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The Vatican disclosed on Wednesday the inaugural appointment of a Chinese bishop under Pope Leo XIV, indicating the new pope’s endorsement of a contentious agreement on nominations established by his predecessor with Beijing.
The Holy See expressed satisfaction at China’s acknowledgement of the selection of Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province in southeastern China. The pope made this nomination on June 5.
“This event represents further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is an important step in the diocese’s communal journey, ” the diocese said in a statement.
The Vatican and China’s Communist government lack formal diplomatic ties, as the Holy See recognises Taiwan, while Beijing considers the self-governing island part of its territory.
Nevertheless, in a groundbreaking agreement reached in 2018, both parties consented to have a voice in appointing bishops within China, home to approximately 12 million Catholics.
This agreement, the text of which has never been revealed publicly, has faced criticism within the Church, with some perceiving it as granting the Communist government excessive control over the nation’s Catholics.
Credit: Times of Malta
As Pope Francis aimed to strengthen the Church’s presence in China, the agreement was extended multiple times, with the most recent extension, for an additional four years, occurring in October 2024.
Pope Francis passed away on April 21 after leading the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics for 12 years, and Pope Leo was elected during a conclave of cardinals on May 8.
During the interval between the death of one pope and the election of another, Beijing moved forward with the “election” of two bishops in the dioceses of Shanghai and Xinxiang.
Observers have interpreted this action as an effort by the Chinese Communist Party to capitalise on the Vatican’s existing void and reinforce its dominance over the Church in China.
