Two Chinese bishops die, dispute with Vatican seen

BEIJING, Dec 21 (Reuters) Two Chinese bishops, including one who championed reconciliation between Beijing and the Vatican, have died in the past month, setting up another possible brush with the Holy See over the appointment of new bishops.

Zheng Changcheng, the bishop of the southeastern city of Fuzhou, died of cancer of the esophagus at 94 and Su Changshan, the bishop of Baoding in the northern province of Hebei -- who twice failed to receive papal blessing -- died of a heart attack aged 80.

Liu Bainian, a vice-chairman of the official Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, reiterated today that Beijing ''could not wait for normalisation to consecrate bishops'' but did not give a timetable.

China has 97 dioceses, more than 40 of which have no bishops.

Several have bishops who are very old or in poor health.

Beijing and the Vatican severed ties after the 1949 Communist revolution and the dispute over who has the say in the appointment of bishops has impeded detente. The Holy See recognises Beijing's diplomatic rival Taipei.

Hong Kong's Beijing-controlled Wen Wei Po newspaper described Bishop Zheng as the ''main promoter'' of reconciliation between China's official church and the Holy See and a merger between the official and underground churches.

There are some ten 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.

Liu declined to comment on Zheng's role as a mediator but said the bishop's death would not undermine rapprochement.

''I'm optimistic about normalisation,'' Liu told Reuters.

It was unclear who would succeed Zheng as Fuzhou does not have an assistant bishop. The diocese is expected to hold elections in the months ahead.

Su, the second Chinese bishop, was consecrated in 2000, but the Pope twice refused to give his blessings to Su's appointment.

It was unclear if China would back An Shuxin, Baoding's underground auxiliary bishop, to succeed Su.

The Vatican could not be immediately reached for comment.

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 normalisation -- came to an understanding that usually allows prospective bishops to seek Vatican approval before taking up posts in the church.

China unilaterally consecrated three bishops this year.

At least two more consecrations are expected in the months ahead, but it was unclear if the Pope would give his blessing.

The diocese of Guangzhou, capital of the southern province of Guangdong, voted Gan Junqiu, 42, its bishop in October, Liu said.

Xiao Zejiang, 39, was elected assistant bishop of the southern province of Guizhou and would eventually replace Wang Chongyi, who is in his 80s, as bishop, Liu said.

Both men won more than 80 per cent of the vote.

If their elections are approved by a college of bishops, their consecrations would be held within three months.

REUTERS DKA RK1342