Leaders of China’s state-run church say seminary formation, including textbooks used in seminaries, should be aligned with the government’s sinicization policy.
Their concerns were expressed at the latest meeting of the Working Group on the progress of the compilation of “unified teaching materials” in Catholic seminaries in Pingliang city in Gansu province in eastern China.
The meeting was arranged by the Seminary Department of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) and Chinese Catholic Bishops’ Conference (BCCCC), says a report on the bishops’ conference website dated Aug. 7.
The participants of the July 28-30 meeting included Bishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing, chairman of the CCPA, Bishop Joseph Guo Jincai of Chengde, vice-chairman of the BCCCC, Bishop Li Hui, deputy secretary-general of the BCCCC and head of the Seminary Department.
Members of the four teams assigned for the compilation of seminary textbooks attended the meeting.
Bishop Guo presided over the meeting and urged all to adhere to the spirit of state policy of the sinicization of religion in seminary formation.