Catholic clampdown

THE Vatican City accused China of breaking a bi‐lateral pact in an announcement made on April 4 after it appointed a new bishop to Shanghai, the largest Roman Catholic diocese in China.

The Holy See was reportedly informed of the decision to appoint Shen Bin as bishop of Shaghai several days ago, and the news has caused a stir in the Catholic community world‐wide, who fear that the Chinese Communist Party may be trying to exercise greater power within the church.

Meanwhile, the Vatican has said that the city’s auxiliary bishop, Ma Daqin, should administer the diocese, but he has been under house arrest since 2012 when he publicly rejected the ‘Chi‐nese Catholic Patriotic Association’.

However, in a positive step between the Vati‐can and China, both sides have recognised the pope as the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church for the first time since the 1950s.

Betty Henderson

THE UEFA President, Alek‐sander Ceferin, has slammed the door shut on Russia’s involvement in European football compe‐titions until the war in Ukraine is stopped.

The announcement was made as part of a power ‐ful speech given by Ceferin as he was reelected as the chief of UEFA at the UEFA Congress in Lisbon on Wednesday, April 5.

The decision to ban Rus‐sian national and regional teams from UEFA compe ‐titions was made in Febru‐ary 2022 in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine.

The current ban permits Belarusian national football teams and domestic clubs to participate in European tournaments, but their home games must take place on neutral ground, behind closed doors.

However, Ceferin hinted that UEFA could consider banning Belarus from the

2024 European Champi ‐onship if deemed neces ‐sary, but that decision would rest with UEFA’s ex‐ecutive committee.

Ceferin’s comments have come at a time of increas‐ing concern over the im ‐pact of politics on interna‐tional sporting events. The invasion of Ukraine has sparked a widespread boy‐cott of Russian athletes.

Ceferin’s firm stance on Russia sends a clear mes ‐sage that UEFA is willing to take a hardline approach towards countries that disregard international law.