First China Bishop Appointed Under Pope Leo, Reason, Details Emerge

• The Vatican has confirmed the appointment of Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou, marking the first episcopal appointment under the new pope
• This came weeks after Pope Leo XIV's election as many asserted that the appointment signals the new pope's support for the controversial 2018 Holy See–China agreement on bishop nominations
• Amid debate over formal diplomatic ties, the Vatican and China appear to be deepening their collaboration through this renewed agreement

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Rome - On Wednesday, June 11, The Vatican announced the first appointment of a Chinese bishop under Pope Leo XIV, signalling the new pope’s support for a controversial accord on nominations struck by his predecessor with Beijing.

The Holy See expressed “satisfaction” at the recognition by China of the appointment of Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou, capital of the southeastern Fujian province. The pope made the nomination on June 5.

“This event represents further fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is an important step in the communal journey of the diocese,” it said in a statement.

China deal: Pope Leo continues agreement over appointments

Pope Leo XIV’s approval of a new bishop in China marks a major development in the Vatican’s relationship with Beijing under a secretive 2018 agreement.

As reported by Reuters, the Vatican and China’s Communist leadership do not have formal diplomatic relations, as the Holy See recognises Taiwan while Beijing claims the self-ruled island as its own territory.

But in a historic deal, they agreed in 2018 to allow both sides a say in the naming of bishops in China, which has about 12 million Catholics.

The deal — whose text has never been made public — has drawn criticism within the Church, with some seeing it as allowing the Communist government a stranglehold over the country’s Catholics.

Yet as Pope Francis sought to make inroads for the Church in China, the deal was renewed several times, most recently in October 2024, for four years.

Following Pope Francis' death, Beijing proceeded with the “election” of two bishops in the dioceses of Shanghai and Xinxiang.

Critics have argued that the move as an attempt by the Chinese Communist Party to take advantage of the institutional vacuum in the Vatican to assert its authority over the Church in China.

Read more about Pope Leo here:

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• Pope Leo says he worked in Nigeria
• Pope Leo distances himself from 3 things Francis did, introduces changes in Vatican operations

Pope Leo makes key appointment after election as pontiff

Previously, Legit.ng reported that Pope Leo XIV has appointed Sister Tiziana Merletti, former Superior General of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, as Secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

The Dicastery is responsible for overseeing religious orders, congregations, and secular institutes within the Catholic Church.

Source: Legit.ng