杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

The 杏MAP导航 says the Holy See's Provisional Agreement with the People's Republic of China 鈥渋s going well鈥� and that he hopes it can be renewed next October. 杏MAP导航 Francis made the remarks in an interview with the Reuters news agency, conducted by correspondent Philip Pullella.

Thanks to the Provisional Agreement signed in 2018, the text of which is currently confidential, the situation of the Catholic Church in China was remedied by bringing bishops who had been installed without papal mandate back into full communion with Rome. The Agreement gives the 杏MAP导航 the final word on the appointment of new bishops, while providing a shared path to arrive at an agreement on episcopal nominations.

Defending the Agreement

As the transcript of the Reuters interview shows, 杏MAP导航 Francis has defended the Agreement and expressed appreciation for the role played by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin in reaching the accord: 鈥淭he one who is handling this agreement is Cardinal Parolin, who is the best diplomat in the Holy See, a man of high diplomatic standing. And he knows how to move, he is a man of dialogue, and he dialogues with the Chinese authorities. I believe that the commission that he chairs has done everything to move forward and look for a way out. And they have found it.鈥�

The art of the possible

杏MAP导航 Francis then defended the policy of taking small steps, the 鈥渕artyrdom of patience鈥� described by Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, the architect of the Vatican鈥檚 policy of Ostpolitik in relations with Eastern European countries in the Soviet bloc during the Cold War. 鈥淢any people said so many things against John XXIII, against Paul VI, against Casaroli,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 explained. 鈥淏ut diplomacy is like that. Faced with a closed situation, one must seek the possible, not the ideal, path. Diplomacy is the art of the possible and making what is possible become a reality.鈥� He added, 鈥淭he Holy See has always had these great men. But this [diplomacy] with China is being carried out by Parolin, who is great in this area.鈥�

Hopes for renewal

Comparing the current situation to the reality before the fall of the Soviet regime in 1989, 杏MAP导航 Francis said that the appointment of bishops in China since 2018 is going slowly but noted there have been results. 鈥淚t is going slowly, but [some bishops] have been appointed. It is going slow, as I say, 鈥榯he Chinese way鈥�, because the Chinese have that sense of time, that no one can rush them.鈥�

He noted, too, that the Chinese 鈥渁lso have problems because it is not the same situation in every region of the country鈥濃�攔eferring to the different attitudes of local authorities in China鈥攁nd also 鈥渂ecause it [the manner of relating to the Church] depends on the local leaders, there are different ones.鈥�

Nonetheless, the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渢he Agreement is good, and I hope it can be renewed in October.鈥�