Accommodation. . .

You made your bed.  Now you must sleep in it. . . 

Everyone knows of the desire for Pope Francis to make accommodation with the divorced, the divorced and remarried, the GLBTQ folks, and, perhaps, those who find the prohibition on contraception and the ban on abortion in all cases too difficult.  We have heard his minions suggest that morality must distinguish between absolute good and what can reasonably be accomplished, especially for those whose lifestyles are sinful.  We have heard about the distinction between doctrinal change and pastoral change which retains doctrine in theory but effectively replaces it with practices that conflict with what is confessed.  We have seen in Francis not merely a desire to engage the culture but to accommodate the culture in ways that make more than Roman Catholics nervous. Now it seems Francis is seeking an accommodation with China and in doing so has thrown overboard the structure of the Roman Catholic Church and several of its bishops. 

Though it is often forgotten (conveniently) or ignored, the government of China strictly regulates Christianity.  The Protestants are restricted to the government-controlled “Three Self Patriotic Movement.”  Catholics are controlled by restricting them to the  Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association  --  the only form of Catholicism officially tolerated in China.  This structure lives under the control of the Communist government and has appointed alternative bishops who are not recognized by Rome.  This group functions like a pre-Vatican II form of Roman Catholicism, refusing to acknowledge or recognize any Roman Catholic teachings formulated after 1949 (the year the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association was formed).  This means that such things as the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the theological and liturgical decisions of Second Vatican Council are not recognized.  It should be said, however, that this group does have a vernacular mass.

Many of China’s Christians have rejected this government control.  In fact, it is said that some 10 million Catholics flout this government control, holding to Roman Catholic teaching after 1949 and worshiping underground, that is, secretly in a church whose bishops have been appointed by the Pope but who also function secretly.  They have suffered severe persecution and some of these have endured long imprisonments for disregarding governmental regulation of the church.  These Roman Catholics, along with their Protestant counterparts who refuse such governmental controls, have grown exponentially even in this time of persecution from the government of China.

It appears that Francis has chosen sides and has requested the resignation of two of the underground bishops -- to be replaced by two bishops with Communist government approval.  It has been reported that one of those government approved bishops was previously excommunicated by Rome!!  As if that were not enough, Francis is bowing before the government again by recognizing the seven current bishops of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association appointed by the Chinese government without papal approval.

So Francis has thrown his own bishops under the bus and given the Chinese government everything in exchange -- all for the prospect of improving relations.  As if that were not bad enough, Francis has also thrown under the bus all those faithful who risked everything and suffered persecution under the government of China to be faithful to the Roman Pontiff.  In effect, Francis has ignored them and their suffering in favor of improving relations between the Chinese government and the Vatican, though without any guarantees of that outcome.

So. . . accommodation is both a theological principle and a working principle for Francis. . . Hmmmm. . . wonder what some of Francis' critics and what some of his more liberal supporters are thinking now?  Francis has certainly chosen odd bed partners and now we will see how this accommodation works. . .