Video | China Church ordains bishop, overruling Vatican objection
China's government-backed Catholic Church ordained a bishop who lacked the pope's approval - despite Vaticanobjections and statements that the move was "illegitimate" and "shameful."
China's first ordination without papal approval in almost five years threatens to hurt the officially atheist country's already shaky relations with the Vatican.
The Holy See had already warned that reconciliation efforts would be hindered if bishops were forced to attend the ceremony. Hong Kong's cardinal, a key adviser to the pope, even called the event "illegitimate" and "shameful."
However it was not immediately clear whether bishops loyal to the pope had been forced by government officials to attend the ordination or not, as the Vatican had initially feared.
Rev. Guo Jincai's ordination at Pingquan Church in Chengde city was supported by a strong security presence as dozens of police blocked the building and denied entrance to reporters. But there was also festivity in the air, as colourful banners and traditional Chinese lanterns hung outside the church and worshippers posed for photos.
Communist China had forced its Roman Catholics to cut ties with the Vatican as far back as 1951, and worship is allowed only in state-backed churches. However millions of Chinese belong to unofficial congregations loyal to Rome.
In recent years, under Pope Benedict XVI, relations between China and the Vatican have steadily improved. Disputes over appointments in China's official church have been, up to now, avoided by quietly conferring on candidates, leading to several ordinations of bishops with the Holy See's blessing.
However, Guo does not have the pope's approval and it was perhaps his role as deputy secretary of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, the state-controlled group that runs China's Catholic churches, that raised Vatican concerns.