Vatican celebrates the appointment of a new bishop in China

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12/06/2025
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The Vatican has welcomed the appointment of the auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou, in China, and made it known through a statement:

This event is yet another fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is an important step in the communal journey of the diocese.

This is the first appointment of a bishop in China since the beginning of Pope Leo's pontificate.

The Holy See did not celebrate other appointments in the country in this way. In 2023, it expressed its astonishment when China unilaterally appointed a bishop. In theory, this appointment violated the agreements in place since 2018, although the terms of those agreements have never been made public.

What is clear however is that, over the past few years, the presence of Chinese bishops at Vatican events has increased—something that was unthinkable decades ago. In fact, Pope Francis himself was visibly moved upon seeing them before him in St. Peter’s Basilica.

ARCHIVE 2018
POPE FRANCIS
Today, for the first time, two brother bishops from mainland China are also here with us. Let us give them our warm welcome: the communion of the entire episcopate with the Successor of Peter is even more visible thanks to their presence.

The agreement signed in 2018 between China and the Vatican has been renewed every two years. Last year, it was renewed for another four. However, this is a diplomatic step not without risks.

On one hand, it helps to maintain a smoother and friendlier line of communication with Xi Jinping’s government. On the other hand, on a less institutional level, it allows China to better monitor Catholic faithful who had until now practiced their faith in secrecy.

BAM/JRB

Trans. CRT

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