Vatican-China situation heating up: Zen lays down the law

Cardinal Zen isn't pleased:

HONG KONG -- The Vatican should halt talks with China about restoring formal diplomatic ties because Beijing is ordaining bishops who are not approved by the Roman Catholic Church, a Hong Kong newspaper on Tuesday quoted a cardinal as saying.

The reported comments by Hong Kong's outspoken Cardinal Joseph Zen came after China's state-sanctioned Catholic church appointed a new bishop Sunday in the southwestern city of Kunming.

Zen said the Sino-Vatican dialogue "cannot continue because people will think we are prepared to surrender," the English-language South China Morning Post reported. "We cannot budge. When you brutally place such a fait accompli, how can you call this dialogue?"

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The newspaper reported on its front page that Zen said the Vatican would issue a "very strong reaction to underline the seriousness of the matter" later Tuesday or on Wednesday. [More]

This is going to be one to watch. A very disappointing step backward... especially since China is getting ready to have a second bishop ordained shortly - here is the full report on that story.