China Power

Beijing on Religious Freedom

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China Power

Beijing on Religious Freedom

The Chinese government responds to the Vatican’s strong criticism of China’s ordination of a bishop.

It's hard not to argue with the analyst who suggested there was something of The Onion about this headline and story. In a story entitled: ‘Freedom of religion hurt by Vatican, Beijing says’, the South China Morning Post reported on China’s reaction to Vatican opposition to its ordination of a bishop.

'Any kind of allegation or intervention constitutes an act of restriction of freedom and intolerance," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters.

'Hong was responding to a Vatican statement on Wednesday that said the ordination by the mainland's state-run Catholic church—without the Pope's blessing—was "a serious violation" of religious freedom.'