Vatican defends China bishop negotiations on eve of US visit

  Vatican on Tuesday answered critics and justified its pursuit of an extended agreement with China on bishop minations, ackwledging difficulties but insisting effort had achieved limited, positive results.

Holy See articulated its position on eve of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who this month wrote a harsh critique of Vatican’s 2018 accord with China. Pompeo is scheduled to headline a religious liberty conference on Wednesday with Vatican secretary of state and foreign minister, two architects of deal.

2018 accord was aimed at uniting Catholic flock in China, which is divided between an official church recognized and regulated by Beijing government, and an underground church that has been loyal to Rome. agreement included a process for minating new bishops, regularizing status of seven bishops who weren’t recognized by Rome and thawing decades of estrangement between China and Vatican.

Critics of accord, including retired archbishop of Hong Kong, some underground faithful in China and conservative Catholics elsewhere, accused Vatican of betraying Catholics in China who for decades refused to join state-sanctioned church.

critics say deal also has emboldened Beijing government in its harsh crackdown on Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and or believers.

Pompeo criticized accord in an essay published in conservative Catholic magazine First Things, echoing Trump administration’s overall criticism of Beijing that has grown amid coronavirus pandemic in an election year.

“Two years on, it’s clear that Si-Vatican agreement has t shielded Catholics from (Communist) Party’s depredations, to say thing of Party’s horrific treatment of Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong devotees and or believers,” Pompeo wrote.

ting that deal is up for renewal when it expires next month, Pompeo wrote: “w more than ever, Chinese people need Vatican’s moral witness and authority in support of China’s religious believers.”

In its first official response to such criticism, Vatican editorial director Andrea Tornielli recalled that accord only covers bishop minations, and did t enter into political or diplomatic relations with China.

“ Provisional Agreement exclusively treats process for appointment of bishops: an essential question for life of church and for necessary communion between pastors of Chinese Catholic Church with Bishop of Rome and with bishops throughout world,” he wrote.

Tornielli quoted Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, as saying it was worth negotiating an extension to deal despite “difficulties” aggravated by virus outbreak.

“Even though contact was blocked in recent months due to pandemic, results have been positive, although limited, and suggest going forward with application of agreement for ar determined period of time,” he said.

This story has t been edited by www.republicworld.com and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.