Changing church-state relations in contemporary China: The case of the Wenzhou Diocese

This study examines the dynamics of church-state relations in contemporary China by analyzing the case of the Catholic Diocese of Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province. The research question is: What is the salient pattern of church-state relations in the Wenzhou diocese? What social factors contribute to the formation of the pattern of church-state relations? I argue that the three key factors contributing to church-state relations in Wenzhou are the competition between the open and the underground church, the mediating role of the Vatican, and the pragmatism of the government. The competition strengthens the priests a strong spirit of antagonism in countering the government control. The priests embrace papal leadership and resist the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association in the diocese. The government officials negotiate with the priests and are willing to compromise. The church-state model presented by the Diocese of Wenzhou can be called "civil resistance." The resistance of the priests helps to preserve the autonomy of the church and to expand a greater degree of religious freedom in the diocese.