Chinese Catholics Archives

Vatican official hints at unofficial agreement with China on bishops
- Catholic News Service, Global Church
- August 9, 2017
A process to normalize the appointment of bishops in China, so they are confirmed by both the Vatican and the ruling Communist Party’s Catholic bodies not affiliated with the Vatican, has been at the center of negotiations for three years.
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Chinese official indicates Beijing to retain tight grip on church
- Catholic News Service, Global Church
- July 24, 2017
Yu Zhengsheng, one of China’s top party leaders in charge of religion gave a speech in which he made it clear that the Catholic Church in China has to prioritize being Chinese. Due to events involving some Chinese Catholic bishops, relations between China and the Vatican have cooled.
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German ambassador to China calls for release of bishop
- Associated Press, Global Church
- June 21, 2017
German ambassador Michael Clauss asked the Chinese government to release a Catholic bishop who has been held in confinement since his appointment last year. The incident marks yet another example of existing tensions between the Vatican and China when it comes to appointing bishops.
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Top China leader says Catholics must act ‘independently’

Tensions rise between the Holy See and leading Chinese Catholic authorities. One of seven members of China’s top decision-making body recently told Chinese Catholics that they need to operate “independently” of outside forces and promote socialism and patriotism through religion.

China calls on Vatican to be flexible, pragmatic on ties

China “hopes the Vatican takes an even more flexible and pragmatic attitude, and takes actual steps to create beneficial conditions for improving relations,” Wang Zuoan, head of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, told the state news agency Xinhua.