(Tianjin – September 5, 2024) On the eve of the third renewal of the “China-Vatican Provisional Agreement on the Appointment of Bishops,” happening this October, the Chinese government has officially recognized the ecclesiastical status of Tianjin’s 95-year-old “underground bishop” Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen. The recognition ceremony was held in a hotel.
According to Vatican News on August 27, this move is described as a positive outcome of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese government over the years.
The Holy See Press Office released a communiqué stating, “The Holy See is pleased to learn that today, August 27, 2024, Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen has been officially recognized for civil purposes as the Bishop of Tianjin.” And that “this measure is a positive outcome of the dialogue established over the years between the Holy See and the Chinese Government.”
According to AsiaNews, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, a Vatican official, met with Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen during a visit by the Holy See delegation to China in October 2022. During the meeting, Archbishop Celli presented Bishop Shi with a pectoral cross in the name of Pope Francis, clearly reaffirming his episcopal dignity.
The report also mentioned that Bishop Shi attended the inauguration ceremony on Tuesday as part of the Chinese government’s official recognition of him. The ceremony was held in a hotel rather than in the cathedral.
The 95-year-old Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen was ordained a priest on July 4, 1954, and was consecrated and appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of Tianjin in 1982. In June 2019, he succeeded the late Bishop Stefano Li Side, who had been imprisoned and detained for defending religious freedom, serving as the Bishop of Tianjin until he passed away in a mountain resort in 2019.
For many years, Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen was not recognized by the Chinese government as a priest and was placed under house arrest for refusing to join the government-sanctioned Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association. Now, Beijing authorities have officially acknowledged him as a bishop.
Since 2005, the Diocese of Tianjin has been without an officially recognized bishop. The diocese of Tianjin noted in a statement that it has 56,000 faithful, distributed across 21 parishes, served by 62 priests and “a good number” of religious sisters.
At the heart of the Vatican-China agreement is the authority to appoint bishops. The agreement outlines a procedure to ensure that Catholic bishops are selected by the Chinese Catholic community and receive the Pope’s approval before their appointment and installation.
Pope Francis has granted legitimization to bishops in China who were unilaterally appointed without the Holy See’s approval.
This provisional agreement, initially set for two years, was renewed in both 2020 and 2022. Despite China’s actions of unilaterally appointing or transferring bishops in violation of the agreement, the Vatican ultimately recognized these appointments.
When announcing the 2022 renewal of the agreement, the Holy See issued a statement saying, “The Vatican Party is committed to continuing a respectful and constructive dialogue with the Chinese Party for a productive implementation of the Accord and further development of bilateral relations, with a view to fostering the mission of the Catholic Church and the good of the Chinese people.”
The official recognition of the bishop of the Diocese of Tianjin ahead of the agreement, which is set to renew in October, might indicate a new sign of easing tensions following a period of strain in China-Vatican relations.
Vatican officials have repeatedly emphasized that the agreement is intended to address pastoral issues rather than diplomatic ones. However, for the Chinese government, the agreement carries political and diplomatic significance, and it could even be used as a tool for political manipulation.
