The Catholic Church in China in the 1980s: Identity, Loyalty, and Obedience

Cindy Yik yi Chu*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

    Abstract

    Religion in China is expected to stabilize and harmonize society. Beijing has not wanted to see Chinese Christians being outspoken in their faith and activities. This chapter addresses the conflicts between the Vatican and Beijing in the 1980s. After China opened to the world in 1979, the people could practice their religion in public as Beijing experimented with its policy toward religion. Yet while the decade began with optimism for greater cooperation between Rome and Beijing, it ended with the CCP’s open condemnation of the Vatican and the Pope. From Beijing’s perspective, the core problem that was aroused in the 1980s was who should control the Chinese Catholics, the Vatican or itself. This issue necessarily involved the identity, loyalty, and obedience of the Chinese Catholics.

    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationThe Catholic Church, The Bible, and Evangelization in China
    EditorsCindy Yik-yi Chu
    PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
    Pages3-19
    Number of pages17
    Edition1st
    ISBN (Electronic)9789811661822
    ISBN (Print)9789811661815
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2022

    Publication series

    NameChristianity in Modern China
    ISSN (Print)2730-7875
    ISSN (Electronic)2730-7883

    Scopus Subject Areas

    • Religious studies
    • History
    • Cultural Studies
    • Sociology and Political Science

    User-Defined Keywords

    • Aloysius Jin Luxian
    • Beijing
    • Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association
    • Dominic Deng Yiming
    • Ignatius Gong Pinmei
    • Sino–Vatican relations
    • The Vatican
    • United front

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