The Holy See and China are scheduled to sign an agreement in Beijing on the nomination of bishops sometime before the end of September. “It will be a historic breakthrough,” a Vatican source told America. He confirmed that a high-level Holy See delegation will travel to the Chinese capital for the signing and that a date has already been fixed for this ground-breaking event.

The agreement only deals with the question of the nomination of bishops. It gives each side a say in the selection of candidates, but it recognizes that the pope will have the final word in the appointment of bishops for the Catholic Church throughout mainland China.


Since the Communists came to power in 1949—they later expelled the papal representative and broke relations with the Holy See in 1951—Chinese authorities have insisted that Rome should “not interfere in the internal affairs of China.” This agreement offers a more pragmatic understanding of that declaration by acknowledging the pope’s key role in the nomination of bishops in the most populous country in the world.

Both sides consider it “a provisional agreement,” to be revisited in some years. Sources told America that the Holy See recognizes that it is “not a good agreement,” but it believes that it is the only one possible at present and that, in a small but highly significant way, it opens the door to developing a constructive and improving dialogue with the world’s emerging superpower.

America has learned that the text of the agreement will not be made public, even after the signing.

According to informed sources, the Holy See and Beijing have agreed on a process for the nomination of bishops. Candidates will be chosen at the diocesan level through the “democratic election” system that the Chinese authorities introduced in 1957, whereby the priests of the diocese, together with representatives of women religious and laypeople, vote from among the candidates presented by the authorities that supervise church affairs. The results of these elections will be sent to the Beijing authorities that oversee the church in China, including the bishops’ conference, which will examine them and then submit a name to the Holy See through diplomatic channels. The Holy See will have some months to carry out its own investigation of the candidate and, based on this work, the pope will either approve or exercise his veto. The Holy See will then communicate his decision to Beijing.

Both sides consider it “a provisional agreement,” to be revisited in some years. Sources told America that the Holy See recognizes that it is “not a good agreement,” but it believes that it is the only one possible at present and that, in a small but highly significant way, it opens the door to developing a constructive and improving dialogue with the world’s emerging superpower.

If the pope approves of the candidate, the process will continue. But if he exercises his veto, both sides will engage in a dialogue, and Beijing would eventually be expected to submit the name of another candidate.

The possibility of an agreement has been in the air for some time, but expectations were raised after a high-level Chinese delegation met a similar-ranking Holy See delegation in the Vatican last June. The Holy See, in response to the demands of Beijing, confirmed that Pope Francis would recognize the seven “illegitimate” Chinese bishops—that is, those who were ordained without the pope’s approval over the past decade or more, three of whom had been excommunicated. All seven had previously asked for reconciliation with the pope. This means that for the first time since 1957 (when Beijing began ordaining bishops without papal approval), all the Catholic bishops in mainland China will be in communion with the pope.

The pope’s decision to recognize the seven was well received by Chinese authorities; it opened the path to Beijing’s willingness to sign the agreement with the Holy See. That decision, taken at the highest levels, was communicated to the Vatican just over two weeks ago.

Not long after, the Foreign Ministry in Taiwan announced on Sept. 13 that it had obtained information “from various sources” that an agreement between the Vatican and China on “religious affairs” would most likely to be signed in September or October. This news was quickly picked up by media outlets, but neither Beijing nor the Vatican has officially confirmed it.

At the end of December 2017, there were 101 bishops in China (though some have died since); of these, 65 belong to the “open” church community that is recognized by the Chinese authorities; 36 belong to the “underground” church community and do not have such official recognition because they refuse to be part of the Patriotic Association, a government entity established in 1957 to control the church in China. The association is not recognized by the Holy See.

The upcoming agreement is the result of negotiations that were revived after Francis became pope in March 2013. They have been patiently conducted for several years under the leadership of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, appointed as secretary of state in August 2013, and with the assistance of Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, the emeritus president of the now-defunct Pontifical Council for Social Communications. The archbishop has been working toward this goal since the early 1980s. In recent times he headed the Holy See’s delegation to the Joint Working Group established in 2014.

America has learned that the Trump administration is not happy with the agreement, nor are many forces in political and economic fields in the United States, as well as some in the church there and elsewhere. They see it as weakening the struggle for religious freedom in China and point to the crackdown on religion in that country in recent months under President Xi Jinping.

The upcoming agreement is the result of negotiations that were revived after Francis became pope in March 2013.

The Holy See has historically been concerned about this fundamental freedom, but for religious reasons, not political ones. Pope Francis firmly believes in the culture of encounter, not that of confrontation. Sources in Rome say he is convinced that even in the present difficult situation of a crackdown on religion in China, more is to be gained through dialogue, encounter and friendship. The Jesuit pope, following in the footsteps of Matteo Ricci, the famous Italian Jesuit missionary who is buried in Beijing, has given strong leadership in this direction.

China, on the other hand, has always viewed religion through a political lens and has clearly reached the conclusion that there is much to be gained through signing an agreement with the Holy See, even though there are only some 12 million Catholics in the mainland. It understands that both sides share much in common on global issues and can work together toward peace and stability in the world.

After the signing of the provisional agreement, many questions remain to be resolved in bilateral negotiations. The first, and most important of these, relates to the situation of the more than 30 “underground” bishops and their communities.

To gain official recognition today, these bishops would have to join the Patriotic Association, but many will be reluctant to do so. In follow-up negotiations, the Holy See hopes to convince Beijing to bypass this requirement and to open up other ways for them to gain such recognition. It knows that the positive resolution of their situation is fundamental to bringing about reconciliation between the open and underground communities of the church in China.

The Holy See will also have to resolve other issues with Beijing, including the status of the Chinese bishops’ conference (not recognized by Rome because only Beijing-approved bishops belong to it); the number of dioceses in China (the Vatican claims there are 144 dioceses, including 32 vicariates or prefectures, while Beijing insists there are 96); and the possibility for Chinese bishops to freely visit the Holy See and for Vatican officials to visit them.

As for the question of establishing diplomatic relations, informed sources told America that this was not raised in the present negotiations with Beijing, nor was the question of the Holy See’s relations with Taiwan.