Was the Bishop of Shanghai Making Fun of Francis?

Like a parrot, Joseph Shen Bin, the Communist State Bishop of Shanghai, rattled off the mantras of Francis in a 15-page interview with the diocesan magazine.

Last April, the Chinese regime unilaterally installed Shen in Shanghai, the most important episcopal see in China. In July, Francis gave in and “appointed” him to the post.

Shen literally said:

“The diocese of Shanghai should be as modern and dynamic as the city of Shanghai. We cannot always stick to the old rules, think rigidly, be stuck in our ways, and live in the security of our own fantasies. We must keep abreast of the times and move with the times while adhering to the principles of the Church's faith and good traditions.”

This “requires us to have the courage to make changes, to step out of our comfort zone, to broaden our horizons, and to be proactive.” Specifically, “In Shanghai, the life and development of the Church requires us to be creative and imaginative, because the Gospel is always new, and new wine must be poured into new skins”.

The statement sounds like a satire of Francis.

Following these lofty claims, Shen acknowledged a sharp decline in priestly vocations in China.

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