The Holy See, on the one hand, and the People’s Republic of China, on the other, announced on Wednesday the decision to further renew the Provisional Agreement on the Appointments of Bishops in China, signed for the first time on 22 September 2018 and already renewed twice in October 2020 and October 2022. The novelty is that, instead of for a two-year period as in the first approval and the two subsequent renewals, the extension this time doubles the duration, from two to four years. In a statement, the Vatican announced that the two parties, «given the consensus reached for a fruitful application of the Provisional Agreement on the appointment of bishops, after appropriate consultations and evaluations, have agreed to extend its validity for a further four years, starting from today’s date.” And the Vatican remains intent «to continue the respectful and constructive dialogue with the Chinese side, for the development of bilateral relations with a view to the good of the Catholic Church in the country and of all the Chinese people». On the other side, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic, Lin Jianstated that “through friendly consultations, the two sides have decided to extend the agreement for another four years”, underlining the “positive evolution” of bilateral relations. «China and the Vatican», added Lin, «have given positive assessments of the results of the implementation of the agreement. The parties will hold talks in a constructive spirit and continue to promote the improvement of bilateral ties.” The contents of the Agreement are still top secret.
Father Bernardo Cervellera, missionary of PIME (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions), former director for 18 years of Asia News and from 2021 deputy parish priest of the community of Santa Teresa of Kowloon, a Hong Kong, he is one of the leading experts on China in Italy and in the world. He had already been as a missionary in the former British colony from 1989 to 1995 and in mainland China from 1995 to 1997
Father Cervellera, what does this renewal mean?
«No one had any doubts that the agreement would be extended: the Pope has expressed himself many times in favor of the agreement. China, for its part, in a difficult moment for relations with the world and in particular with the West, due to geopolitical and economic issues, is gaining an image of a modern country on par with the rest of the nations”.
The big news is that it has gone from two to four years. What are the reasons?
«There are two hypotheses: the first is that a period of four years leaves the delegates calm to work for a suitable period of time, without being subjected to the criticisms that arise every two years from the Church, but also from the “Stalinist-nationalist” side ” of the Chinese Communist Party, which sees the Vatican as a threat, fearing for China a fate similar to that of the Soviet Union. The second hypothesis is that four years is a compromise: Beijing would have liked to make it permanent, but the Vatican is asking for more guarantees: freedom for the bishops under arrest, an office in Beijing, greater collaboration and, perhaps, the much-dreamed-of pope’s apostolic trip Francis in China”.
What assessment can be made of these six years of Agreement? Has it worked as regards the religious freedom and worship of Catholics in China?
«The Agreement worked slowly and often didn’t work at all. So far this agreement, at the end of October 2024, has “produced” eight bishops. There are at least 40 Chinese dioceses that need a bishop. At this rate it will take at least 30 years to be able to provide pastors to the Chinese Church. The agreement did not work for religious freedom: there are still bishops under house arrest; three bishops in the hands of the police; priests removed from their pastoral service because they do not submit to the “state church”, becoming supporters of the Chinese Communist Party. The Vatican hopes for their release, but no response is received from Beijing. There are also priests who can no longer practice because they have educated young people under the age of 18, a fact prohibited by the Ministry for Religious Affairs. In some cases, such as for the appointment of the bishop of Shanghai and that of Monsignor John Peng Weizhao as bishop for the diocese of Jiangxi, not recognized by the Holy See, Beijing followed its practice, without even consulting the Holy See”.
In fact, one of the problematic issues remains the appointment of bishops with the case of April 2023 in which China unilaterally appointed the current Archbishop of Shanghai Shen Bin, then endorsed by the Pope. Does it mean that this case has been “smoothed out” by the respective diplomacies in order to renew the Agreement?
«I believe that the Vatican was forced to “smooth out” to save the Agreement itself. Ultimately this Agreement is a tenuous thread of dialogue between China and the Holy See after almost seventy years of failed relations and even enmity. Let us not forget that until recently the Party media defined the Vatican as “the stray dog of capitalism”. In exchange, the Holy See hopes that Shen Bin can help with the rehabilitation of two auxiliary bishops of Shanghai, Monsignor Giuseppe But Daqin, under house arrest in Sheshan, for having resigned from the Patriotic Association immediately after his episcopal ordination in 2012.”
Despite the Agreement, there are still no official diplomatic relations between the Holy See and China after the break in 1951. Why, in your opinion?
«The Agreement concerns only the appointment of new bishops. For a global agreement, the Vatican had hoped at the time to be able to dialogue with China on the recognition of underground bishops, appointed by the Holy See, but not recognized by Beijing; on the function of the Patriotic Association which in fact guides the Church even though it is not an association of the faithful and also dominates the bishops; on the Church’s freedom of mission in Chinese society, as Benedict XVI already asked in 2007 in his Letter to Chinese Catholics. On all these issues there has been no progress. For the Holy See, diplomatic relations should be established at the end of all these dialogues.”
Another aspect concerns Hong Kong where between 2017 and 2019, during protests against repression, several Catholic leaders were arrested. How is the situation now?
«It must be said that these Catholic leaders were arrested not precisely because of their faith, but for having supported the democracy movement in Hong Kong, participated in demonstrations and criticized the Chinese Communist Party. After the passing of the national security law – desired by Beijing – some of them are also accused of having relations with foreign powers that want to bring down the Party in China. After this law and over ten thousand arrests – many of which concern young people under 24 – the situation in Hong Kong is full of many cautions and many silences. The trials of members of the democratic movement are going slowly and in the meantime they have been in prison for 4-5 years. As they face national security charges, they are barred from bail, many live in solitary confinement, and the courts have no civilian jury, only government-appointed judges. Especially young people are depressed and this pushes them to emigrate.”
Is the birth of St. Francis University, the first Catholic university in Hong Kong officially recognized by the local government, attributable, in a broad sense, to the Agreement between the Holy See and China?
“No. For decades the Church has wanted to have a Catholic university, but has encountered difficulties, even from previous governments. Now what was a college of higher studies, managed by the local Caritas, has been recognized as a university.”
