Catholic Church of Our Savior, in Beijing (Fotokon)
The agreement between the Holy See and China on the appointment of bishops has been renewed for another biennium. In giving the news, the Vatican has offered an in-depth look very similar to the one it made when the deal was first renewed two years ago. There have been important yet modest outcomes; and the difficulties experienced by the country’s Catholic community within other spheres have not disappeared.
In an interview with Reuters last July, Pope Francis said that dialogue with the Chinese government is “going well” but “slowly”. There is no other way to get anywhere than to take “small steps.” “When you face a blocked situation, you have to find the possible way, not the ideal way, out of it,” he said. “Diplomacy is the art of the possible and of making the possible become real.”
Outcomes
Once the agreement was extended on October 22, the Cardinal Secretary of State of Vatican City, Pietro Parolin, laid out the outcomes which have been achieved through the deal in an interview with Vatican News.
Most notably, and the main impetus of the agreement´s enactment in 2018, is the fact that “all the bishops of the Catholic Church in China are in full communion with the Pope and there have been no more illegitimate episcopal ordinations.”
The second positive outcome is the six consecrations of legitimate bishops recognized by the Chinese government. This is the biggest change, since the last four took place after the first extension of the agreement, specifically between November 2020 and September 2021. But a year has already passed without any additional ordinations, though more bishops are needed.
The cardinal also mentioned the recognition of six other bishops appointed before the agreement. There is nothing new in this regard, since their recognition was prior to the first renewal of the agreement. On the other hand, according to an article AsiaNews published last July, three of those six bishops had been appointed by the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics – the organization controlled by the government – and legitimized by Rome as a result of the agreement; but for one reason or another, they did not take office until 2020. The other three had been legitimately consecrated but were not recognized by Beijing until after the agreement was reached, between 2019 and 2020.
Six bishops have been appointed and the recognition of another six has been achieved through the agreement, but 36 vacant seats remain and seven bishops remain detained
On the other hand, Cardinal Parolin reiterated that the agreement remains provisional because it is in the experimentation stages. Hence, he emphasized that the specific content of the agreement has not been made public. He only said that “the current agreement (…) gives the Pope the last and final word.”
Many pending appointments
After highlighting the positive results of the agreement, Cardinal Parolin listed its shortcomings. “There are still many dioceses that don’t have a bishop, and others have very old bishops.” Dioceses without bishops make up about one third of the dioceses. The ratio of bishops to dioceses is not entirely clear because the Holy See and the Chinese government use different breakdowns, AsiaNews reported. Rome lists 114 registered dioceses (plus 29 prefectures and 2 apostolic administrations), but Beijing only counts 97, mainly because the State merged several of them to mirror the administrative districts territories. Nonetheless, of the dioceses recognized by the government, which in fact are the ones that need filling, there are 36 vacancies, more than a third of the total.
Given the number of bishops that need appointing, the fruits of the agreement are clearly scarce. Indeed, the Holy See is encountering difficulties. In the interview, Card. Parolin pointed out that “there are dioceses in which, despite efforts and goodwill, it is not possible to maintain a fruitful dialogue with local authorities.”
That’s in addition to the restrictions on the activity of the Church –and of other religious denominations–, which have intensified in recent years under the government of Xi Jinping. The provisional agreement exclusively affects the appointment of bishops, but the Holy See, noted Parolin, is determined to continue talks with Beijing on other issues too, which still haven´t made much progress.
There are still bishops in detention – at least seven, according to Stefano Magni’s count in La Nuova Bussola Quotidiana – and three of them were arrested after the signing of the provisional agreement. Four of the seven are missing; the oldest of the group is the Bishop of Tianjin, Shi Hongzhen, 93; he is under house arrest and last September received a visit from Vatican representatives, who brought him a gift from the Pope.
The problem with China´s official registry
Apart from this, the most acute problem is the requirement that bishops and priests register in an official registry in order to exercise their ministry. The document they must sign includes accepting the “principle of independence, autonomy and self-management of the Church in China.” The wording is not the same throughout the country, nor is registration required with the same rigor; but this poses a problem of conscience for the Church ministers. According to Fr. Gianni Criveller, of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), those who have refused to sign have had their daily activities hindered in various ways by the authorities. For example, by preventing them from using electronic payment methods. And “some who registered suffer criticism from relatives and parishioners; More than a few have regretted signing.”
Criveller adds that, to get them to sign, “bishops and priests are pressured by the authorities with the completely false statement that the agreement with the Holy See encourages their registration.” And, since the text of the agreement is confidential, they cannot question the version they sign.
“I deeply respect those who think otherwise and also those who criticize the Holy See’s policy towards China: it´s legitimate to do so.” — Cardinal Parolin
The registry – which affects all faiths – is part of Xi’s plan to “nationalize” religion and adds to the control measures provided for in the Religious Activities Regulations, which came into force in 2018, several months before the agreement with the Holy See was reached.
This regulation and other subsequent control measures are not enforced with the same rigor at all times or throughout Chinese territory. It is not uncommon for Catholic communities to function normally as long as they do not draw attention to themselves. But “in some places – writes Fr. Criveller – the harshness with which the ban against minors participating in worship and receiving doctrinal formation and the sacraments is applied is especially severe”. Not having abided by this rule is the reason why Msgr. Jia Zhiguo, 85, bishop of Zhengding (Hebei), one of the bishops of whom there is no news, was arrested in 2020.
Dissatisfaction
In view of all this, Fr. Criveller senses from the Vatican´s statements on the occasion of the extension of the provisional agreement “a certain dissatisfaction” in Rome. Card. Parolin himself said in January last year in an interview for the French television channel KTO: “I deeply respect those who think otherwise and also those who criticize the Holy See’s policy towards China: it´s legitimate to do so.”
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, of the Dicastery for Evangelization, also told Fides on October 22 that the agreement cannot give rise to “naive triumphalism”. He affirmed that Rome understood and understands that the road is “long” and “tiring”, and that “the agreement itself could give rise to misunderstandings and confusion.” Moreover, “the Holy See does not ignore or take lightly the contrast of reactions among Chinese Catholics regarding the agreement, which has incited joy for many and bewilderment among others”.
Thus, the Vatican´s policy for dialoguing with China stands, but because it does not see a better option. Fr. Criveller, who doubts the sincerity of the Chinese government in its talks with Rome, thinks that, despite everything, it is necessary to continue them. His contacts in China tell him that “if the Holy See rejects the agreement, it exposes Chinese Catholics to even greater hardship and reprisals.”
Ultimately, the clearest success of the agreement is that there are no longer illegitimate or clandestine bishops in China. This is of capital importance, and is a direct result of the agreement, although it cannot be forgotten that, in some cases, it has been at the cost of asking pastors who suffered for their fidelity to the Holy See to step aside. Beyond China, religious legislation and practical difficulties in many places around the world have worsened in recent years.
Translated from Spanish by Lucia K. Maher