China Recognizes Vatican-Approved Bishop of Tianjin

China has acknowledged the Catholic bishop of Tianjin, Melchior Shi Hongzhen, previously under house arrest for resisting the state-backed church. This marks progress in Vatican-China relations following a 2018 agreement, renewed in 2022, involving bishop appointments. Appointed bishop in 2019, Shi resisted state church allegiance.

China's government has officially recognized the authority of Melchior Shi Hongzhen, the Vatican-appointed Catholic bishop of Tianjin. Shi had been under house arrest for resisting China's state-backed church structure.

The Vatican welcomed this as a positive outcome of its ongoing dialogue with Chinese authorities, referencing the significant 2018 agreement that was renewed in 2022. This deal, concerning the appointment of Catholic bishops, represents a landmark collaboration between the Holy See and Beijing.

The agreement allows Chinese officials to have a say in bishop appointments made by Pope Francis, aiming to decrease tensions between China's underground Catholics loyal to the pope and the state-sanctioned church. Shi, aged 94, was ordained in 1982 and became Tianjin's bishop in 2019, steadfastly opposing the state church integration.