China

The Vatican and the Chinese government are renewing their agreement on the appointment of bishops and extending it from a two-year to a four-year term, both sides announced.

An Aug. 2-4 conference in Chicago on the life of the Catholic Church in China covered both the difficulties and strengths of being a church under a heavily regulatory communist government.

Chinese Bishop Thaddeus Wang Yuesheng was ordained the bishop of Zhengzhou Jan. 25 with Pope Francis’ approval and in accordance with the agreement between the Holy See and China on the appointment of bishops.

Catholics in China know how to treasure papal teachings, said Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. With “love, affection and immediacy,” Chinese Catholics “follow the suggestions and pastoral indications that come to them from the church of Rome and its bishop,” the pope, said the cardinal, who is pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s section for “the first evangelization and new particular churches.”

In focus: Vatican creche, marker honoring the enslaved, papal trip to Africa

The “provisional agreement,” forged in 2018 and renewed in 2020, has been extended for another two years, the Vatican announced Oct. 22.

In the spotlight: Hurricane Ian devastation, feast of St. Michael, Padre Pio

The Chinese Communist Party is seeking to expand its apparatus to monitor and curb religious activities in cyberspace through training and deploying hundreds of “auditors” across the country, triggering concerns from rights groups.