Francis has given his critics more fuel to pour on the already raging fire surrounding his papacy. Bishop Vincent Zhan Silu, the Bishop of Mingdong is a Beijing appointee that was originally ordained in a CCP-sanctioned rite in the year 2000. Viewed as illegitimate, he was excommunicated by the Vatican, a move that was revoked in 2018 when Francis signed the accord with Beijing. Zhan Silu was one of seven Beijing-appointed bishops embraced by the Vatican - a move that many Traditionalists found repugnant.
Now in 2024, Zhan Silu has been appointed to the next (and presumably final) session of Francis' Synod on Synodality, an extended event that some traditionalists view as akin to Vatican III. The results are sure to generate controversy and the fact that CCP-nominated bishops have participated will only further Traditionalist suspicion and anger with regard to Francis.
Francis intends the synod's teachings to enter the body of doctrine and traditions comprising the magisterium and yet ironically the move will in theory weaken or dilute the power of the papacy. In some respects it's almost a nod to the long dead notion of Conciliarism and has rekindled some of the debates between Gallicanism and Ultramontanism.
Traditionalists are alarmed, all the more as they retain hope of a future pope who will be able to use his ultramontanist power to correct the trajectory of the Roman Catholic Church in the aftermath of Vatican II. From their standpoint this synod represents the culmination of the damage done by Francis to Roman Catholicism and the institution of the Papacy. The dubia (doubts seeking clarity) sent in October 2023 by dissenting cardinals generated scandal, all the more as they went public in an attempt to derail Francis' efforts and generate scepticism and dissent.
By some accounts Francis became angry with these men and in November 2023 after removing a controversial Texas bishop, he went after Raymond Burke, one of the dubia cardinals and one of Francis' chief antagonists.
It could perhaps be said that after the Burke/dubia incident, Francis (who turns 88 in December) no longer cares what these people think or do. He's pressing ahead and much to the chagrin of the Traditionalists he has appointed many cardinals and this will certainly influence the next papal conclave. Not a few believe that if another pope in the mold of Francis is appointed, there will be a schism of historical proportions.
See also:
https://www.ncregister.com/news/cardinals-send-dubia-to-pope-ahead-of-synod-on-synodality
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-rotten-harvest-of-francis-beijing.html
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-investiture-controversy-in-china.html
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