Pope Francis Accepts Bishop Unilaterally Installed by China

ROME— Pope Francis accepted as bishop of Shanghai a man whom Chinese authorities had installed in the post without consulting the Vatican, in the latest sign of the pope’s determination to pursue a rapprochement with Beijing despite China’s tightening restrictions on religion.

The Vatican announced on Saturday that Pope Francis had named Bishop Joseph Shen Bin to lead the diocese of Shanghai, more than three months after Chinese Catholic authorities announced that he had been ceremonially installed in the position.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, told Vatican media that the pope had acted for “the greater good of the diocese and the fruitful exercise of the bishop’s pastoral ministry,” but said that Beijing’s unilateral decision to transfer the bishop from his former diocese of Haimen was contrary to “the spirit of dialogue and collaboration” of a 2018 power-sharing agreement on the appointment of bishops.

China’s Foreign Ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday. 

China’s estimated 10 to 12 million Catholics have been divided for decades between a “patriotic” church registered with the government and a so-called underground church that rejects government control. The Vatican and China haven’t had diplomatic relations since shortly after the Communist revolution of 1949.

In 2018, the Vatican and Beijing signed an agreement, renewed in 2020 and 2022 for two-year terms, that gives both sides a say in the appointment of bishops. 

The deal marks a rare concession by the pope of his prerogative to appoint bishops, which Vatican officials have argued is necessary to maintain the unity of the church in China. Critics, including Cardinal Joseph Zen, a former bishop of Hong Kong, have argued that the agreement is a betrayal of the country’s underground Catholics loyal to the pope.

The details of the deal remain secret, but Pope Francis has said that it gives him the final say. 

The deal has come as the Chinese Communist Party under Xi Jinping has intensified government control of religion, including the Catholic Church.

Religious groups have been required to revise their practices and teaching in accordance with Communist Party doctrine and to develop what Xi has called “socialist religious theories with Chinese characteristics” through a process of “sinicization.”

The Vatican has acknowledged that the results of the deal have been meager so far. Only a handful of new Chinese bishops have been ordained under the agreement since 2018. 

Last November, the Vatican accused Beijing of violating the deal by transferring Bishop John Peng Weizhao from his Vatican-approved post as bishop of Yujiang to a new role as auxiliary bishop of Jiangxi, a diocese not recognized by the Vatican.

The Vatican’s response to the Shanghai appointment was milder on Saturday. Cardinal Parolin suggested that there might be aspects of the case unforeseen by the unpublished agreement and requiring further negotiation. He also praised Bishop Shen as an “esteemed pastor.” But he said it was “indispensable that all episcopal appointments in China, including transfers, be made by consensus” between Rome and Beijing.

—Chun Han Wong in Singapore contributed to this article.

Write to Francis X. Rocca at [email protected]