Beijing, Vatican reach initial accord on appointment of bishops, Hong Kong cardinal says
This comes as the two sides engage in talks after years of hostility over who has the right to appoint bishops and the Vatican’s ties with Taiwan
The head of Hong Kong’s Catholic Church has revealed that the Vatican and Beijing have reached an initial agreement on the appointment of Catholic bishops in mainland China in an effort to secure a breakthrough in bilateral ties.
In an article published in the latest edition of the weekly diocese publication Kung Kao Po on Thursday, Cardinal John Tong Hon also dismissed criticism that Vatican officials may go against the Holy See’s principles and that the dialogue may sacrifice the rights of clandestine churches on the mainland.
Tong wrote in the more than 8,000-word article that Beijing was now willing to reach an understanding with the Vatican on the appointment of bishops in the Catholic Church in mainland China and seek a mutually acceptable plan.
Under the initial agreement, the pope would choose from a list of candidates recommended by a conference comprising bishops from the open and clandestine churches.
The 77-year-old cardinal said a bishops’ conference in China would only have the power of recommendation while the power of final decision would still be left to the pope.