We have heard so many stories about the Church in China, about persecution and about an underground church, yet for Bishop Ignatius Wang, the retired Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco, it’s not so simple and it’s not so hopeless. Deacon Pedro speaks with him about his vocation, the challenges being a Chinese Bishop in the ...read more

Though the Synod on the Family is over, the analysis and even the “spin-od” continues in the media. Meanwhile, life moves on at the Vatican. As a result there were a few stories that got less than their fair share of coverage this week because writers were still focused on who said what about the ...read more

Tonight on perspectives Pope Francis made a special appeal for prayer for Catholics in China and we take alook at today’s general audience ...read more

Vatican Connections is on summer hiatus, returning on September 27. One feature of every Vatican Connections is the “Roman Profile” segment. Below is a Roman Profile post, featuring Cardinal Celso Costantini. Watch for the full, television version of this Roman Profile, featuring and interview with Costantini biographer Monsignor Bruno Pighin, during the new season of ...read more

In July 2012, an unprecedented event happened in Shanghai, China. Bishop Ma Daqin, was ordained an auxiliary bishop with papal approval. Upon his ordination he denounced his membership with China’s Patriotic Association (a government agency which controls the Catholic Church in China) in front of the government officials. His courageous declaration received praise inside and ...read more

Five minutes is a short time to explain the current diplomatic impasse between Beijing and the Vatican. When I interviewed the Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong on the August 1st edition of Perspectives Daily, he concisely summarized the state of the relationship: it’s at a new beginning, but it may get worse before it gets ...read more