A secret agreement between Beijing and the Holy See has left the faithful facing confusing dilemmas

So Cardinal Zen's Dubia also goes unanswered.

Boy, aren't we blessed to have Francis as our pope...

What an absolute joke. China now knows the church is weak. Look what China is doing to the Muslim minority and what they are doing to Hong Kong. They will attempt to crush the Catholic church. They know the head is weak.

The thing they don't understand is that we have Christ on our side.

This move by pope Francis only shows that there's clericalism at every level of the church. If there wasn't any rank clericalism in the Vatican I'm sure the Pope would've weighed cardinal Zens opinion on this, a tad stronger.

Davidnic said:

So Cardinal Zen's Dubia also goes unanswered.

Click to expand...

of course!

Stabat Mater said:

This move by pope Francis only shows that there's clericalism at every level of the church. If there wasn't any rank clericalism in the Vatican I'm sure the Pope would've weighed cardinal Zens opinion on this, a tad stronger.

Click to expand...

The thing is that it's only as these objections stack up higher and higher, that the weight of the problem becomes apparent over the course of time.

Times like this the solution almost always rises from great Saints and not necessarily clerics.

Stabat Mater said:

This move by pope Francis only shows that there's clericalism at every level of the church. If there wasn't any rank clericalism in the Vatican I'm sure the Pope would've weighed cardinal Zens opinion on this, a tad stronger.

Click to expand...

There is clericalism, but there is more than just that going on. You've got prelates who don't believe, priests who don't believe, so no surprise we get 'deals' like the China deal that stab real Catholics in the back. Remember that Mr. McCarrick was one of pope Francis' China envoys. A faithless abusive hack who did damage to whatever he touched.

.

Michie said:

No, I honestly want to make sense of it. It is certainly not a good deal for Catholic Christians. The Government just seems more emboldened and they do not seem to be honoring anything in this so-called deal. So what was the hurry in making such an empty agreement?

Click to expand...

Look how quickly they also tried to make a deal with the sspx. It was the sspx who refused. It is the facade of getting along and reconciliation without dealing with the underlying problems. Symbol over substance. Very short-sighted.

and other times it's just a case of the truth winning out, no matter how embarrassing that might be for all concerned.

But the truth is (or should be) what we always want to be revealed (even when it is embarrassing). Because in the end, knowing and living the truth is far better than is living a lie, subsequently covering up knowledge of that lie, and then teaching others to do the same.

It's a small, personal hurt that when accepted in the right spirit, helps to retain a great joy in the end. And it takes great courage to openly admit that.

And still greater courage to die for that truth.

In this case, we have two recognized leaders of their respective followers who have both made mistakes, and who both desperately want to save face.

So they find a compromise which serves no one, agree on that compromise, and then both renege, and each blames the other.

It's the old lesson replayed in modern times.
The higher you climb, the more is at stake.
And if you slip from that pinnacle, the harder will be the fall,
and the worse the damage.

That's why it pays to secure the foundation first before you start your climb.

We must pray for the Chinese Christians