China, Vatican talks on bishops ‘in full swing’, Chinese official says
Deal on thorny issue of appointment could be signed within months
Negotiations to broker a framework accord between China and the Vatican on the appointment of bishops are making quick progress towards a deal, a Chinese official said on Friday, in what would be a historic breakthrough in relations.
A deal on the thorny issue of who gets to appoint bishops could be signed within months, a senior Vatican source told Reuters in February. The potential Vatican rapprochement with Communist China sparked a war of words among Catholic officials.
“Talks are progressing at full swing,” deputy head of the official Chinese Catholics association, Fang Jianping, said on the sidelines of the annual legislative meeting, when asked about the prospect of a normalisation of relations.
China’s 12 million Catholics are split between “underground” communities that often recognise the pope and those registered with the state-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association, where bishops are appointed by the government in collaboration with local Church communities.
Fang said national policy was very positive towards the development of Catholicism in China. He did not elaborate.