Foreign Affairs: The Vatican and China Reach a Promising Accord

In February, the Bishop of Hong Kong announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pope Francis have negotiated a compromise in the selection of Chinese bishops, a critical religious disagreement that has festered since the 1950s. Although Chinese state and religious authorities will “recommend episcopal candidates,” the pope has veto power and hence “final authority,” reports Victor Gaetan for Foreign Affairs. Demographic trends provide some impetus for collaboration. As migrants seek urban jobs, they find it easier to attend state-registered churches in lieu of underground ones with deep rural ties. Today, there are an estimated 12 million Chinese Catholics. The agreement may have consequences for the United States and Taiwan, as “the church’s primary concern in China is ecclesiastic, not political.” The Vatican is one of the few states that recognizes Taiwan. For Pope Francis to achieve his goal of reconciliation and a universal church, Gaetan predicts that the Vatican may break ties with Taiwan to establish formal relations with China. —YaleGlobal