Pope names Chinese bishop as he keeps historic Vatican-Beijing accord

Pope Leo XIV has appointed the first Chinese bishop of his papacy, signalling that he will continue a historic agreement that sought to improve relations between the Vatican and China. Both sides have hailed the appointment of Fuzhou Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan as an affirmation of their commitment to the 2018 accord, which was reached under the late Pope Francis.

The agreement gave Chinese officials some input on the appointment of bishops. However, its contents were never fully disclosed to the public. Beijing insists that the state must approve the appointment of bishops in China, running contrary to the Catholic Church's insistence that it is a papal decision.

China has some 10 million Catholics. Currently, they face the choice of attending state-sanctioned churches approved by Beijing or worshipping in underground congregations that have sworn allegiance to the Vatican.

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