In a statement issued on Saturday, Pope Francis has given his approval for the appointment of a new bishop of Shanghai, even as the Vatican reproached China for disregarding consultation procedures outlined in bilateral agreements. The Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, expressed in a separate interview that the Vatican was not consulted when Bishop Joseph Shen Bin was transferred from the diocese of Haimen in Jiangsu province to Shanghai.
Parolin criticized the unilateral move, stating that it contradicted “the spirit of dialogue and collaboration” set forth in the significant 2018 agreement regarding the appointment of bishops. While some conservative Catholics have viewed the secret agreement as a compromise with communist China, the Vatican has defended it as an imperfect means of establishing a form of dialogue with Chinese authorities for the betterment of Chinese Catholics. Parolin emphasized that the pope’s decision to approve Shen for the vacant Shanghai diocese was based on the “greater good” and Shen’s reputation as a respected pastor, as mentioned in the interview with internal Vatican media outlets.
Parolin reminded Chinese counterparts that the accord, which has been renewed twice since its initial signing, revolves around the essential principle of consensus on decisions pertaining to bishops. The Shanghai dispute is the latest in a series of conflicts between the Vatican and China regarding the transfer of bishops. Last November, the Vatican accused Chinese authorities of violating the 2018 agreement by installing a bishop in a diocese unrecognized by the Holy See.
The agreement aimed to bridge the longstanding divide within mainland China between an underground Catholic community loyal to the pope and a state-sanctioned official church. It marked the first time since the 1950s that both sides recognized the pope as the supreme leader of the Catholic Church. Shen, aged 53, currently serves as the president of the Council of Chinese Bishops, an organization believed to be under the control of the Chinese Communist Party. His installation in Shanghai without Vatican permission occurred in April.
The Council of Chinese Bishops does not possess formal recognition from the Vatican. In his interview, Parolin expressed the Holy See’s desire for the establishment of a Chinese Catholic Bishops Conference with statutes similar to those in other countries. These statutes should include regular contact between Chinese bishops and the pope. Next month, the pope is scheduled to travel to Mongolia, which was once part of China until 1921 and maintains good relations with Beijing. Diplomats suggest that Mongolia, with its small Catholic population, could serve as an intermediary with China.
