Some Catholic leaders believe Pope Francis is stalling the beatification of Chinese Catholic hero Ignatius Kung Pin-mei due to “diplomatic sensitivity,” according to Breitbart News.
Revered as a hero of the Christian resistance by Chinese Catholics, Kung was the Bishop of Shanghai who was arrested by the communist regime in 1955 and jailed for 30 years for refusing to renounce his loyalty to Rome.
“Pushing for Cardinal Kung’s beatification is a waste of time, and the Vatican would not accept it,” said Cardinal Joseph Zen, the former bishop of Hong Kong. Zen believes the Vatican is delaying the beatification process because it does not want to offend China: “How can the Vatican ignore his cause of beatification following Chinese authorities?”
“The Chinese government does not like Cardinal Kung, and therefore there is no public Mass for him,” said Father Zhu Lide, who was also imprisoned by the Chinese communists for 27 years. “His is a revered name for all Catholics but a prohibited one now in China.”