Vatican and China extend agreement to renew contract for appointment of bishops

The Vatican and China have temporarily renewed the agreement on the appointment of Catholic bishops.

The agreement between the Vatican and China on the appointment of Catholic bishops was set to be renewed every two years in 2018, but both the Vatican and China announced last night that they had extended the temporary agreement for another four years. While no details of the agreement have been released, the extension suggests that both sides could have a role in the selection of bishops.

The Vatican and the State Department both said in a joint message that they would continue their discussions in a constructive manner. The official Vatican media outlet reported that about 10 bishops had been appointed under the provisional agreement.

While the Chinese government has in recent weeks rejected the pope's appointment of bishops, calling it interference in its internal affairs, the so-called underground Catholic churches remain loyal to Pope Francis. Catholics in China are divided into two groups: those churches that are approved by the state and those that are loyal to the pope.