Historic accord was announced during Pope Francis’s visit to Lithuania

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The Vatican and China have signed a historic provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops.

The agreement was signed in Beijing and announced while Pope Francis was visiting Lithuania at the start of a four-day trip to the Baltic countries.

The Vatican said the accord was “not political, but pastoral”.

China cut off diplomatic ties with the Vatican in 1951. A Holy See statement did not mention Taiwan, which the Vatican recognises diplomatically.

China’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the two sides had signed an agreement to maintain communications and work to improve relations.