Pope Francis has acquiesced to China’s unilateral appointment of a new bishop in Shanghai, officially recognizing the government’s installation of Bishop Shen Bin three months after the fact. On Saturday, the Vatican announced that Francis had appointed Shen as the bishop of Shanghai, transferring him from Haimen. This decision came after the Holy See admitted in April that it had learned of Shen’s appointment from media reports. The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, stated that Francis accepted China’s unilateral appointment for the “greater good” of the faithful in Shanghai.
However, Parolin made it clear that China’s actions violated the “spirit of collaboration” outlined in a 2018 agreement between the Holy See and Beijing on bishop appointments. Speaking to Vatican media, Parolin mentioned that Francis approved Shen’s appointment in order to allow the bishop to lead his congregation and rectify the canonical irregularity caused by Beijing’s unilateral transfer, which took place without the involvement of the Holy See. Parolin expressed hope that future appointments would adhere to the principles of consensus as called for in the agreement, in order to avoid disharmony and disagreements within Catholic communities. He emphasized that the successful implementation of the agreement, along with sincere dialogue, are essential for fostering unity.
China and the Vatican have not had diplomatic relations since 1951, following the rise of the Communists and the expulsion of foreign priests. The 2018 agreement paved the way for future nominations, but China has repeatedly violated it through its crackdown on religious freedom. While the full details of the agreement remain undisclosed, Francis has claimed to have final authority in bishop appointments. China, on the other hand, maintains that it must approve these appointments to uphold national sovereignty. Since the diplomatic break, Chinese Catholics have been divided between the state-sanctioned Patriotic Catholic Association and an underground church loyal to the Pope. The estimated number of Chinese Catholics ranges from 6 to 12 million.
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