Dec.4 - China on Sunday refuted Vatican's criticism on its ordination of an assistant bishop, saying that latter's accusation is "unreasonable".

 

The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association last Thursday ordained Wang Renlei vicar-general of the Xuzhou diocese in east China's Jiangsu Province.

 

A spokesperson of the State Administration of Religious Affairs said that China and the Vatican have no official ties. The two sides have not reached any tacit understanding or agreements on the ordination of bishops, and the Vatican has never recognized the Chinese Catholic Bishops College.

 

Under such circumstance, the spokesperson said, China, as requested by the Chinese Catholic Church, had informed the Vatican in advance of the selection and ordination, "which showed its great sincerity".

 

"Given the status quo of the China-Vatican relations and the fact that the Chinese Catholic Bishops College has conducted assessments and the Xuzhou diocese has completed the selection and necessary preparation for the ordination, Vatican's requests of stopping and postponing the ordination was unreasonable," the spokesperson said.

 

"Its accusation after the ordination also makes no sense," the spokesperson said.