“In light of the consensus reached for an effective application of the Provisional Agreement regarding the Appointment of Bishops, after appropriate consultation and assessment, the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China have agreed to extend further its validity for four years from the present date,” according to a communiqué released by the Holy See Press Office on Tuesday, 22 October 2024.
“The Vatican Party,” the statement continues, “remains dedicated to furthering the respectful and constructive dialogue with the Chinese Party, in view of the further development of bilateral relations for the benefit of the Catholic Church in China and the Chinese people as a whole.”
Third renewal
This is the third renewal of the Agreement that, with the signing on 22 September, 2018, opened a historic chapter in relations between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China, and within the Church itself in China, allowing all bishops to be in full hierarchical communion with the Pope.
The new signature affixed by both parties on the Provisional Agreement extends its validity for another four years, and follows the first renewal for a two-year period, which took place exactly two years ago, on October 22, 2020.
A new scenario
The Provisional Agreement ended decades of episcopal ordinations without papal consent, leading to a radically changed scenario in the last six years. Since then, about ten bishops have been appointed and consecrated, and Beijing officially recognized the public role of several previously unrecognized bishops.
A sign of the new cooperation is also evidenced by the presence of bishops from mainland China at Synods in the Vatican and other meetings in Europe and America, as well as that of young people at last year's World Youth Day in Lisbon, and a general participation of Chinese faithful in Apostolic Journeys made by Pope Francis to the East in recent years.