Bishop appointed to promote ‘communion’ in China

Observers describe Fuzhou as one of the most complex dioceses in China, divided between the officially-recognised Church and various underground elements.

Pope Leo XIV appointed an auxiliary bishop in China, his first episcopal appointment under the terms of the Vatican’s agreement with Beijing.

Mgr Joseph Lin Yuntuan was confirmed an auxiliary in the Archdiocese of Fuzhou after his appointment by the Pope on 5 June “in the framework of the dialogue regarding the application of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China”, according to a Vatican statement on Wednesday.

The statement marked “the recognition of the civil effects and the taking of possession of the office” at an installation ceremony on 11 June, where Bishop Lin Yuntuan affirmed his commitment to the state constitution and the principle of “sinicisation” within the Church, according to Fides, the news agency of the Pontifical Mission Societies.

The Vatican’s spokesman Matteo Bruni said the event meant Bishop Lin’s “episcopal ministry is also recognised for the purposes of civil law” and “constitutes a further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is an important step in the journey of communion of the diocese”.

Under the terms of the 2018 provisional agreement between the Vatican and Beijing, which remain secret, bishops are nominated and installed with the recognition of both parties, in an effort to overcome the historic problem of some bishops acting either without canonical authority or civic permission. The agreement has been subject to severe criticism from some quarters within the Church for appeasing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime, but has been renewed three times, most recently in 2024 for a four-year period.

At a briefing on 12 June, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Bishop Lin Yuntuan’s appointment had “enhanced understanding and mutual trust through constructive dialogue”.

“China is willing to work together with the Vatican to promote the continuous improvement of China-Vatican relations,” he said, adding that both parties “have maintained communication and enhanced understanding and mutual trust through constructive dialogue strengthened mutual in recent years”.

Observers describe Fuzhou as one of the most complex dioceses in China, divided between the officially-recognised Church and various “underground” elements. The city of Fuzhou has a population of more than 8 million and is capital of China’s south-eastern Fujian province.

The 73-year-old Lin Yuntuan was first ordained bishop in 2017. A Fujian native, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1984 after attending Fuzhou’s diocesan seminary and served in roles across the diocese. From 2003 he held various senior posts including as diocesan administrator, and was apostolic administrator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis from 2013 to 2016. 

The latter appointment (made “at the disposal of the Holy See” when local ecclesial authority is in dispute) was when the then-Archbishop of Fuzhou Peter Lin Jiashan was yet to be recognised by the Chinese authorities. 

Lin Jiashan had succeeded as co-adjutor in 2010 but it was not until 2020 that he received official recognition from the authorities after accepting the role of CCP-sponsored religious bodies – notably the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA). He told local Catholics he had requested recognition to “seek unity” in the diocese, in accordance with the Vatican’s 2018 agreement with Beijing and its 2019 “pastoral guidelines” that encouraged cooperation with the CCPA.

Archbishop Lin Jiashan died in April 2023 aged 88, leaving the see vacant until Bishop Joseph Cai Bingrui of Xiamen – another diocese in Fujian – was transferred to Fuzhou in January this year with the approval of Pope Francis. This was the late Pope’s last appointment in China before his death.

During the sede vacante period before Pope Leo’s election, the Chinese authorities “elected” two bishops without reference to the Holy See, in dioceses where it already recognises “underground” bishops. The Vatican has yet to respond officially to them.

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