Vatican Renews Deal With China

The Vatican has announced that it has reached a deal with China.

Last week the Vatican has renewed a 2018 agreement that will allow the Chinese Catholic church to appoint its own bishops.

Usually, the Pope will appoint bishops but the CCP now has the final say on who will be bishops in Catholic churches in China.

Many Catholics believe the new deal with China is a total sell-out move.

Vatican confirms renewal of contested accord with China on bishops' appointments https://t.co/LzXga7BmJV pic.twitter.com/wbTZMPYek0

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 22, 2022

The Vatican & China have extended for another 2 years their agreement on naming bishops. Vatican says it wants to continue "constructive dialogue" for improving relations, fostering church mission & the good of the Chinese people.📷Reuters pic.twitter.com/PtoaIRK1le

— Catholic News Service Rome (@CatholicNewsSvc) October 22, 2022

Reuters had these details to add:

The Vatican on Saturday said that it and China had renewed a secret and contested agreement on the appointment of Roman Catholic bishops in the communist country.

It was the second time the accord, which is still provisional, was extended for another two years since it was first reached in 2018. The latest extension had been widely expected, with Pope Francis foreseeing it in an exclusive interview with Reuters on July 2.

The deal was a bid to ease a longstanding divide across mainland China between an underground flock loyal to the pope and a state-backed official church. For the first time since the 1950s, both sides recognised the pope as supreme leader of the Catholic Church.

Critics, including Cardinal Joseph Zen, 90, the former archbishop of Hong Kong, have denounced it as a sell-out to the communist authorities. Zen is currently on trial over the use of a charity fund for pro-democracy protesters and critics have accused the Vatican of not doing enough to defend him in public. Zen pleaded not guilty.

The Vatican-China deal centres on cooperation over the appointment of bishops, giving the pope the final and decisive say.

The Vatican and Beijing have renewed an agreement on the appointment of bishops that critics view as acquiescence to China’s growing control of religion https://t.co/UnQUDF0ZvQ

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 22, 2022

JUST IN 🚨 Vatican renews 2018 deal with China allowing the country to choose bishops

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) October 22, 2022

CNA had more details to add:

The Vatican announced Saturday it has renewed its 2018 deal with China on the appointment of Catholic bishops for an additional two years.

“After appropriate consultation and assessment, the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China have agreed to extend for another two years the Provisional Agreement regarding the appointment of Bishops,” the Vatican said in an Oct. 22 press release.

“The Vatican Party,” it continued, “is committed to continuing a respectful and constructive dialogue with the Chinese Party for a productive implementation of the Accord and further development of bilateral relations, with a view to fostering the mission of the Catholic Church and the good of the Chinese people.”

#BREAKING Vatican renews 2018 deal with China allowing Beijing to choose bishops pic.twitter.com/ykwOUwZ24g

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) October 22, 2022