Canossa redux?

Here is a Reuters story on the Holy See's recent statement on China's decision to continue appointing bishops for that country's state-run ersatz Catholic Church.

"The Holy Father learned the news with deep displeasure," spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said in an unusually strongly worded statement.

He said the Vatican had information from China that bishops and priests there had come under "strong pressure and threats" to take part "contrary to their conscience" in the ordinations, which it branded as "illegitimate". . . .

His statement insisted on "the need to respect the freedom of the Church and the autonomy of its institutions from any external interference" and asked Beijing to stop "such unacceptable acts of violent and intolerable constraint".

China does not get, or pretends not to get, the Holy See's objections:

China defended the appointments by its state-run Catholic Church, saying they strictly followed democratic processes and fully respected the wishes of a majority of worshippers.

"So the Vatican's condemnation makes no sense," China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

So, maybe the glass is half-full?  China is following "democratic processes" about something?

FWIW, I presented a paper at Georgetown's Constitutional Theory colloquium last week, on a similar topic (i.e., "The Freedom of the Church").