Patriotic Catholic church of America
In a new sign of improving relations between the Vatican and China, Cardinal Roger M. Mahony has just returned from China, where he met with Catholic church and government officials and publicly celebrated Mass in a parish church in Shanghai.
Mahony, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Los Angeles, said this week that he was "very optimistic" that diplomatic ties between the church and Beijing would be established, opening a new chapter in a long and sometimes difficult history in church-state relations. Mahony's low-key journey was not announced in advance because of what archdiocesan spokesman Tod Tamberg called diplomatic sensitivities. Although Mahony described the tour as a private sabbatical, he said he is preparing a report of his findings for the Vatican. [Source] [Via Vatican Watcher]
Reading the article I could almost imagine in it Cardinal Mahony declaring that his diocese has joined the Patriotic Catholic church in China. After all they would not have to make many if any changes. The Patriotic church does not come under the authority of the Pope. Between liturgical wackiness, ordaining an openly homosexual deacon, trying to make pastoral associates the equal of priests, heterodox conferences, known dissenters in the diocesan magazine - I think you could make a pretty good case that there is not much difference between the Patriotic Catholic church in China and the L.A. Diocese. Faithful Catholics in L.A. don't come close to the level of persecution as the underground church in China, but their beliefs are not exactly met with open arms by many in that diocese.
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Only difference is the Patriotic Chinese church still has traditional liturgies in Latin.
Perhaps he's been part of the Chinese Patriotic Church all along?
Yes, it all makes sense now! Cardinal Mah Ho Nee!
I bet the Patriotic Chinese church is run more like the Catholic church than the Archdiocese of LA and Cardinal Mahony's "Parish Life Directors" which are liberal religious sisters pretending to be deacons.
I would hazard to guess that more Marxist-friendly hymns are sung in LA than in the Patriotic Church in China...
My wife is a Catholic from Shanghi, and was baptised in the underground church. She tells me that the Bishops that are out in the open in the "Patriotic" church are mostly the ones who helped the communists destroy the true church in China. Many priests, bishops, and lay people who were and are loyal to Rome went to jail because of these folks. Some like the late Cardinal Kung spent decades in jail and was only released because he was old and infirmed. The foundation he founded is still active in the fight against the Patriotic church. You can find the foundation here and read more: http://www.cardinalkungfoundation.org/
While the Patrotic church still says mass in Latin or has less marxist hymns than LA misses the point that this church was synically torn from mother church.
Is it just me, or does it seem a bit inconsistent to bash these Modernist bishops and at the same time laud the supposedly ortohodox Popes who appointed, tolerated, or continue to turn a blind eye to, these same bishops? Isn't the Pope at least complicit in the behavior of these bishops for as long as he tolerates and refuses to discipline them? Aren't we being led to believe that our Popes approve of them? On a natural level, would any head of an institution tolerqate dissenters like the last couple of Popes have done? Is the Mystical Body of Christ held to a lower standard than a human organization?!
My point? Either be consistent and give the Pope the criticisms he's due for tolerating heresy and dissent on such a wide scale, or be consistent and quit publicly criticizing holy prelates like Mahoney who obviously have the approval of the Holy Father for all that they continue to do in the name of the Church.
Eric you are very right. If Pope Benedict really wants to clean up liturgical abuses, like we see in LA, then when is he going to start firing and Cardinals, Bishops, clergy and other religious who don't tow the line? I think after nearly 40 years of liturgical error it is time to discipline or remove those who do not comply with the teachings of the church. It would seem that the Cardinal of LA would be a slam dunk.
Thank you Eric! One of the greatest strengths that the Catholic church has over Protestantism is supposed to be the Churches Authority.
What baffles me is why this Authority is not used. Especially when the teachings of the church are flouted on such a scale.