China and Vatican close to a deal on appointment of Catholic bishops, report says
Delegation from Beijing expected to travel to Rome in March to finalise details, Italian newspaper reports
Beijing and the Vatican are close to reaching an agreement on the appointment of bishops in mainland China, a move that could end decades of hostilities between pro-government and underground Catholic groups.
According to a report by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera on Sunday, from late March onwards “every day is a good day [for the Vatican] to sign the agreement with the Chinese authorities”.
The move comes after the Vatican last month asked two underground bishops working in China to make way for replacements approved by Beijing.
A Chinese delegation led by a deputy foreign minister would visit Rome to finalise the agreement after the end of China’s legislative sessions, which get under way on March 5, the report quoted unnamed sources as saying.
The Vatican, which is keen to end the conflict between pro-government Catholics and members of the underground community who only obey Rome, has also notified the United States and Taiwan about its plans, with those two sides expressing concerns about the growing closeness between the Vatican and Beijing, the report said.