Vatican, China extend deal over bishop appointments

VATICAN CITY—The decision by the Vatican and China on Tuesday to extend an accord on the appointment of Catholic bishops in the communist country for four years indicates a new level of trust between the two parties, said analysts. Renewal of the agreement, a landmark deal originally struck in 2018 that gives Chinese officials some input into who Pope Francis appoints as bishops in the country, was first announced at a press briefing in Beijing.

The Vatican confirmed the move in a statement, saying it “remains dedicated to furthering the respectful and constructive dialogue” with China. The deal had previously been renewed every two years. “The Holy See is … showing that it’s confident enough that it doesn’t need to make Beijing accountable every two years,” said Michel Chambon, an academic who has written extensively on the Catholic Church in China.

Conservative Catholics have criticized the agreement as handing over too much control to China. Cardinal Joseph Zen, 92, who served as bishop of Hong Kong from 2002-09, has been among the most vocal critics. The Vatican says the accord resolves a decadeslong split between an underground church swearing loyalty to the Vatican and the state-supervised Catholic Patriotic Association. The deal has never been published, but only described by diplomatic officials.