More challenges to the Freedom of the Church by / in China

"China to defy Vatican," the Telegraph recently reported, "with seven new [state-picked] bishops."   This little bit of the story caught my eye:

Asked if the new candidates were approved by the Holy See, [Liu Bainian, president of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, the government body which runs the Chinese Church] said: "There's no official channel for communications, but we cannot delay the election of our bishops because it is important to spread the gospel. We hope that the Vatican will respect the outcome of our elections."

Interesting that the president of a "government body" in China is emphasizing the importance of spreading the Gospel.  One might not have thought this was a high priority for that nation's government.

Rocco Palmo has more on the story, here:

Even if secularism and challenges to religious expression in society rate as key concerns on the ecclesial radar in Europe and the Americas, the Chinese drama that's flared in fits and starts over recent years rises to a threat level practically all its own. Because, in a nutshell, while many Westerners have come to be alarmed over external hurdles perceived to limit the presence of faith and the rights of believers in the public square, in the world's largest country, the church is unable to merely exist according to its own determination, its internal governance carried out under the close supervision of the state -- and, often, contingent upon the latter's approval. . . .