Vatican anger over China bishops
BBC News
04 May 2006
The Vatican has expressed "deep displeasure" over China's appointment of two Roman Catholic bishops.
The appointment of the bishops without the Vatican's approval represented a "grave violation of religious freedom", a statement said.
China's Catholic Church announced on Wednesday it had installed another bishop - the second in three days.
The Chinese Church does not recognise the Vatican's power to appoint bishops, causing tensions between the two sides.
China has a state-sanctioned Roman Catholic Church, but also a bigger, unofficial Church that is loyal to the Pope.
On Wednesday, Liu Xinhong was consecrated at a church in Anhui province in eastern China, while on Sunday the state church ordained Ma Yinglin as a bishop in the south-western province of Yunnan.
The statement was unusually strong in tone, says the BBC's David Willey in Rome.
"The Holy Father learned the news with deep displeasure," said the statement.
"We are faced with a great violation of religious freedom."
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