Vatican Extends Deal With China Over Appointment of Bishops

ROME — The Vatican said on Thursday that it had extended an agreement with Beijing over the appointment of bishops in China, weeks after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to the Vatican on an unsuccessful mission to kill it.

The announcement renewed for another two years a historic agreement struck in 2018 that ended a decades-old power struggle over the right to appoint bishops in China, despite concerns over religious liberty and human rights in the country.

The deal calls for China to formally recognize the pope’s authority within the Roman Catholic Church and his final say over the country’s bishops. The Vatican in turn recognized the legitimacy of bishops previously appointed by the Chinese government and excommunicated by the church.

Beyond that, the details of the agreement have been kept largely confidential, to the dismay of some critics of Pope Francis.

“The Holy See considers the initial application of the Agreement — which is of great ecclesial and pastoral value — to have been positive, thanks to good communication and cooperation between the parties on the matters agreed upon,” the Vatican said in a statement, adding that the Holy See “intends to pursue an open and constructive dialogue for the benefit of the life of the Catholic Church and the good of Chinese people.”

The continuation of the agreement and cooperation between the two states has led some Vatican experts to consider it a critical step on the road to diplomatic relations with Beijing, which could mean the Vatican cutting ties with Taiwan.