Pope names Chinese bishop while holding the Vatican-Bajin historic deal

Pope Leo XIV has appointed the first Chinese bishop of his papacy, signaling that he will continue a historical agreement that seeks to improve the relations between the Vatican and China.

Both sides welcomed the appointment of Bishop of Fuzhou Joseph Lin Jundan as a promotion of their commitment to the 2018 agreement, which was reached under the late Pope Francis.

The agreement gave Chinese employees a certain contribution to the appointment of bishops. However, its contents have never been fully revealed to the public.

Beijing insists that the state should approve the appointment of bishops in China, contrary to the insistence of the Catholic Church that it is a papal decision.

China has about 10 million Catholics.

They are currently facing the choice of visiting state churches approved by Beijing or Worship in underground congregations who swore allegiance to the Vatican.

On Wednesday, the Vatican said the Yuntu Ministry was “recognized” by Chinese legislation.

“This event is an additional fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is an important step in the Diocese of Combination of the Diocese,” the Vatican said.

Asked by Yuntuan’s appointment, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lynn Jian, told reporters on Thursday that this shows how the 2018 agreement was “smoothly applied”, state media reported.

China is ready to work with the Vatican to continue to improve relationships, he said.

The Pope’s move shows “a willingness to support reconciliation instead of antagonism,” Michel Chambon, a research associate at the Asian Research Institute in Singapore, who wrote in detail about the Catholic Church, told the Reuters Agency.

In September 2018, Pope Francis recognized seven bishops appointed by China. The Vatican also posthumously recognized the eighth bishop, who died last year.

China first interrupted diplomatic ties to the Holy See in 1951 and many Catholics were forced to go underground during the reign of the former communist leader Mao Zedun, not only in the 1980s, when religious practices were tolerated again.