I know that many of Pope Francis' critics focus on his muddled theology and apparent indifference to the victims of abuse at the hands of the clergy, but for me his treatment of Chinese Catholics is his biggest sin.
Several years ago he agreed to an arrangement whereas Communist Chinese government gained veto power over ecclesiastical appointments. While some tried to compare it to concordats with various European regimes, the fact of the matter is that China's government is official Communist – that is to say, implacably opposed to the Church. The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association is designed to keep people from Christ, not bring them closer to Him.
A church subject to Communist approval is no church at all, and proof of this can be found in the way that the Catholics in Hong Kong once again canceled their Mass in honor of the Tiananmen Square victims.
Francis clearly has a soft spot in his heart for Marxism, and that's a problem. I can understand why faithful Chinese Catholics would rather risk the perils of underground worship than receive the Official Government Mass provided courtesy of the CCP.
I also feel that for Francis to lead his flock astray in this way is far more damaging than his flirtations with legitimizing homosexuality or ordaining women. Those positions are self-evidently heretical, but when the pope legitimizes a Communist bishop, what are the faithful to do?
Chateau Lloyd 
Leave a comment