on China.”

McKenzie Tomasik, a sophomore majoring in Chinese and philosophy, shared, “As Catholics, we transcend borders. We have to live in community with our brothers and sisters no matter where they are in the world. Learning more about what’s going on in China really motivates me to think about how I’m going to spend my time when I eventually go abroad, hopefully to Shanghai.”

Sophomore political science major Francis Zheng added, “The clarifications he made between persecution and freedom of practicing the faith gave me a brand new viewpoint. The talk was very insightful for me as a [political science] major.”

Aly Rothfus is a freshman Gateway student studying history. In her free time you might catch her singing karaoke at a Hes study room or at Cafe J getting an iced brown sugar latte. If you want to hear any hot takes on coffee or music you can reach her at arothfus@nd.edu. 

Photo Credit: Jesuits Global Facebook

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