[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 804 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 804

 Condemning the unauthorized, inappropriate, and coerced ordination of 
          Catholic bishops by the People's Republic of China.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 9, 2006

 Mr. English of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Lipinski, 
Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Kennedy of Minnesota, Mr. McCotter, Mr. Wolf, Mr. 
    Chabot, Mr. Souder, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Hyde, and Mr. Radanovich) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                       on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Condemning the unauthorized, inappropriate, and coerced ordination of 
          Catholic bishops by the People's Republic of China.

Whereas the Catholic Patriotic Association of China is a Chinese Government-
        sanctioned organization that does not represent the vast majority of 
        Chinese Catholics and has no ecclesiastical authority to choose 
        spiritual leaders for Catholics in the People's Republic of China;
Whereas on April 30, 2006, the Chinese Government-sanctioned Catholic Patriotic 
        Association of China conducted an unauthorized episcopal ordination of 
        the priest Joseph Ma Yinglin, elevating him to the office of bishop 
        without the approval and against the wishes of the Holy Father Pope 
        Benedict XVI;
Whereas on May 3, 2006, the Chinese Government-sanctioned Catholic Patriotic 
        Association of China conducted an unauthorized episcopal ordination of 
        the priest Joseph Liu Xinhong, elevating him to the office of bishop 
        without the approval and against the wishes of the Holy Father Pope 
        Benedict XVI;
Whereas, according to information reported by the Vatican, bishops and priests 
        in the People's Republic of China have been subjected to strong 
        pressures and threats to take part in the episcopal ordinations which, 
        being without pontifical mandate, are illegitimate and, besides, 
        contrary to their conscience;
Whereas the entire world follows with attention the progress of religious 
        freedom in China and had hoped that such deplorable episodes by now 
        would belong to the past;
Whereas, following a trip to China in August 2005, the United States Commission 
        on International Religious Freedom reported that the Chinese Government 
        continues to systematically violate the right to freedom of thought, 
        conscience, and religion or belief, contravening both the Chinese 
        Constitution and international human rights norms;
Whereas on May 3, 2006, the United States Commission on International Religious 
        Freedom announced its 2006 recommendations to Secretary of State 
        Condoleezza Rice and continued to identify China as one of ten 
        ``Countries of Particular Concern'';
Whereas Chinese law and policy restrict religious activities to those activities 
        associated with the five officially-sanctioned ``patriotic'' religious 
        organizations;
Whereas all other collective religious activities in China are illegal, and 
        individuals from ``unregistered'' religious groups are subject to 
        harassment, detention, and arrest;
Whereas freedom of religious expression is a fundamental right enshrined in the 
        United States Constitution and recognized by all civilized nations;
Whereas China, like all members of the United Nations, is bound by Article 18 of 
        the Uniform Declaration of Human Rights which states: ``Everyone has the 
        right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right 
        includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either 
        alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest 
        his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance''; 
        and
Whereas a senior official of the Catholic Patriotic Association of China has 
        told the AFP news agency that China is planning to ordain a third bishop 
        later in May 2006: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the actions 
        of the Catholic Patriotic Association of China in their coerced 
        ordination of priests Joseph Ma Yinglin and Joseph Liu Xinhong;
            (2) extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to the 
        Catholic population of China and the Catholic Church for this 
        insult to their beliefs and religious practices;
            (3) reaffirms the right of all religious organizations to 
        choose their leaders in a manner that is free of intimidation, 
        terror, or coercion in accordance with Article 18 of the 
        Uniform Declaration of Human Rights;
            (4) urges the Government of China to end its repression of 
        religious organizations, recognize the ecclesiastical authority 
        of religious leaders to provide spiritual leadership to their 
        followers, and end the practice of only allowing religious 
        worship through state-sanctioned patriotic religious 
        associations; and
            (5) insists that China refrain from additional ordinations 
        of Catholic bishops until and unless their elevation is 
        approved by the proper ecclesiastical authorities.
                                 <all>