国内英语新闻:China rejects Vatican's criticism as very imprudent, ungrounded

The spokesperson called the Vatican's practice of seeking to push political ideology through religious belief "very dangerous" and warned it could have serious percussions for the Catholic church's development in China.

The spokesperson said the congress, which was established over 50 years ago, is a democratic assembly for Chinese Catholics that has the full respect from the Chinese government.

The Vatican has resorted to various methods to prevent the Congress convening in recent years, including by threatening to "punish" the Chinese Catholic clergy who attend it.

"Who is actually using coercive measures and demanding Catholics betray their conscience? Isn't it crystal clear?" the spokesperson asked.

At the eighth congress, Bishop Fang Xingyao was elected CCPA chairman and Bishop Ma Yinglin was elected head of the BCCCC.

The spokesperson said the senior leaders of the two organizations were elected with a majority of the vote, reflecting the will of the congress's representatives.

In condemning the elected leadership, the Vatican had trampled and shown its contempt for the democratic will of Catholic clergy and laymen in China, the spokesperson said, adding that the condemnation was extremely arbitrary and rude.

"Does a Chinese religious organization have to get a 'majestic authorization' or 'gracious approval' from a foreign group to elect its leadership?" the spokesperson refuted.

The spokesperson blamed the Vatican for unilaterally causing the current "regretful situation in China-Vatican relations."

Hoping to improve China-Vatican relations, China had shown its willingness to have sincere and constructive dialogue with the Vatican in recent years, the spokesperson said.

Despite China's efforts, some people in the Vatican always stymied Chinese efforts to improve relations by making unreasonable demands, the spokesperson said, calling the Vatican's condemnation of the Congress the latest example of such moves.

The Vatican, moreover, had interfered in the internal affairs of China's Catholic Church in both open and clandestine ways in an attempt to control the church, the spokesperson said.

China-Vatican ties were cut after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

The spokesperson said China hoped the Vatican could speak and act prudently, so as not to further damage the relationship and to allow talks between the two sides.