The Vatican’s ‘Two Chinas’ Problem

Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou was arrested last week, just days after being released from detention over the Christmas holiday. Bishop Shao’s arrest was noteworthy, but also part of a long pattern for the bishop, who as a dissenter from the state-controlled Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association has been routinely harassed, detained, and arrested for several years now. The bishop’s most recent arrest came after he voiced objections to actions taken by a state-appointed diocesan administrator during his Christmas detention — including one move likely to prove an even larger headache for the Vatican than Shao’s arrest.