Pope Benedict XVI gives his blessing from the balcony of the Vatican before he travels to his summer residence Castel Gandolfo 7 July this year.
Photo: FILIPPO MONTE FORTE / afpThe Vatican announced Saturday that a Chinese bishop, who was ordained without papal approval, is now banned from the Catholic Church.
The statement from the Vatican out the relationship between the Vatican and Beijing to a new ground, writes nyhetsbyret Reuters.
In a statement in which they condemned Thursday's ordination, the Vatican said that Pope Benedict apologize very way the communist regime treats Chinese Catholics who wish to remain faithful to Rome, instead, to switch their affiliation to the government backed Catholic church.
A Chinese woman holds a cross during a Christmas service in a Catholic church in Wuhan.
Photo: STR / AFPChina's state-approved Catholic church ordained Joseph Huang Bing Zhang a bishop in the city of Shantou in southern Guangdong province on Thursday morning.
According to sources in the Catholic Patriotic Association of China, were about 1000 people turned up to follow the ordination ceremony, writes Reuters .
Ordination which took place on Thursday morning is the latest in a series of ceremonies that began a protracted conflict between the Vatican and Beijing.The conflict revolves around the state supported the church, which has ignored the requirement that bishops must be given papal approval.
China's eight to 12 million Catholics are split between the state church ordain bishops without Vatican permission, and an underground church - on guard against government commitments.
The Pope has also previously been out and criticized the ordination, as the Vatican believes injuries unit of the Church.
