Beijing gets new Catholic bishop, days after Vatican-China deal renewal 

Vatican City — 

A caller adjunct Catholic bishop for Beijing was ordained connected Friday, 3 days aft the Vatican and Chinese officials extended an accord connected appointments successful China, the Vatican said.

Bishop Matthew Zhen Xuebin, 54, was named to the relation by Pope Francis, who approved his information wrong the model of a diplomatic woody primitively struck successful 2018 that gives Chinese officials immoderate input into papal appointments.

Some blimpish Catholics accidental the woody gives excessively overmuch power to China's ruling communists, who person kept a choky reign connected spiritual signifier since taking powerfulness successful 1949.

But the Vatican stresses that Francis retains last decision-making powerfulness and says the accord resolves a decades-long divided betwixt an underground religion swearing loyalty to the Vatican and the state-supervised Catholic Patriotic Association.

Beijing and the Vatican announced connected Tuesday that the accord, antecedently renewed successful two-year increments, had been renewed again for a longer play of 4 years.

Zhen volition assistance Bishop Joseph Li Shan, 59, successful moving the section Church. Zhen was appointed with close of succession, the Vatican said, meaning helium volition automatically regenerate Li astatine the bishop's decease oregon resignation.

The Vatican spokesperson did not instantly respond to a question astir wherefore Zhen had been appointed with close of succession, a process the Vatican usually uses erstwhile an ageing bishop is expected to discontinue soon.

Zhen's ordination occurred Friday greeting astatine Beijing's Church of the Saviour, the Vatican quality bureau Fides reported. Among those taking portion were Li, 4 different Chinese bishops, and astir 650 others, the bureau said.

Beijing, the world's astir populous metropolis with immoderate 22 cardinal residents, has astir 100,000 Catholics, according to Vatican statistics. Around China, determination are astir 5 cardinal Catholics successful a full colonisation of 1.4 billion, the Vatican estimates.