China’s state-sanctioned Catholic Church vows to remain ‘independent’ after Vatican deal
Governing body says it will ‘uphold the fine tradition of loving the country and the church’ and ‘the path that suits a socialist society’
The organisations that run China’s state-sanctioned Catholic Church said on Sunday they will continue to operate “independently”, while also pledging their “wholehearted support” for Beijing’s deal with the Vatican on the appointment of bishops.
The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CPCA) and the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC), neither of which is recognised by the Holy See, made the comments in a statement on their shared website.
The remarks came a day after the signing of a historic “provisional agreement” between China and the Vatican that seeks to resolve a decades-long struggle over who has the authority to appoint Catholic leaders in the world’s most populous nation.
Under the deal, Pope Francis recognised seven excommunicated bishops appointed by Beijing without papal approval. According to a person familiar with the discussions, Beijing would in return recognise some, though not all, of the so-called underground bishops chosen by the Vatican.
But with the full text of the agreement yet to be made public, it remains unclear how much say the Pope will have in vetting bishop nominees in China, where the officially atheist Communist Party maintains a tight grip on all religions.