Vatican Announces Historic Deal With China On Bishops

Vatican on Saturday, September 22, 2018, anunced an historic accord with China on appointment of bishops in Communist country in what could pave way for rmalisation of ties between Catholic Church and world's most populous country.

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Beijing immediately said it hoped for better relations, while Taiwan said its ties with Vatican were safe despite deal with China.

re are an estimated 12 million Catholics in China divided between a government-run association whose clergy are chosen by Communist Party and an ufficial church which swears allegiance to Vatican.

Vatican has t h diplomatic relations with Beijing since 1951, two years after founding of communist People's Republic.

preliminary agreement with China "has been agreed following a long process of careful negotiation and foresees possibility of periodic reviews of its application," Vatican said in a statement issued as Pope Francis began a visit to Baltic states.

"It concerns mination of Bishops, a question of great importance for life of Church, and creates conditions for greater collaboration at bilateral level," it said.

Vatican spokesman Greg Burke, speaking in Lithuanian capital Vilnius, told reporters aim of accord "is t political but pastoral, allowing faithful to have bishops who are in communion with Rome but at same time recognized by Chinese authorities."

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China said "provisional" agreement was signed in Beijing by vice foreign minister Wang Chao and a Vatican delegation heed by under secretary for relations with state, Antoine Camilleri and ded that two sides "will continue to maintain communication and push forward improvement of bilateral relations."

Vatican is one of only 17 countries around world that recognises Taipei inste of Beijing but Pope Francis has sought to improve ties with China since he took office in 2013. Previous attempts to restore ties have floundered over Beijing's insistence that Vatican must give up recognition of its rival Taiwan and promise t to interfere in religious issues in China.

However, Taiwanese foreign ministry said Taipei would t lose its only diplomatic ally in Europe despite agreement and said it hoped Holy See would also make sure Catholics on mainland "receive due protection and t be subject to repression".

Analysts warn that Beijing could use accord to furr crackdown on Catholic faithful in China. Jonathan Sullivan, director of China Programs, Asia Research Institute at University of ttingham, described accord as "a strategic move on China's part; and a naive one on Vatican's."

According to expert, China's Communist "Party will frame deal as Vatican's seal of approval to state-run Catholic Church, at a time when Christian believers are facing a severe crackdown on ir beliefs and practises.

"Ultimately, Party would like to subsume all forms of worship under state organs that make it easier to man and ensure that everyone's primary loyalty is to state," Sullivan told AFP.

anuncement came as Pope Francis arrived in Catholic Lithuania to hour victims, including Catholic priests and bishops, of region's Nazi and Soviet occupations.

ponfiff's four-day trip to rastern edge of European Union and NATO alliance brings him geographically close to Russia, where Vatican diplomats have been trying for years to arrange a papal visit.

pontiff will visit mainly Protestant Latvia on Monday and secular Estonia on Tuesday as all three Baltic states mark 100 years of independence in 2018. However, celebrations risk being overshowed by a fresh wave of devastating claims of sexual abuse by clergy across globe