The Vatican and Beijing have agreed to extend an agreement on the appointment of Roman Catholic bishops, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Wednesday.
The controversial agreement, signed two years ago, expires Thursday (Oct. 22). With the renewal, the agreement will be extended for two years.
Responding to a reporter’s question about whether the renewal has been finalized, Cardinal Parolin said, “Yes, I can say to you that everything is going well.”
Parolin said the Vatican will officially announce the decision on Thursday.
The agreement stipulates that the pope has the final say in the appointment of bishops in China and that the Chinese government allows all bishops in the country, including those of state-backed churches, to recognize the pope’s authority.
Cardinal Parolin said that the final decision to renew the contract was made “only a few days ago” after final consultations between the Vatican and the Chinese. He said that the two sides had agreed to renew the agreement, but that it was still a provisional one.
The agreement between the Vatican and Beijing has caused a lot of controversy internationally. The U.S. has also expressed disagreement with the agreement. Secretary Pompeo recently wrote that the Vatican would “jeopardize its own position of moral authority” if it were to renew the agreement.
Bishop Emeritus Joseph Zen, Bishop of Hong Kong, also expressed his dissatisfaction with the Holy See’s renewal of the agreement in a recent interview with a reporter from the Voice of America Cantonese group in Hong Kong. He pointed out that although the agreement has been signed for two years, no bishop has been appointed during that time. He argued that the Vatican’s intention was to establish diplomatic relations with the Chinese Communist Party.
The Vatican argued that the agreement was necessary to avoid appointing bishops in China without the Pope’s consent, which would have led to a more divided Church in China.
Bishop Chen Rijun, who is nearly 90 years old, noted that if something is signed and is useless, “it must have a political purpose, to one day establish real diplomatic relations.”
Many popes, from John Paul to Benedict to Francis, have wanted to go to China, Chen said. If relations between the Vatican and Beijing can be normalized, the pope will be able to realize his long-cherished dream of visiting China, which would be a “great achievement” for the Vatican.
Chen Rijun said the agreement would provide a basis for the legalization of all Chinese bishops, including those who are not qualified. He sees it not as a “victory” but as a “surrender” for the Vatican.
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