China blasts Vatican's criticism of consecration

BEIJING, Dec 3 (Reuters) China today slammed the Vatican for criticising the consecration of a Chinese bishop last week without papal blessing, calling on the Holy See to stop interfering in its internal affairs.

The Vatican said in a statement on Saturday Pope Benedict was ''deeply pained'' to learn of the consecration without his blessing and that such ''extremely serious acts'' subverted fundamental principles of the Church's hierarchical structure.

Today, China's State Administration for Religious Affairs said in a statement carried by the official Xinhua news agency the Vatican was unjustified in criticising the consecration of 36-year-old Wang Renlei as an auxiliary bishop in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, on China's booming eastern coast.

''The Chinese government has a positive attitude towards improving relations with the Vatican, and we want to have a constructive dialogue on the issue of the consecration of bishops,'' the statement said.

''We hope the Vatican will stop interfering with China's internal affairs and demonstrate its sincerity towards the improvement of relations through concrete actions.'' Beijing and the Vatican severed ties after the 1949 Communist revolution and the dispute over who has a say in the appointment of bishops has impeded detente. The consecration was the third this year without papal blessing.

Officially atheist China has refused to allow the Vatican to appoint bishops or let Catholics recognise the authority of the Pope, saying it would be interference in its internal affairs.

But in recent years, Beijing and the Holy See -- warily exploring the normalisation of ties -- have come to an understanding that usually allows prospective bishops to seek Vatican approval before taking up posts in the church.

There are some 10 million Catholics in China, divided between an ''underground'' church loyal to the Holy See and the state-approved church that respects the Pope as a spiritual figurehead but rejects effective papal control.

China has 97 dioceses, 42 of which have no bishop.

REUTERS SP RK1858