The Vatican and the Chinese government signed an agreement on the appointment of bishops in China, ending a decadeslong struggle over who chooses the leaders of Catholicism in the world’s most populous country, but leaving major tensions in their relationship unresolved.

The “provisional agreement” was signed Saturday in Beijing by Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, the Holy See’s undersecretary for relations with states, and Wang Chao, China’s deputy minister for foreign affairs, the Vatican said in a statement.

Details...