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Pope Francis could “sell out” China’s underground Catholic church, according to Emeritus Cardinal Joseph Zen.
Hong Kong-based 85 year old Zen, who is the is China’s highest ranking prelate, said China’s communist rulers want “total surrender” from the Church.
Pope Francis “is really naïve” and “doesn’t know the Chinese communists,” he said.
“The people around him are not good at all. They have very wrong ideas. And I’m afraid that they may sell out our underground Church.”
China’s underground Catholic church leaders have faced imprisonment for their fidelity to the Holy See.
They refuse to submit to the “patriotic” church under the Communist government’s control.
Zen says the deal being brokered where the Chinese government nominate bishops for the pope to accept or reject would mean the Vatican accepts the government-controlled Church
However, Francis recently defended the practice of religious liberty in China, which is an officially atheist country.
He says in China churches are full and religion is freely practised.
The Vatican is engaged in ongoing dialogue with China.
A commission has been set up that meets every three months, with Beijing and the Vatican alternating as hosts of the encounter.
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