The Vatican portrays this development as a victory for Pope Francis's ongoing efforts to engage with China.

Bishop Shi, 95, has long resisted joining the state-sanctioned church. This led to periods of imprisonment and house arrest.

Despite these challenges, his recognition as bishop comes after years of negotiation between the Holy See and Beijing. It marks the first time since 2005 that the diocese of Tianjin has a bishop accepted by both church and state.

"The Holy See has learned with satisfaction that today, 27 August 2024, Bishop Melchior Shi Hongzhen has been officially recognised under civil law as bishop of Tianjin" a Vatican press office statement said.

"This measure is a positive fruit of the dialogue established over the years between the Holy See and the Chinese Government."

Sinicization of Catholicism

The announcement comes just weeks before the anticipated renewal of a provisional agreement between Rome and Beijing. The agreement regarding the appointment of bishops was initially established in 2018.

The recognition ceremony, held at a local hotel rather than Tianjin's cathedral at Shi's request, was attended by Bishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing, a figure appointed by the government but also recognised by Pope Benedict XVI.

Reports indicate that during the ceremony, Shi pledged to uphold China's constitution and support the Sinicization of Catholicism. Some critics view this process as a means of increasing governmental control over religious practices.

Although this development is viewed as a success, some sceptics in Rome might dismiss the recognition of a 95-year-old bishop as merely a symbolic gesture.

Meanwhile, some in China argue that the government aims to frame the acceptance of a well-known underground bishop as a victory for the state-controlled Church.

In a recent interview, Pope Francis described Chinese Catholics as "faithful people who have gone through so much and remained faithful".

"The Chinese are masters of patience, masters of waiting, you have the ‘virus of hope" the pope said. "It's a very beautiful thing."

Sources

Crux Now

The Pillar

CathNews New Zealand

Joseph Li, the state-appointed archbishop of Beijing, will take a five-day trip to Hong Kong starting Nov 14 at the invitation of the city's newly appointed cardinal Stephen Chow, according to a statement from the Hong Kong diocese.

Chow made the invitation during his landmark trip to Beijing in April — the first visit to the Chinese capital by the city's bishop in nearly three decades — in a symbolic gesture that experts said could strengthen the fragile relationship between China and the Vatican.

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He dismissed concerns that his visit to Beijing could be interpreted as an attempt to politicise religion.

"Everyone would like to see their own country do well; no one wants it to do badly.

"I think it's everyone's duty to be patriotic if you're a citizen in Hong Kong or mainland China," Chow said when he met the press.

The five-day visit marked Hong Kong's leading Catholic bishop's first visit to the Chinese capital since the city's return to Chinese rule in 1997.

The trip comes amidst renewed tensions between the Vatican and Beijing.

Bishop Chow led a Mass at St Joseph's Church (aka Wangfujing Catholic Church) with Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing and Vicar General Peter Choy Wai-man.

During the service, Chow emphasised the importance of loving both one's country and the church.

Chow "extending the friendship"

Chow also revealed that he had invited his Beijing counterpart, Joseph Li Shan, to visit Hong Kong. Li heads the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, a state-sponsored organisation. Chow said that Li had responded positively to the invitation.

Chow denied that his visit was an attempt to break the ice, noting that Cardinal John Baptist Wu Cheng-chung had visited Beijing before the handover. Instead, he said that he was "extending the friendship."

The bishop expressed his desire for more exchanges between churches in Hong Kong and mainland China. He added that he hoped for additional visits to Beijing. However, he stated that he could not confirm that such visits would occur regularly.

When questioned by reporters about concerns with regard to politicising religion, Chow said, "I'm not too worried. The most important thing is we do it out of our conscience, and we can see the holy God has invited us to do so."

Chow also confirmed that he had not heard of any plans for the Vatican to move its Hong Kong office to Beijing.

Later, Bishop Chow met with parishioners at a cafe in Beijing before returning to Hong Kong.

Sources

South China Morning Post

AP News

CathNews New Zealand

Chow's five-day trip, to start on April 17, follows an invitation last year by the Bishop of Beijing, Joseph Li Shan, the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese said in a statement on Thursday.

It cited Chow saying the visit "underscores the mission of the Diocese of Hong Kong to be a bridge....and promote exchanges and interactions between the two sides".

A Diocese spokesperson on Friday confirmed to Reuters that it will be the first time since 1994 - when Hong Kong was still a British colony - that a Hong Kong bishop has officially visited Beijing.

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that China was not aware of Chow's upcoming visit.

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