The Vatican and China have agreed to extend an agreement aimed at ending a decades-old power struggle over the appointment of Roman Catholic bishops in China, both parties announced Tuesday.
The provisional agreement, struck in 2018 and twice renewed, will be extended for four years, despite concerns from some conservatives in the church about religious liberty and human rights in the Communist country.
Lin Jian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, confirmed the renewal at a news conference Tuesday in Beijing. He added that the two sides “will maintain talks in a constructive spirit, and continue to promote the improvement of China-Vatican relations.”
In its statement, the Vatican said that it remained dedicated to a “respectful and constructive dialogue” to further develop bilateral relations “for the benefit of the Catholic Church in China and the Chinese people as a whole.”
Though its contents have never been made public, in broad terms the 2018 agreement calls for China to formally recognize the pope’s authority within the Roman Catholic Church and his final say over the country’s bishops. In turn, the Vatican would recognize the legitimacy of bishops previously appointed by the Chinese government and excommunicated by the church.
On Tuesday, the Vatican described on its website, a “radically changed scenario” since the deal was first signed, noting that 10 bishops had been appointed and consecrated, and that China had officially recognized “the public role of several previously unrecognized bishops.”
But China has also violated the agreement by unilaterally making appointments, which Pope Francis then formally accepted.
The Holy See and Beijing cut off relations in the 1950s and China’s Catholics were divided among those who attended government-approved churches and those who went to underground churches that remained loyal to Rome. There are between 10 to 12 million Catholics in China, according to some estimates.
The Vatican worked cautiously and persistently for decades to establish an agreement with the Chinese government on church operations in China, arguing that it was necessary to end that division.
Defenders of the agreement said it allowed the church to establish a greater presence in China and better provide for the pastoral needs of Catholics there. Critics accused the Vatican of giving too much control to China, legitimizing an authoritarian government and abandoning China’s underground church, which suffered for decades. The pope “doesn’t seem to understand” China, warned Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, the former Bishop of Hong Kong, when the deal was signed.
When the pact was first renewed in 2020, it was openly opposed by President Donald J. Trump’s administration. Then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned the Vatican was endangering its moral authority.
Francis has made two visits to Asia in the past 13 months, and on both occasions he expressed his desire to strengthen ties with China, which no pope has ever visited.
Returning from Singapore last month, Francis said he was pleased with the dialogue with China. Calling the country a “promise and a hope for the church,” Francis said he would like to go there. “It’s a great country, and I admire and respect China,” he said.
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