Religion & Law

Here is an interview by Global Times reporter Li Yanjie with Zhuo Xinping, director of the Institute of Religions at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Liu Ping, director of the Pushi Institute for Social Sciences, on the state and future of "Sino-Vatican relations".  It is interesting to hear how the religious-freedom issues are described, and perceived, by the interviewees.   For example:

GT: The Financial Times recently reported that China has begun to ordain "Vatican-approved" bishops. How many such bishops have been approved by China? Can you give us a review of Sino-Vatican relations?

Zhuo: . . . China, as a sovereign state, requires that bishops appointed by the Vatican should be approved by the government, as has been the case with other religions in China historically.  But the Vatican holds the idea that the ordination of bishops is an issue of freedom of religion. . . .