Holy See, China reach accord on appointment of bishops

September 22, 2018

The Vatican has signed an agreement with China, giving the Beijing government a role in the appointment of new bishops.

Although the terms of the accord were not made public, informed sources at the Vatican have confirmed that under the agreement, the Beijing government will name candidates for episcopal office, with the Pope allowed a choice from among the government’s nominees.

In announcing the agreement on September 22, the Vatican said that the agreement is “provisional” and “foresees the possibility of periodic reviews of its application.”

In a statement explaining the accord—recorded in English, in a departure from his usual pattern—the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, stressed that “the objective of the Holy See is a pastoral one: the Holy See intends just to create the condition, or help to create the condition, of a greater freedom, autonomy, and organization” for the Catholic Church in China.

Proponents of the accord have argued that it will ease restrictions on the Church in China. Opponents have disagreed, reasoning that by giving greater power to the Beijing government, the agreement will ultimately put greater pressure on the “underground” Church that has resisted government intrusions. Cardinal Joseph Zen, the retired Bishop of Hong Kong, said angrily that Cardinal Parolin should resign from office because of his “betrayal” of China’s faithful Catholics.

In his statement Cardinal Parolin observed that the accord could bring unity to the Chinese Church. He said: “For the first time in decades, today all the bishops in China are in communion with the Bishop of Rome.” That is true because in making the deal, Pope Francis agreed to lift the excommunication incurred by bishops who had been installed by the Beijing government without approval from the Holy See. Also, as part of the accord, the Vatican persuaded two bishops of the “underground” Church, who had not been recognized by Beijing, to resign and be replaced by government-approved prelates.

Greg Burke, the director of the Vatican press office, also emphasized that the goal of the September 22 agreement “is not political but pastoral.” The accord does not address the possibility of establishing formal diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Chinese government. However, the Vatican announcement of the pact noted that it “creates the conditions for greater collaboration at the bilateral level.”

The provisional agreement was signed on September 22 by Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, the Vatican’s undersecretary for relations with states, and Wang Chao, China’s depute foreign minister.”

“This is not the end of a process; it’s the beginning,” noted Burke, the Vatican spokesman.

 

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Further information:

• Provisional Agreement between Holy See and China (Vatican News)
• Pope entrusts commitment to reconciliation to Chinese Catholics (Vatican News)
• Greg Burke: Holy See/China agreement has pastoral objective (Vatican News)
• Holy See Signs Provisional Agreement With China on Appointment of Bishops (National Catholic Register)
• Vatican announces deal with China on bishop appointments, says it hopes for greater bilateral collaboration (AP)
• Vatican and China Sign Deal Over Bishops, Allowing Pope a Veto (Wall Street Journal)
• Three quick take-aways on the Vatican’s deal with China (Crux)