CATHOLIC

CHINESE BISHOPS

NOW OUTNUMBER

WORSHIPPERS

A man cycling past the Ministry of Culture in Beijing has been named as the latest bishop of China's officially-sanctioned Catholic Church.

A spokesman for the Vatican in Rome said the Pope would not allow this "sinful, wrong and wicked act" to sour relations with China, adding that anyone in possession of a wok and a bottle of soy sauce could now consider themselves excommunicated.

Cardinal Joseph Zen called for a Zen-like calm in the face of the crisis.