‘The Agreement between the Holy See and China has worked little but is a thin thread of dialogue. The renewal for 4 years is a compromise'
Father Bernardo Cervellera, PIME missionary, former director of "Asia News" and now assistant parish priest in Hong Kong, on the renewal of the Sino-Vatican agreement: «So far, 8 bishops have been appointed but there are at least 40 Chinese dioceses without a pastor. Many prelates are under house arrest and some priests are removed from their service because they do not submit to the "state church". Doubling the duration? Perhaps Beijing wanted to make it permanent but the Holy See has asked for more guarantees and, perhaps, the Pope's long-awaited trip to China».
(This is the English translation of an interview to me by Antonio Sanfrancesco, published in Italian on the Italian magazine Famiglia Cristiana on 24/10/2024. Here is the original link: https://www.famigliacristiana.it/articolo/padre-cervellera-laccordo-tra-santa-sede-e-cina-ha-funzionato-poco-ma-e-un-esile-filo-di-dialogo-il-rinnovo-a-4-anni-un-compromesso.aspx)
The Holy See, on the one hand, and the People's Republic of China, on the other, announced on Wednesday (October 23, 2024) their decision to renew the Provisional Agreement on the Appointment of Bishops in China, signed for the first time on September 22, 2018 and already renewed twice in October 2020 and October 2022. The first approval and the two subsequent renewals lasted for two years. The novelty is that the extension this time doubles the duration, from two to four years. In a statement, the Vatican announced that the two parties, "given the consensus reached for a fruitful application of the Provisional Agreement on the Appointment of Bishops, after appropriate consultations and evaluations, have agreed to extend its validity for a further four years, starting from today's date." And the Vatican remains intent "on continuing the respectful and constructive dialogue with the Chinese side, for the development of bilateral relations in view of the good of the Catholic Church in the country and of all the Chinese people". On the other hand, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic, Lin Jian, stated that "through friendly consultations, the two sides decided to extend the agreement for another four years", underlining the "positive evolution" of bilateral relations. "China and the Vatican", Lin added, "have given positive assessments on the results of the implementation of the agreement. The parties will maintain the talks in a constructive spirit and continue to promote the improvement of bilateral ties". The content of the Agreement is still top secret.
Father Bernardo Cervellera, a PIME missionary (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions), former director of Asia News for 18 years and since 2021 assistant parish priest of the community of Santa Teresa in Kowloon, Hong Kong, is one of the greatest experts on China in Italy and in the world. He had already been a missionary in the former British colony from 1989 to 1995 and in mainland China from 1995 to 1997.
Father Cervellera, what does this renewal mean?
«No one had any doubts that the agreement would be extended: the Pope has expressed himself many times in favor of the agreement. China, for its part, in a difficult moment for relations with the world and in particular with the West, for geopolitical and economic reasons, gains an image of a modern country and on par with the rest of the nations».
The big news is that now the renewal is for four years. What are the reasons?
«There are two hypotheses: the first is that a period of four years leaves the delegates alone to work for a suitable period of time, without being subjected to the criticism that every two years arises from the Church, but also from the “Stalinist-nationalist” part of the Chinese Communist Party, which sees the Vatican as a threat, fearing a fate similar to that of the Soviet Union for China. The second hypothesis is that four years is a compromise: Beijing would have liked to make it permanent, but the Vatican is asking for more guarantees: freedom for the bishops under arrest, an office in Beijing, greater collaboration and, perhaps, the much-dreamed-of apostolic trip of Pope Francis to China».
What is the balance sheet of these six years? Has the Agreement worked with regard to the religious and worship freedom of Catholics in China?
«The Agreement has worked with an eyedropper and often has not worked at all. Up to now, this agreement, at the end of October 2024, has “produced” eight bishops. There are at least 40 Chinese dioceses that need a bishop. At this rate, it will take at least 30 years to be able to provide pastors to the Chinese Church. The agreement has not worked for religious freedom: there are still bishops under house arrest; three bishops in the hands of the police; priests removed from their pastoral service because they do not submit to the “state church”, unwilling to become supporters of the Chinese Communist Party. The Vatican hopes for their release, but no response is received from Beijing. There are also priests who can no longer practice because they have educated young people under the age of 18, an act prohibited by the Ministry for Religious Affairs. In some cases, such as the appointment of the bishop of Shanghai and that of Msgr Giovanni Peng Weizhao as bishop for the diocese of Jiangxi, not recognized by the Holy See, Beijing has followed its own methods, without even consulting the Holy See."
In fact, one of the problematic issues remains the appointment of bishops. Well known is the case happened in April 2023, in which China unilaterally appointed the current archbishop of Shanghai Shen Bin, only later endorsed by the Pope. Does this mean that this case was “smoothed out” by the respective diplomacies to arrive at renewing the Agreement?
«I believe that the Vatican was forced to “smooth out” to save the Agreement itself. Ultimately, this Agreement is a tenuous thread of dialogue between China and the Holy See after almost seventy years of failed relations and even enmity. Let us not forget that until recently the Party media defined the Vatican as “the running dog of capitalism”. In exchange, the Holy See hopes that Shen Bin can help with the rehabilitation of two auxiliary bishops of Shanghai, Msgr Joseph Xing Wenzhi, who was removed from the ministry after being “discovered” with a woman (a case that was fabricated ad hoc), and Msgr Thaddeus Ma Daqin, under house arrest in Sheshan for having resigned from the Patriotic Association immediately after his episcopal ordination in 2012.”
Despite the Agreement, there are still no official diplomatic relations between the Holy See and China after the rupture in 1951. Why, in your opinion?
«The Agreement concerns only the appointment of new bishops. For a global agreement, the Vatican had hoped at the time to be able to dialogue with China on the recognition of underground bishops, appointed by the Holy See, but not recognized by Beijing; on the function of the Patriotic Association that in fact guides the Church despite not being an association of the faithful and even oversees the bishops; on the freedom of mission of the Church in Chinese society, as Benedict XVI already requested in 2007 in his Letter to Chinese Catholics. On all these issues there has been no progress. For the Holy See, diplomatic relations should be established at the end of all these dialogues».
Another aspect concerns Hong Kong where between 2017 and 2019, during the protests against the repression, several Catholic exponents were arrested. What is the situation now?
«It must be said that these Catholic exponents were arrested not precisely because of their faith, but for having supported the democratic movement in Hong Kong, participated in demonstrations and criticized the Chinese Communist Party. After the launch of the national security law - wanted by Beijing - some of them are also accused of having relations with foreign powers that want to bring down the Party in China. After this law and over ten thousand arrested - many of them are young people under 24 - the situation in Hong Kong is full of many cautions and many silences. The trials of members of the democratic movement are slow and, in the meantime, they have remained in prison for 4-5 years. Since they are accused following the national security law, they are forbidden bail, many of them live in isolation and the courts do not have a civil jury, but only judges appointed by the government. Especially young people are depressed and this pushes them to emigrate."
The birth of St. Francis University, the first Catholic university in Hong Kong officially recognized by the local government, can be traced back, in a broad sense, to the Agreement between the Holy See and China?
«No. For decades the Church wanted to have a Catholic university, but it encountered difficulties, even from previous governments. Now what was a College of Higher Studies, managed by the local Caritas, has been recognized as a university».
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