The authorities of the Asian giant recognized this summer a bishop faithful to Rome 42 years after his episcopal consecration
The advances, small and large, in the relationship between China and the Holy See have been translated this summer in the announcement that, after 42 years of episcopal consecration, the Chinese authorities recognize a bishop who, therefore, throughout this He has long belonged to the so-called “clandestine community.” Melchior Shi Hongzhen, 94, after four decades as bishop of Tianjin, has obtained official recognition as such for civil purposes. The Holy See announced the news through a statement, explaining its satisfaction with “this measure, which constitutes a positive fruit of the dialogue launched over the years between the Holy See and the Chinese government.”
The bishop was born on October 7, 1929 and was ordained a priest on July 4, 1954. He received episcopal consecration as coadjutor bishop of the diocese of Tianjin in 1982. In 2019, after the death of the incumbent, Stephen Li Side, 93 years, Shi Hongzhen became his successor. Both bishops always refused to be part of the so-called patriotic Church, which is controlled and recognized by the Chinese authorities.
The community in Tianjin is relatively small, compared to the Chinese population. It has around 56,000 faithful, distributed in 21 parishes, served by 62 priests and “a good number of nuns”, as indicated in the note from the Holy See.
This recognition by the Chinese authorities was celebrated in Tianjin with a ceremony that was also attended by the Archbishop of Beijing, Joseph Li Shan, as president of the Patriotic Association and vice president of the Council of Chinese Bishops, a collegiate body not officially recognized by the Holy See. Headquarters. It was significant that the ceremony did not take place in the cathedral, but in a room in a hotel in the city. Melchior Shi Hongzhen thus wanted to emphasize that it is a civil recognition, since he has been canonically a bishop for 42 years. According to different media, the newly recognized bishop expressed in this celebration his willingness to love the country and the Church. Pope Francis already said it in Mongolia, at the conclusion of his trip with the Mass in Ulaanbaatar, when he asked Chinese Catholics to be “good Christians and good citizens.” And the Chinese Government prevented Catholics from traveling to the neighboring country to accompany the Pope.
In any case, this step heals an old wound in the body of the Church in China. The recognition comes a few months after the three appointments of bishops that took place in January and the transfer to Hangzhou of one of the two Chinese bishops who participated in the work of the Synod.
Agreement renewal
It also comes a few weeks before the renewal of the provisional agreement between Rome and Beijing. The two-year provisional renewal will expire at the end of October. At the beginning of summer, the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, confirmed that the agreement will be re-signed, which remains secret in most of its points by virtue of this provisional nature, except for the issue of the joint appointment of the bishops. It remains to be seen, precisely, whether the agreement will be signed again for another two years, that is, until 2026, or that period will be extended, as well as the terms.
International collaboration
It is curious that while China and the Holy See try to mend their relations broken since 1951, they jointly deal with other matters of international interest. In August, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi spoke by telephone with Li Hui, representative of the Chinese Government for Eurasian Affairs, about the Ukrainian question after kyiv’s incursion into Russian territory. The also president of the Italian Episcopal Conference had met with this senior Chinese official in the summer of 2023 as part of the mediation mission for Ukraine entrusted to him by the Pope.
While the renewal of the agreement is finalized, the Holy See, and not just Francis, continues to have its eyes on the Asian giant. In May, a grand congress was held at the Urbaniana University to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first and only Council of Chinese Bishops. The event included the participation of the Bishop of Shanghai, José Shen Bin, and the Holy Father participated with a message. In it, Francis highlighted that the Church’s path is not exempt from “times of patience and trial” and that “the Lord in China has kept the faith of the people of God along the way.” Another important event was the presentation in Rome of the documentary about the Spanish missionary Diego de Pantoja. Such was the importance of this Jesuit that, in 2018, the Chinese government declared “the year of Diego de Pantoja.” Francisco sent a letter to the director of the documentary, Father Jesús Folgado, in which he defines the missionary as “the ambassador of Chinese culture in the West.”
Francisco does not resign himself to not following in the footsteps of Jesuits like Diego de Pantoja or Matteo Ricci in China. This was stated again in an interview that was made public a few weeks ago and that he gave to the Chinese Jesuits on May 24, the day of Mary Help of Christians, to whom the Catholics of this country have so much devotion. “I feel like (going to China),” the Pontiff responded quickly when asked if he wanted to travel to Beijing.
Francisco confessed that the first thing he would do was visit the mother at the She Shan sanctuary in Shanghai. Once again, he spoke of the patience of the Chinese flock, “a faithful people who have been through many things and have always remained faithful.” “A people that are masters of waiting,” he said. Francisco does not lose hope of visiting mainland China, which he is increasingly approaching with destinations such as those recently visited with this tour in Asia and Oceania or his trips to Mongolia, Japan or South Korea.
