Pope Leo XIV appointed his pope’s first Chinese bishop, indicating that he would continue a historic agreement in an attempt to improve relations between the Vatican and China.
Both sides praised the appointment of wealthy auxiliary bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan to confirm their commitment to the 2018 agreement, which was included in the late Pope Francis.
The agreement provided some comments to Chinese officials on the appointment of bishops. However, its contents are never fully disclosed to the public.
Beijing insists that the state must approve the appointment of bishops in China, contrary to the Catholic Church’s insistence that it was the pope’s decision.
There are about 10 million Catholics in China.
Currently, they are facing approval by Beijing or Worship in underground congregations Swear allegiance to the Vatican.
The Vatican said on Wednesday that Janduan’s ministry has been “recognized” by Chinese law.
“This incident constitutes a further fruit of dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is an important step in the diocese’s communion journey,” the Vatican said.
When asked about Janduan’s appointment, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Ji’an told reporters Thursday that this showed the “smooth implementation” of the 2018 agreement, state media reported.
He said China is willing to cooperate with the Vatican to continue to improve relations.
The pope’s move shows Michel Chambon, a researcher at the Singapore Institute of Asia, told Reuters news agency that he said he was “willing to support reconciliation rather than confrontation”.
In September 2018, Pope Francis recognized the seven bishops appointed by China. After the Vatican also died, he recognized the eighth bishop who died a year ago.
China first broke diplomatic ties with the Holy See in 1951, with many Catholics being forced underground during the reign of former Communist leader Mao Zedong, and only once again tolerated religious practices in the 1980s.
