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Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association
The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) is the national organization for Catholicism in the People's Republic of China. It was established in 1957 after a group of Chinese Catholics met in Beijing with officials from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Religious Affairs Bureau. It is the main organizational body of Catholics in China officially sanctioned by the Chinese government. The organization is controlled by the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party following the State Administration for Religious Affairs' absorption into the UFWD during a series of institutional reforms in 2018.
Since the papacy of John Paul II, the Holy See has pursued reconciliation between the CCPA and underground Catholics who refuse to recognize the organization. According to the Inquirer, the Vatican has been trying "to preserve its communion with China's Patriotic Catholic Church and to protect the faithful who had recently emerged from the underground". The CCPA is in conflict with the Vatican over the appointment of bishops without the approval of the Holy See. At times, both sides reach an agreement - Pope Francis stated that "Chinese Catholics joining the CCPA should not be seen as disloyal to the Vatican" and recognized all bishops appointed by the CCPA and revoked their previous de facto excommunication, and CCPA cancelled a planned ordination of candidates not approved by the Holy See. However, breaches of the agreement occur.
After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party sought for ways to bring religions in alignment with its ideology. While all religions were seen as superstitious, Christianity had the added challenge of being foreign.
Efforts were made by Chinese Protestants in May 1950 in a meeting with Premier Zhou Enlai. This resulted in the penning of the "Christian Manifesto" that condemned foreign imperialism and argued for building a Chinese Protestant church apart from foreign control. This was based in part on earlier Protestant missiological strategy of creating an indigenous church based on the so-called "three-self principles": self-government, self-support, and self-propagation.
In December 1950, Chinese Catholics followed suit, with Father Wang Liangzuo in north Sichuan province, penning the "Guangyuan Manifesto" and signed by some 500 Catholics. It declared:
We are determined to sever all relations with imperialism, to do all we can to reform ourselves, to establish a new Church that shall be independent in its administration, its resources, and its apostolate.
— "Guangyuan Manifesto" (December 1950)
Other Catholic manifestos followed, such as the "Chongqing Manifesto" published in January 1951 with over 700 signatures. Similar to the Protestant "Christian Manifesto", the Catholic manifestos spoke of the need for a "three-self" or "three-autonomies" (as it was translated into English), even though this was previously only part of the Protestant missiological literature and not discussed among Catholic missionaries. Premier Zhou Enlai met with Chinese Catholics and spoke of his appreciation for the sacrifices of the Catholic Church and its missionaries, and the need to remain united with Rome on spiritual matters. But he also encouraged the development of the "three-self". Pope Pius XII issued Cupimus Imprimis (1952) and Ad Sinarum Gentes (1954) praising Chinese Catholics for their loyalty and underscoring the importance of martyrdom. Ad Sinarum Gentes additionally spoke out against the "three-self", arguing that independence would make a church no longer "Catholic".
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Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association
The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) is the national organization for Catholicism in the People's Republic of China. It was established in 1957 after a group of Chinese Catholics met in Beijing with officials from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Religious Affairs Bureau. It is the main organizational body of Catholics in China officially sanctioned by the Chinese government. The organization is controlled by the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party following the State Administration for Religious Affairs' absorption into the UFWD during a series of institutional reforms in 2018.
Since the papacy of John Paul II, the Holy See has pursued reconciliation between the CCPA and underground Catholics who refuse to recognize the organization. According to the Inquirer, the Vatican has been trying "to preserve its communion with China's Patriotic Catholic Church and to protect the faithful who had recently emerged from the underground". The CCPA is in conflict with the Vatican over the appointment of bishops without the approval of the Holy See. At times, both sides reach an agreement - Pope Francis stated that "Chinese Catholics joining the CCPA should not be seen as disloyal to the Vatican" and recognized all bishops appointed by the CCPA and revoked their previous de facto excommunication, and CCPA cancelled a planned ordination of candidates not approved by the Holy See. However, breaches of the agreement occur.
After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese Communist Party sought for ways to bring religions in alignment with its ideology. While all religions were seen as superstitious, Christianity had the added challenge of being foreign.
Efforts were made by Chinese Protestants in May 1950 in a meeting with Premier Zhou Enlai. This resulted in the penning of the "Christian Manifesto" that condemned foreign imperialism and argued for building a Chinese Protestant church apart from foreign control. This was based in part on earlier Protestant missiological strategy of creating an indigenous church based on the so-called "three-self principles": self-government, self-support, and self-propagation.
In December 1950, Chinese Catholics followed suit, with Father Wang Liangzuo in north Sichuan province, penning the "Guangyuan Manifesto" and signed by some 500 Catholics. It declared:
We are determined to sever all relations with imperialism, to do all we can to reform ourselves, to establish a new Church that shall be independent in its administration, its resources, and its apostolate.
— "Guangyuan Manifesto" (December 1950)
Other Catholic manifestos followed, such as the "Chongqing Manifesto" published in January 1951 with over 700 signatures. Similar to the Protestant "Christian Manifesto", the Catholic manifestos spoke of the need for a "three-self" or "three-autonomies" (as it was translated into English), even though this was previously only part of the Protestant missiological literature and not discussed among Catholic missionaries. Premier Zhou Enlai met with Chinese Catholics and spoke of his appreciation for the sacrifices of the Catholic Church and its missionaries, and the need to remain united with Rome on spiritual matters. But he also encouraged the development of the "three-self". Pope Pius XII issued Cupimus Imprimis (1952) and Ad Sinarum Gentes (1954) praising Chinese Catholics for their loyalty and underscoring the importance of martyrdom. Ad Sinarum Gentes additionally spoke out against the "three-self", arguing that independence would make a church no longer "Catholic".