Mission accomplished for China’s underground Catholic church, says bishop

An underground Chinese Catholic bishop has applauded an agreement between Beijing and the Vatican over the appointment of bishops in China, saying the underground Catholic church has completed its mission to uphold the faith and remain loyal to the Pope.

Bishop Joseph Wei Jingyi of the Qiqihar diocese in Heilongjiang in China’s northeast told the Vatican Insider, an official news outlet, that the underground church “has fought the good fight” and China had entered a new era where all bishops were in communion with the Pope.

The bishop was partly referring to a temporary agreement signed between the Vatican and Beijing in September last year under which Beijing finally recognised the Vatican’s authority over the appointment of bishops. In return, Pope Francis recognised seven excommunicated Chinese bishops who were previously appointed by Beijing without papal approval.

The agreement was hailed as groundbreaking because the Vatican has yet to establish official relations with Beijing. But it also drew criticism from some leaders of the underground church who felt they had been “betrayed”.

Wei, 61, is well respected among Catholics in the mainland’s official and underground churches. He was ordained by the Pope in 1995 but has remained “unrecognised” by Beijing. He has spent four years in forced labour for defending his faith and was arrested on multiple occasions for his loyalty to the Vatican.

His interview with the Vatican Insider came after the Vatican issued a set of “pastoral guidelines” in June when some underground clergy were reluctant to register with the government despite the September agreement.