Chinese authorities have violated a bilateral agreement between the Holy See and China by appointing a new bishop to lead the largest Roman Catholic diocese in the country. The Council of Chinese Bishops, controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, has selected Bishop Shen Bin of Haimen, located in Jiangsu province, to serve as the new bishop of Shanghai.
Appointing the New Bishop of the Diocese of Shanghai
According to the Christian Post, there were approximately 200 persons present during the ceremony to inaugurate Bishop Shen. Shen desires to "continue to carry forth the beautiful tradition of patriotism and love of the Catholic Church in Shanghai" and "adhere to the principle of independence and self-government" to accomplish his goals.
After the passing of Bishop Jin Luxian in April 2013, the position of bishop of Shanghai has been unfilled. Even though the Holy See has stated that the city's auxiliary bishop, Ma Daqin, should administer the diocese, he has been arrested since 2012 for publicly rejecting the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association.
Just a few months ago, the Vatican accused Beijing of breaking the bilateral pact by installing a bishop in a diocese that the Holy See did not recognize. Now, China has established Bishop Shen in an unrecognized diocese on its own accord.
As per the Aleteia, it would be the second violation of the accord on the nomination of bishops negotiated between Rome and Beijing in just over four months. Shen's appointment to Shanghai, which did not come with the endorsement of Rome, means that the agreement created between China and the Holy See in 2018 has not yet been addressed again.
Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, responded to journalists' questions on April 4 by stating, "The Holy See was informed a few days ago of the Chinese authorities' decision to transfer Bishop Shen Bin of Haimen to the Diocese of Shanghai and learned of this transfer this morning through the media." Bruni's statement came in response to a question about whether or not the Holy See had been informed of the decision to transfer Bishop Shen Bin of Haimen to the Diocese of Shanghai. He did not elaborate any further on the matter.
Agreement Between China and Holy See
The Holy See and the People's Republic of China have agreed to extend for an additional two years the provisional agreement regarding the appointment of bishops, which was signed on September 22, 2018, and was initially set to expire on October 22, 2020, Vatican News reported.
In an interview in July 2018, Pope Francis voiced his hope that the accord may be extended in October of this year. The Pope stated that "the agreement is moving well" even though "it is going slowly, as I say, 'the Chinese way,' because the Chinese have that sense of time, and no one can push them." The Pope was referring to the appointment of bishops.
He also mentioned that the Chinese "also have challenges" because the local government interacts with the Catholic Church in various ways and that "the situation is not the same in every section of the country."
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