China tests Vatican with bishop move

China's state-run Catholic Church plans to instal a new bishop whose promotion is reportedly opposed by the Vatican, throwing up another obstacle to efforts to normalise ties between Beijing and the Holy See.

The vice chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, Liu Bainian, told Reuters yesterday the government-sponsored church would make Father Ma Yinglin bishop of Kunming, capital of the southwestern province of Yunnan.

Liu said Ma would probably be installed within days, possibly today.

Ma, 40, is secretary of the government-backed Council of Bishops and holds posts in the Patriotic Association, according to the AsiaNews service, a Rome-based Catholic news service that reported Ma's promotion.

Both Chinese organisations follow Beijing's line that the Vatican should not control Chinese church affairs, including appointment of bishops, and must cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan - the self-ruled island China says is a breakaway province.

Liu said Ma had been unanimously elected bishop by priests, nuns and parish representatives in Kunming.

"I hope the Vatican won't oppose his appointment and will accept it. They should respect the choices of the Chinese church and not interfere," he said.

But Father Bernardo Cervellera, director of AsiaNews, said in his report that the Holy See opposed Ma's elevation.

Hong Kong's recently appointed Cardinal Joseph Zen, who has called for reconciliation between China and the Vatican, said Ma's promotion threatened talks between the two sides, RTHK radio reported.

Zen said the Hong Kong diocese had urged the Kunming church to call off the ceremony. "Forcing them to go ahead with the ordination ceremony without the Pope's approval would deliberately wreck China-Vatican negotiations," Zen said.