Vatican Secretary of State assures nuncios: no major concessions in talks with China
September 26, 2016
Cardinal Pietro Parolin has reportedly assured Church diplomats that the Vatican will not allow the Chinese government a role in the appointment of new bishops.
Speaking at a meeting of apostolic nuncios, the Secretary of State confirmed that the Vatican is engaged in high-level talks with Beijing. The goal of the talks, he said, is to reach an agreement on the appointment of new bishops. For now, the talks are not aimed at restoring formal diplomatic relations.
In those negotiations, reports Vatican journalist Sandro Magister of L'Espresso, Cardinal Parolin said that the Vatican will not yield to the Chinese regime on its demand for a voice in the appointment of new bishops. According to Magister, the Vatican is prepared to allow the Chinese bishops' conference to propose new candidates for episcopal office—but only if the "underground" Catholic bishops are included in the bishops' conference, and the bishops who have not been recognized by the Holy See are excluded.
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