Sino-Vatican relations remain sour as Beijing defended over the weekend its decision to ordain Catholic bishops without the approval of the Vatican.

|TOP|The frosty relations between Beijing and the Vatican were once again thrust into the media spotlight by the ordination of two bishops by the state-sanctioned Catholic Patriotic Association, which is known to place allegiance to the Chinese government before Rome.

Beijing’s State Administration of Religious Affairs showed no remorse over the weekend for the appointments, instead dismissing the criticisms of the Vatican.

The official Xinhua news agency quoted a statement from the Chinese administration as saying that the Vatican had received repeated notification of the plans to ordain the bishops.

“For the Vatican to make violent criticism after the successful ordinations seriously contradicts its stated wish to improve relations with China," the administration said.

The Vatican has been openly hostile to such ordinations over the years and the ordination of the two bishops last week, which did not receive papal backing, was no exception.

While the ordinations were denounced by the Holy See as a “grave wound to the unity of the Church”, Cardinal Zen of Hong Kong warned that the move has made it unlikely that Sino-Vatican relations will normalise before 2008.

The cardinal warned that the Catholic Patriotic Association’s “damaging actions” would delay the normalisation of diplomatic relations during a visit to the neighbouring Chinese territory of Macau.

The Pope issued strong condemnation of the ordination of bishops Ma Yinglin and Liu Xinhong Thursday before accusing China on the same day of violating religious freedom after receiving reports that Beijing had coerced key Catholic leaders into accepting the consecrations.

The illicit ordinations have now sparked rumours of excommunication.

"The dialogue cannot continue because people will think we are prepared to surrender," Zen said in a newspaper interview. "When you brutally place such a fait accompli, how can you call this dialogue?"

An assistant bishop was ordained Sunday in the northeastern province of Liaoning, Fr Paul Pei Junmin, although this ordination has received the backing of the Vatican.