Ad Apostolorum principis

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Ad Apostolorum Principis is an encyclical written by Pope Pius XII. on June 29, 1958, addressed the Chinese episcopate and people for the second time to write "on Communism and the Church in China ." In his encyclical Ad sinarum gentem of October 7, 1954, he had already taken a position on the situation of the Church in China and expressly warned against a Chinese state church .

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He accused the bishops of China, some of whom had participated in the establishment of the state-mandated “ Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association ”, of an offense against God and the highest priesthood. His encyclical contains a warning to Catholics not to follow communism, as it feigns false sentiments in order to create the impression that this patriotic movement serves peace and defends political and religious freedom. But this is a fraud, emphasizes the Pope, rather the aim is to get Catholics to accept the teachings of atheistic materialism .

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In summary, Pope Pius XII writes that no authority, unless it is the Supreme Shepherd, no person or assembly of priests or laypeople should presume the right to nominate bishops. No one can legitimately grant episcopal ordination without having the certainty of a papal mandate. Such an ordination against divine and human right is an extremely serious attack on the unity of the church itself and would be punished with excommunication. Regarding the primacy of the Pope, he stated that the “power of jurisdiction” was transferred directly to the Supreme Shepherd (i.e. the Pope) by divine right and with the same right to the bishops. These are bound to this sacred order in obedience to the successor of Peter and through the bond of unity.

source

Werner Kaltefleiter, "In the clutches of the Stasi" (episode 11, there footnote 6)

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