IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 804 

Condemning the unauthorized, inappropriate, and coerced ordination of 

Catholic bishops by the People’s Republic of China. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 9, 2006 

Mr. ENGLISH of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. 

ROHRABACHER, Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mr. 

WOLF, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. SOUDER, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. HYDE, and Mr. 

RADANOVICH) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the unauthorized, inappropriate, and coerced ordination of Catholic bishops by the People’s Republic 

of China. 

Whereas the Catholic Patriotic Association of China is a Chinese Government-sanctioned organization that does not 

represent the vast majority of Chinese Catholics and has 

no ecclesiastical authority to choose spiritual leaders for 

Catholics in the People’s Republic of China; 

Whereas on April 30, 2006, the Chinese Government-sanctioned Catholic Patriotic Association of China conducted 

an unauthorized episcopal ordination of the priest Joseph 

Ma Yinglin, elevating him to the office of bishop without 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
2 

•HRES 804 IH

the approval and against the wishes of the Holy Father 

Pope Benedict XVI; 

Whereas on May 3, 2006, the Chinese Government-sanctioned Catholic Patriotic Association of China conducted 

an unauthorized episcopal ordination of the priest Joseph 

Liu Xinhong, elevating him to the office of bishop without the approval and against the wishes of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI; 

Whereas, according to information reported by the Vatican, 

bishops and priests in the People’s Republic of China 

have been subjected to strong pressures and threats to 

take part in the episcopal ordinations which, being without pontifical mandate, are illegitimate and, besides, contrary to their conscience; 

Whereas the entire world follows with attention the progress 

of religious freedom in China and had hoped that such 

deplorable episodes by now would belong to the past; 

Whereas, following a trip to China in August 2005, the 

United States Commission on International Religious 

Freedom reported that the Chinese Government continues to systematically violate the right to freedom of 

thought, conscience, and religion or belief, contravening 

both the Chinese Constitution and international human 

rights norms; 

Whereas on May 3, 2006, the United States Commission on 

International Religious Freedom announced its 2006 recommendations to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice 

and continued to identify China as one of ten ‘‘Countries 

of Particular Concern’’; 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
3 

•HRES 804 IH

Whereas Chinese law and policy restrict religious activities to 

those activities associated with the five officially-sanctioned ‘‘patriotic’’ religious organizations; 

Whereas all other collective religious activities in China are 

illegal, and individuals from ‘‘unregistered’’ religious 

groups are subject to harassment, detention, and arrest; 

Whereas freedom of religious expression is a fundamental 

right enshrined in the United States Constitution and 

recognized by all civilized nations; 

Whereas China, like all members of the United Nations, is 

bound by Article 18 of the Uniform Declaration of 

Human Rights which states: ‘‘Everyone has the right to 

freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in 

public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in 

teaching, practice, worship and observance’’; and 

Whereas a senior official of the Catholic Patriotic Association 

of China has told the AFP news agency that China is 

planning to ordain a third bishop later in May 2006: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, 

3 the actions of the Catholic Patriotic Association of 

4 China in their coerced ordination of priests Joseph 

5 Ma Yinglin and Joseph Liu Xinhong; 

6 (2) extends its deepest sympathy and condo7 lences to the Catholic population of China and the 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with BILLS
4 

•HRES 804 IH

1 Catholic Church for this insult to their beliefs and 

2 religious practices; 

3 (3) reaffirms the right of all religious organiza4 tions to choose their leaders in a manner that is free 

5 of intimidation, terror, or coercion in accordance 

6 with Article 18 of the Uniform Declaration of 

7 Human Rights; 

8 (4) urges the Government of China to end its 

9 repression of religious organizations, recognize the 

10 ecclesiastical authority of religious leaders to provide 

11 spiritual leadership to their followers, and end the 

12 practice of only allowing religious worship through 

13 state-sanctioned patriotic religious associations; and 

14 (5) insists that China refrain from additional 

15 ordinations of Catholic bishops until and unless their 

16 elevation is approved by the proper ecclesiastical au17 thorities. 

Æ 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with BILLS