Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
A crucifix in front of a poster of Chinese President Xi Jinping.A poster of Chinese President Xi Jinping hangs next to a crucifix on the wall of the house of a Tibetan Catholic on Christmas Eve in Niuren village, in China's Yunnan province, in this Dec. 24, 2018, file photo. (CNS photo/Tyrone Siu, Reuters)

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—In an apparent breach of the Vatican’s agreement with China on the appointment of bishops, the bishop of Haimen was installed as the bishop of Shanghai April 4.

“The Holy See had been informed a few days ago of the Chinese authorities’ decision to transfer Bishop (Joseph) Shen Bin of Haimen to the Diocese of Shanghai and learned from the media of the installation this morning,” said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office.

“For the time being, I have nothing to say about the Holy See’s assessment of the matter,” Bruni added in a brief statement April 4.

“The Holy See had been informed a few days ago of the Chinese authorities’ decision to transfer Bishop (Joseph) Shen Bin of Haimen to the Diocese of Shanghai and learned from the media of the installation this morning.”

In 2018, the Vatican and the government of China signed an agreement outlining procedures for ensuring Catholic bishops are elected by the Catholic community in China and approved by the pope before their ordinations and installations. The agreement was renewed in 2020 and again in 2022.

But in November, just a month after the latest renewal, the Vatican issued a public statement of regret, essentially accusing the Chinese government of violating the agreement when Bishop John Peng Weizhao of Yujiang was installed as auxiliary bishop of Jiangxi, “a diocese not recognized by the Holy See.”

According to AsiaNews, a news agency run by the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, Bishop Shen, who is president of the government-related Council of Chinese Bishops, was installed April 4.

The latest from america

The Rev. S. J. Adamo wrote over 130 columns for America on "The Press," and seemingly had plenty of fun along the way.
James T. KeaneOctober 03, 2023
The devil will no doubt be a participant in the Synod on Synodality, even if as a non-voting member. Why? Because the synod presents a ripe field for the devil’s mischief. And because the stakes are so high.
Louis J. CameliOctober 03, 2023
Pope Francis’ “yes, and” message to cardinals critical of his papacy is reflective of the synod as a whole.
Colleen DulleOctober 03, 2023
A Reflection for Tuesday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time, by Valerie Schultz
Valerie SchultzOctober 03, 2023