ROME — Two bishops from China are coming to the Vatican this week for a global meeting of bishops in the first tangible sign of the breakthrough deal between the Vatican and Beijing over bishop nominations.
The Vatican confirmed Monday that Bishops Guo Jincai of Chengde and Yang Xiaoting will participate, at the invitation of Pope Francis.
It’s the first time that bishops from mainland China have participated in a synod, the regular gathering of bishops at the Vatican to discuss pressing issues facing the Catholic Church. The three-week meeting dedicated to young people opens Wednesday.
Last month, the Vatican and China inked a deal over nominating bishops. Details haven’t been released, but Francis says it involves a process of dialogue, including to nominate candidates, but that he has the final say.
In a Sept. 26, Francis said the agreement, which is provisional, is “limited to certain aspects of the Church’s life and necessarily capable of improvement,” yet it also contributes “to writing this new chapter of the Catholic Church in China.”
“For the first time, the Agreement sets out stable elements of cooperation between the state authorities and the Apostolic See, in the hope of providing the Catholic community with good shepherds. In this context, the Holy See intends fully to play its own part,” he said.
Crux staff contributed to this report.
