Important week for relations between China and the Holy See. Beijing, in fact, has recognized Monsignor Melchiorre Shi Hongzhen as the legitimate bishop of the diocese of Tianjin. The news is significant because the prelate, 94 years old, is an exponent of the so-called “clandestine” Church, that is faithful to the Pope and not to the party. Shi Hongzhen’s refusal to join the Catholic Patriotic Association has led to a series of measures from the civil authorities, including house arrest in his mountain residence in his home region two years ago, at the venerable age of 92. In those parts, this is no surprise: in that same year, in fact, the Chinese police had arrested the 90-year-old cardinal. Joseph Zen Ze-kiun on charges of “collusion with foreign forces” for supporting the campaign to cover medical and legal expenses for pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong.
Satisfaction
The Holy See announced the recognition last Tuesday, expressing “satisfaction”. For the Holy See “this provision constitutes a positive fruit of the dialogue established over the years between the Holy See and the Chinese Government”. A Provisional Agreement on the appointment of Bishops has been in force between the two parties since 22 September 2018, the full content of which is not known and which has already been renewed twice: in 2020 and 2022.
It is very likely that in the next few months there will be a further two-year extension, anticipated in some way by the official recognition of Monsignor Shi Hongzhen by the civil system as Bishop of Tianjin. Last May the Cardinal Secretary of State Peter Parolinthe man who has dealt most with the dossier and who for this reason has also been praised by the Pope, said that there is an interest in renewing the Agreement and perhaps developing some points.
The agreement
The Agreement on Bishops has caused many criticisms within the Church and has also experienced violations in recent years that the Holy See could not leave in silence. Just over a year ago, in fact, the Council of Chinese Bishops, which depends on the Chinese Communist Party – and is not recognized by the Holy See – had made official the transfer of Monsignor Giuseppe Shen Bin from the diocese of Haimen to Shanghai. A unilateral decision, of which the Holy See had been informed only a few days before and which had trampled on the probably central point of the Secret Agreement: the sharing in appointments. A few months later the Pope had put a “patch” on it by deciding to “to remedy the canonical irregularity, with a view to the greater good of the diocese and the fruitful exercise of the pastoral ministry of the bishop” and thus recognizing Shen Bin with the aim of enabling him to “to work with greater serenity to promote evangelization and foster ecclesial communion”.
Francis, ready to leave for his demanding apostolic journey to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore, did not hide the fact that he is looking to the East and dreaming of a visit to Beijing. In his trip to Mongoliaat the end of the mass in the Steppe Arena in Ulaanbaatar, had given a signal of great openness towards China by calling to his side Cardinals John Tong Hon and Stephen Chow (elected at the time) and addressing Chinese Catholics to ask them to “to be good Christians and good citizens. To all.” Words that will certainly not have displeased the Chinese authorities.
We will see in the coming months whether the recognition of Monsignor Melchiorre Shi Hongzhen can become the beginning of an effective improvement in respecting the prerogatives of the two parties or whether it will remain only a episodic gestureclose to the probable extension of the Agreement on Bishops.