Chinese Catholic Bishops Conference

In 1958, the government of China appointed two Catholic bishops. They were then consecrated without approval from the Vatican, according to standard Catholic procedure. Since then, bishops have been consecrated without an appointment from the Pope; this originally displeased Church authorities, who followed the doctrine of the universal Catholic Church. When bishops have been consecrated without the consent of Chinese civil authorities, this is an illegal act, violating the requirement that religious activities be registered with the government.

The "official" or government-approved Chinese Catholic Bishops Conference, approved by the Chinese government but without consent of the Holy See, has existed alongside an "unofficial" or underground conference (see Chinese house church) approved neither, necessarily, by the Vatican nor the Chinese government. Over the past two decades, a sizeable number of officially-approved bishops have sought approval from the Holy See, so as to be "normalized" in regards to the universal church. Many have been approved, according to reports. It is reported that as high a figure as 80% of all Chinese bishops, official and unofficial, bear approval from the Vatican.

See also

• Catholicism in China
• Christianity in China
• Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association