On November 26, Bishop John Fang Xingyao declared, “Love for the homeland must be greater than the love for the Church.” It is not the kind of statement one expects to hear from a bishop of the Catholic – that is to say, the universal – Church.
It recalls the ultra-nationalist heresy propounded by fascists in the last century. In response to this heresy – which elevated loyalty to nation, state and race above the universal law of charity – Pope Pius XI issued Mit brennender Sorge and Non abbiamo bisogno. In these encyclicals, he affirmed the fittingness of patriotism and national loyalty. But he insisted that they must be subordinated to and coordinated by a higher loyalty – to the God who commands us to love all men.
