On October 22, the Holy See agreed to a two-year extension of its former deal with the Chinese government. The original deal was struck on September 22, 2018 as a means to calm tensions between the Catholic Church in the country and the government.
The agreement originally had a two year lifespan so the Vatican and Chinese government could determine whether or not to continue in the near future. The deal allows the Chinese government to nominate possible candidates for the episcopacy, while the Holy Father still has ultimate authority on whether or not to confirm them.
The deal came amid a decades-long struggle between Catholics identifying with the official Catholic Church in China, which submits to the authority of state-chosen bishops, and the “underground” Church, which has rejected state-appointed bishops and is not recognized by the Chinese government. This arrangement was reached with the hope that the two communities of Catholics in the country would be able to find a compromise.
There has been, however, strong opposition to this agreement by Catholics both in and outside of China. Arguments have been made that the Holy Father should not have acquiesced to the Chinese government’s demands, especially in light of China’s alleged human rights violations. One of the underground bishops openly criticized the agreement saying that Pope Francis was “putting wolves before [his] flock,” according to the National Catholic Reporter.
Such criticism of the agreement also comes amid reports of the Chinese government changing key elements of biblical passages in schools. One particular report by the Union of Catholic Asian News states that the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery was deliberately changed by the government to state that Jesus said, “I too am a sinner. But if the law could only be executed by men without blemish, the law would be dead.”
Proponents of the agreement argue that there is now greater clarity and communication between the Holy See and Beijing, which they hope will be able to clear up such deviations. Vatican officials are also quick to point out that since the signing of the deal, every bishop within the country is now fully in communion with the Church. This includes eight bishops who were previously under the punishment of laetae sententiae excommunications due to being ordained without papal approval before the agreement.
Despite the deal, relations between the underground Church and the Chinese government are still hostile. Of the 100 bishops recognized by the Holy See within China, only 69 of them are also officially accepted by the state. This means that close to a third of Catholic bishops within the country still operate unofficially.
One of the underground bishops, Bishop Julius Jia, was detained in early August by authorities in an attempt to get him to register with the state-run “Patriotic Catholic Association”. Another underground priest, Fr. Liu Maochun, was arrested on his way to a hospital to care for the sick on August 1. His current whereabouts are unknown. Beijing officials have also pushed for a renewed enforcement of two laws targeting the Church. One prohibits parents from teaching their children religion before they are 18 years old, while the other prohibits nearly all Church related activities and gatherings. An October 23 article in the L’Osservatore Romano, the unofficial Vatican daily newspaper, stated: “The Holy See considers the initial application of the Agreement-which is of great ecclesial and pastoral value-to have been positive, thanks to good communication and cooperation between the Parties on the matters agreed upon, and intends to pursue an open and constructive dialogue for the benefit of the life of the Catholic Church and the good of Chinese people.”
James Pritchett is a Sophomore studying History and Classics with a deep affinity for his native land, the Golden State. Despite being the most recent lover of Catholicism on the Torch staff, he is the C101 editor and his main interests consist of reading Dostoyevsky, playing devil’s advocate, and correcting people on niche theological heresies.
- The Pope, Fatima, and World Youth Day - February 26, 2024
- Fr. José Guibert on St. Francis Xavier - November 29, 2023
- Where is Faith When I Doubt? - October 30, 2023