About a third of the dioceses of mainland China are still waiting for their “respective episcopal appointments.”
This was revealed by Bishop Peter Chow Sau-yan of Hong Kong in an interview with La Civiltà Cattolica early this month.
Speaking of his recent visit to the mainland, Bishop Chow said it was not “historical” but a continuation of Cardinal John Baptist Wu’s Beijing trip in 1994.
“Although an official channel has been established between the respective State departments of the Holy See and China since the setting up of the provisional agreement, we see our trip on April 17 as a bridging one on the diocese level, between Beijing and Hong Kong,” he said.
“The more outstanding fruits of the trip included personal connection between the leadership of the two dioceses and the rekindling of collaboration in different areas,” added Bishop Chow.
Addressing speculation surrounding recent bishop transfers, including Bishop Joseph Shen Bin’s move from Haimen to Shanghai and the appointment of Bishop John Peng Weizhao as Auxiliary Bishop of Jiangxi, Bishop Chow clarified that the provisional agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic on the appointment of Chinese bishops remains valid.
“[It] is not dead as some seem to have suggested,” he said, adding that “discrepancies in the understanding between the two sides on the assignment of bishops to other dioceses could be a factor requiring better understanding.”
“Hence, more regular and in-depth dialogue could help minimize confusion in the future,” added Bishop Chow.
The Jesuit bishop noted that the mainland Church is still grappling with the meaning of “sinicization” and has not reached a definitive conclusion.
To foster understanding, he advocated for dialogues and seminars to share the concept of “inculturation,” which addresses some concerns related to “sinicization.”
The prelate paid tribute to the memory of his Jesuit confrere Alojsiys Jin Luxian, recalling that on April 27, the Shanghai diocese commemorated the 10th anniversary of the death of Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian.
The interview was published last week on the eve of the presentation of the Chinese language volume “The Magisterium of Pope Francis. A guide to reading his Encyclicals and Apostolic Exhortations” by Father Spadaro. – with a report from Fides
