Pope blesses Chinese appointment

BEIJING - China is to consecrate a United States-educated Chinese priest as an assistant bishop with papal blessing, just days after Pope Benedict condemned the unilateral ordination of two bishops by Beijing.

The consecration of Father Paul Pei Junmin, 37, was scheduled to be held at a Catholic church in Shenyang, capital of the northeastern province of Liaoning, said Liu Bainian, a vice-chairman of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.

Pei, ordained a priest in 1992, was elected by fellow priests, nuns and Catholic representatives in Shenyang in February, garnering about 80 per cent of the vote, Liu said, adding that his election was endorsed by a college of more than 60 Chinese bishops in April.

The Rome-based AsiaNews service quoted a Vatican source as saying Pei had the Pope's approval and was "an excellent candidate from all points of view".

In a move that threatened to undermine rapprochement efforts, China consecrated a bishop in Wuhu and another in Kunming in the past week.

- REUTERS