In August, I had the pleasure of sitting in on the recording of the audio book for The Secret Cardinal at Brilliance Audio in Grand Haven, Michigan. A week later, I watched the first copies of my novel glide off the presses at Edwards Brothers in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Quite a thrill.

Since The Secret Cardinal went into final production, several things have happened in the real world regarding China and the Vatican that certainly would have made it into the facts section at the back of by novel.

In July, the government appointed electors for the diocese of Beijing selected the new bishop of Beijing from a slate of Episcopal candidates. The government reportedly campaigned hard on the behalf of Joseph Li Shan, who won the election by a wide margin. Centered in the capitol, the post of bishop for the Diocese of Beijing is politically sensitive, and Li succeeds Bishop Fu Tieshan, a fiery anti-Vatican prelate who also served as the head of patriotic association in charge of the state-run Catholic Church in China.

Li's election came just weeks after Pope Benedict XVI posted his open letter to all Catholics in China on the Vatican's website (there's a link to the pope's letter on tomgrace.net). Beijing quickly blocked access to the Vatican's website and many were arrested in China for posting or distributing copies of the pope's letter. While the naming of bishops is a major sticking point between Beijing and Rome, the Vatican did comment that Li was worthy and qualified.

While most of China's patriotic bishops have reportedly quietly sought and received the pope's blessing for their appointments, none have publicly expressed their loyalty to Rome. Following his election, Li went on a lengthy retreat that prevented him from asking or receiving the pope's blessing for his appointment.

Li was ordained and installed in his new post of September 21st, and for the first time in fifty years, the Vatican reported the installation of a bishop in China. The Vatican press release did not mention if Pope Benedict approved of Li's ordination, and both Beijing and Rome were positioned to avoid antagonizing each other.

What should be noted in context with Bishop Li's ordination is the death of Roman Catholic Bishop Han Dinhxiang of Hebei. Han had endured over three decades of incarceration since 1960, disappearing into police custody for the two years preceding his death. Within hours of his death, Han’s body was cremated and interred, leaving one to wonder what his captors were hiding. With Han's death, the number of aging Roman Catholic bishops in China drops to 35, and the members of this group are either in prison, under house arrest, or in hiding.

On a related note, China's State Administration for Religious Affairs put into effect a law that prevents Tibetan lamas from reincarnating without Beijing permission. As absurd as it sounds that an atheist government that does not believe in the existence of souls would enact legislation regarding life after death, this actually ties in with the issue of Catholic bishops in China.

Tibetan lamas are considered living Buddhas, and most of these lamas reside in Tibet, which is occupied by China. As these lamas die, Beijing has interfered with the process through which the reincarnated lamas are recognized in an attempt to gain greater control over Buddhists in China through pro-Beijing lamas. This interference has resulted in the creation of sanctioned and unsanctioned lamas.

The aim of Beijing's new legislation is the Dalai Lama, who resides in exile in India. The Dalai Lama is 72, and the new law prevents recognition of anyone outside of China as the reincarnated Dalai Lama.

I don't think you have to be an enlightened soul to understand why China has been a fixture on US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report since its inception in 1998.

Labels: catholic, China, patriotic church, pope, religious persecution, secret cardinal, thriller, Vatican