Pope Francis has recognized the Bishop of Shanghai appointed by the government in Beijing in April. However, the process violated the “spirit of cooperation”, criticized a representative of the Vatican.
According to the Vatican, it first learned of it from the media in April: the Chinese government appointed the clergyman Giuseppe Shen Bin bishop of Shanghai. Now Pope Francis recognized Shen Bin as bishop of the metropolis.
According to the Vatican, the religious right to appoint Catholic bishops belongs solely to the Pope. However, the government in Beijing claims to be able to appoint Catholic bishops in the country itself. The People’s Republic had already transferred Shen Bin from the diocese of Haimen to Shanghai at the beginning of April – without involving the Holy See.
Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said Pope Francis has accepted China’s unilateral step for the “greater benefit” of the faithful in Shanghai. However, the Chinese government has violated the “spirit of cooperation” that was agreed between China and the Vatican in 2018 on the appointment of bishops. He hopes that future appointments will be made in accordance with the letter and spirit of the consensus required by the agreement, Parolin said.
No diplomatic relations
There are no official diplomatic relations between the Vatican and China. The convention had settled the status of several bishops and paved the way for future appointments. Details of the contract are not known. The Vatican had admitted that the arrangement was not ideal. The pope has the last word on bishop appointments.
There are six to twelve million Catholics in China. They are split between members of a state-sanctioned church called the Patriotic Catholic Association and an underground church affiliated with the Pope.