Eighth Catholic Sinicization Theology Forum in Fuzhou advances Xi’s directives, interfaith dialogue, and Church integration with Chinese culture.
Newsroom (05/11/2025, Gaudium Press ) The Eighth Catholic Sinicization Theology Forum was held in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, from October 28 to 29, drawing over 100 participants from across China’s Catholic community and academia. Organized by the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China (collectively known as “One Association, One Conference”), and co-hosted by Fujian Province’s Catholic Patriotic Association and Bishops’ Conference, the event underscored efforts to align Catholic doctrine and practice with Chinese socialist values and cultural traditions.
The opening ceremony, chaired by Bishop Shen Bin, chairman of the Bishops’ Conference, featured remarks from Wang Ning, deputy director of the Fujian Provincial United Front Work Department. Attendees included officials from the Central United Front Work Department, Fujian provincial authorities, leaders of national religious organizations, Catholic clergy, scholars from universities and research institutions, and representatives from diocesan patriotic associations nationwide.
Under the theme “Systematically Advancing the Theoretical Deepening and Future Prospects of Catholic Sinicization in China,” the forum focused on implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s directives on religious affairs and central government policies. Participants reviewed historical experiences, current progress, and new pathways for the healthy development and social integration of the Catholic Church in the new era.
A key session examined Xi Jinping’s recent address during the 22nd collective study of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau. Li Shan, chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, emphasized five imperatives for advancing sinicization: strengthening ideological and political guidance, rallying around socialist core values, embracing excellent traditional Chinese culture, promoting internal church reform, and enforcing strict self-governance.
A highlight was the interfaith roundtable “Five Religions Shining Together: Dialogue on Religious Sinicization,” moderated by Tan Lizhu, secretary-general of the Patriotic Association. Panelists—including Buddhist Association vice president Minghai, Taoist Association vice president Zhang Chengda, Islamic Association vice president Muhatirem Xirip, Catholic Bishops’ Conference vice chairman Yang Xiaoting, Christian Association vice president Geng Weizhong, and former Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences religious studies director Yan Kejia—explored how religious communities can proactively reform, align with Chinese modernization, and contribute positively to society. Consensus emerged that religions must evolve with the times, resonate with social progress, and serve contemporary needs to remain relevant.
Two parallel afternoon sessions on “Catholic Sinicization Studies” featured presentations from church leaders and scholars analyzing historical, philosophical, cultural, and social dimensions of integrating Catholicism with Chinese civilization. Speakers stressed that deepening sinicized theology is both an academic pursuit and a historic mission for the Church’s advancement in China.
The closing ceremony, led by Bishops’ Conference secretary-general Yang Yu, featured a summary by vice chairman Yang Yongqiang. He noted that the forum effectively consolidated theoretical achievements and practical insights, fostering unity and momentum to propel Catholic sinicization forward and provide intellectual guidance for the Church’s sustainable development in the new era.
Neither the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) nor the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC) is fully recognized by the Vatican as legitimate Catholic entities.
The CCPA, established in 1957 by the Chinese government to oversee Catholicism and promote state loyalty, has long been viewed by the Holy See as incompatible with Catholic doctrine due to its rejection of papal authority in bishop appointments and other matters. Pope Pius XII’s 1958 encyclical Ad Apostolorum Principis explicitly condemned the group and excommunicated participating bishops for illicit consecrations. While the 2018 Provisional Agreement between the Vatican and China allows limited collaboration on bishop selections—leading the Vatican to recognize some CCPA-affiliated bishops individually—joining the association is permitted only with caveats to preserve fidelity to Rome, and the organization itself remains unendorsed as a whole.
The BCCCC, formed in 1980 under CCPA auspices to manage episcopal affairs, suffers a similar fate: it is described as a “government-controlled body not recognized by the Holy See” because it excludes “underground” (Vatican-loyal) bishops and operates without canonical legitimacy under canon law, which reserves such conferences to the pope’s oversight. Vatican officials, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin, have called for a new, legitimate episcopal body in China, underscoring the current structure’s invalidity despite pragmatic engagement on appointments.
- Raju Hasmukh with files form xinde news
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