Beijing gets new Catholic bishop, days after Vatican-China deal renewal 

 

FILE – Pope Francis presides a Mass concelebrated by the new cardinals for the start of the XVI General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Oct.4, 2023.

Vatican City —

A new assistant Catholic bishop for Beijing was ordained on Friday, three days after the Vatican and Chinese officials extended an accord on appointments in China, the Vatican said.

Bishop Matthew Zhen Xuebin, 54, was named to the role by Pope Francis, who approved his nomination within the framework of a diplomatic deal originally struck in 2018 that gives Chinese officials some input into papal appointments.

Some conservative Catholics say the deal gives too much influence to China\’s ruling communists, who have kept a tight reign on religious practice since taking power in 1949.

But the Vatican stresses that Francis retains final decision-making power and says the accord resolves a decades-long split between an underground church swearing loyalty to the Vatican and the state-supervised Catholic Patriotic Association.

Beijing and the Vatican announced on Tuesday that the accord, previously renewed in two-year increments, had been renewed again for a longer period of four years.

Reuters

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By：VOA