China and the Vatican have agreed to extend an agreement concerning the appointment of Chinese bishops, the two parties said on Tuesday.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular press briefing in Beijing that both parties had decided to extend the agreement by four years after “friendly consultations”.
“The two sides will maintain talks with a constructive spirit and continue to promote the improvement of China-Vatican relations,” Lin said.
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Separately, the Vatican said it “remains dedicated to furthering the respectful and constructive dialogue” with China for the “benefit of the Catholic Church in China and the Chinese people as a whole”.
The agreement was reached in 2018 and has since been renewed in 2020 and 2022.
It gives the Chinese authorities and Beijing-sanctioned churches the power to nominate a pool of candidates, before they are vetted by the Vatican for the Pope’s consideration.
In theory it still means the Pope has the final say in the selection of Chinese bishops. However, the specific terms of the agreement have never been made public.
The agreement ended a 60-year tug of war between the Holy See and Beijing, which began when mainland authorities ordained two bishops in 1958 without papal approval.
Under the 2018 agreement, the Pope is recognised for the first time by Beijing as universal head of the Roman Catholic Church, including in China.
China has an estimated 12 million Catholics, divided between a government-run association whose clergy are chosen by the Communist Party and a church that swears allegiance to the Vatican.
Supporters of the agreement say it will help unify the two churches but critics said it has “sold out” long-suffering members of the underground church on the mainland, some of whom served long jail terms for remaining loyal to Rome.
Pope Francis has also faced criticism from within the Catholic Church – including from some cardinals – for sharing authority with a communist state.
In 2020, when China and the Vatican were considering renewing the deal, then US secretary of state Mike Pompeo called on Pope Francis to speak out against human rights violations and persecution in the country.
In May this year, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, hosted Shanghai Bishop Joseph Shen Bin at an event to mark the centenary of the Concilium Sinense, a landmark meeting in Shanghai a century ago that affirmed the need for foreign missionaries in China to give way to local church leaders.
The Vatican, which does not have official diplomatic relations with Beijing, has said it hopes to set up a permanent office in mainland China. Meanwhile Beijing has said it hopes to see a “continuous improvement” in relations.
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