Vatican and China extend deal over Catholic bishop appointments 

BEIJING — 

China and the Vatican person agreed to widen an accord connected the assignment of Catholic bishops successful the communist state for a play of 4 years, the 2 parties said connected Tuesday.

The Vatican struck a landmark woody with the Beijing authorities successful 2018. The agreement, which was antecedently renewed each 2 years, gives Chinese officials immoderate input into who Pope Francis appoints arsenic bishops successful the country.

A Chinese overseas ministry spokesperson archetypal announced the renewal astatine a property briefing successful Beijing. The Vatican confirmed the determination successful a statement, saying it "remains dedicated to furthering the respectful and constructive dialogue" with China.

Conservative Catholics person criticized the statement arsenic handing implicit excessively overmuch power to China. Cardinal Joseph Zen, 92, who served arsenic bishop of Hong Kong from 2002-09, has been among the astir vocal critics.

The Vatican says the accord resolves a decades-long divided betwixt an underground religion swearing loyalty to the Vatican and the state-supervised Catholic Patriotic Association.

The woody has ne'er been published, but lone described by diplomatic officials. The Vatican says the pope retains last decision-making powerfulness successful assignment of Chinese bishops.

In Tuesday's statement, the Vatican said it was hoping for "further improvement of bilateral relations for the payment of the Catholic Church successful China and the Chinese radical arsenic a whole."

Speaking past period astatine the extremity of a circuit of Southeast Asia and Oceania, Francis said the results of the 2018 woody "are good."

"I americium blessed with the dialog with China," the 87-year-old pontiff said. "We are moving with bully will."