What happened?
A Chinese bishop is reportedly “on the run” from police who are trying to force him to join a government-run organisation. Bishop Guo Xijin, an auxiliary bishop of the southeastern Diocese of Mindong, has faced months of pressure to join the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. He believes it would be wrong to join the CCPA.
Why was it under-reported?
It is hard to be sure of the details of any story from China – though the report from Asia News, and the coverage by the website Bitter Winter, appear reliable. Yet they struggle to make clear the central issue. Benedict XVI said membership of the CCPA is “incompatible with Catholic doctrine”. More recently, the Vatican has been ambiguous.
