Rome & the World: renewing the China deal • the Orbán problem • do you know Daniel Rudd?

In 2018, the Holy See signed an agreement with China on the appointment of bishops that expires in October 2022 and will be up for renewal. On the site Bitter Winter, journalist Massimo Introvigne revisits the Pope's recent statements in an interview with Reuters, in which he said he wanted the agreement to be renewed, despite the few results obtained so far. The Italian journalist criticizes the Pontiff’s Casarolist vision of relations with China, according to which the "Ostpolitik" led by Cardinal Casaroli in the 1960s and 1970s prepared the fall of the communist regimes. He points out that this interpretation is debated and that even at that time, the Holy See did not have to yield so much with the countries of Eastern Europe. On the contrary, "Rome has accepted all the CCP-selected prelates," he points out. The Pope's position is difficult to maintain, explains Introvigne, because at the same time "dissident priests continue to be jailed" and "several Catholic bishops who had 'disappeared' have not reappeared." However at this stage, not renewing the agreement could be worse, he acknowledges, considering that the Vatican has placed itself “in an impossible situation.”

Bitter Winter, English

An opinion article published in the Catholic Herald analyzes the current situation of the Catholic Church in Europe, especially in Central and Eastern European countries like Poland and Hungary, and wonders where the Church stands. It contrasts the attitudes of Pope Francis and Christian right-wing and nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán. The article highlights that countries in Central and Eastern Europe “are the only parts of Europe where the Catholic Church is actually growing.” However in these regions the “Christian faith is heavily connected to traditionalism and nationalism” which can contrast with Pope Francis’ open attitude. “It is, of course, no secret that Europe and the EU is now very much split between a more homogenous, re-Christianised, and traditionalist east, and a more diverse, secular, and progressive west,” the article claims, “but where exactly does that leave the Church, caught between these worldviews?” “For the Church, this is increasingly a tightrope to walk: Can the Vatican really alienate the only part of Europe where the faith is growing, when it faces empty pews across the rest of the Western world? On the other hand, does the Church want to be associated with hard-line policies on migration and nationalism, especially at a time of outreach to communities such as indigenous peoples in Canada?” the article wonders.

Catholic Herald, English

The National Catholic Register dedicates an article to the life of american Daniel Rudd, born into slavery in 1854, he later went on to start the nation’s first Black Catholic newspaper, the American Catholic Tribune. Born on a plantation in Bardstown, Kentucky, Rudd was introduced to Catholicism at a nearby cathedral. Rudd recalled that he was baptized "at the same font where all the rest, white and black were baptized without discrimination except as who got there first," the article explains. Emancipation came in 1865 and then in 1885 Rudd founded a Black Catholic newspaper where he promoted ideas of racial justice, as he truly believed the Church could be an ameliorating force in this battle. "The great church of our Lord and Savior is quietly pursuing her divine mission, to 'teach all nations,' placing the seal of her approval at all times upon Justice and equity and condemning in all seasons the injustice heaped upon the poor and despised Negro," Rudd wrote. Many Catholics and clergy members supported Rudd’s newspaper and he reprinted texts from Bishops who opposed racial segregation. Rudd’s work also went beyond journalism, as he promoted racial equality in various political and advocacy groups. “The life of this fascinating Black Catholic leader and activist is one that would interest all Catholics, and hopefully challenge us, too, to be as committed to a Catholic vision of racial equality as was Daniel Rudd,” the article concludes. 

National Catholic Register, English