Bishop Lin Yuntuan's appointment to the Archdiocese of Fuzhou is significant for a number of reasons and comes as the first test of Pope Leo's response to China.
(LifeSiteNews) — In a noteworthy move, Pope Leo XIV appointed an underground bishop as auxiliary of a key diocese in China, with the appointment also recognized by the Chinese authorities.
As announced by the Holy See Press Office bulletin today, Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan today became the auxiliary of the Diocese of Fuzhou.
An additional statement from the press office director read:
We are pleased to learn that today, on the occasion of the taking possession of the Office of Auxiliary Bishop of Fuzhou by His Excellency Monsignor Joseph Lin Yuntuan, his Episcopal Ministry is also recognized for the purposes of civil law. This event 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.
Lin Yuntuan, aged 73, was consecrated a bishop in December 2017 and has been an underground bishop in China since.
Fuzhou is led by Archbishop Joseph Cai Bingrui, who was appointed to the see in January this year. Cai Bingrui was consecrated as a bishop in 2010, also with Vatican approval. He and his episcopate are also recognized by the state sponsored church in China, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA).
Today’s appointment is notable in that it is a rare instance of Beijing recognizing an underground bishop in an official capacity. Bishop Lin Yuntuan has led one of the underground Catholic communities in the region for some years, and his appointment now to be auxiliary is hoped by the Holy See to be a sign of future goodwill from Beijing.
Even more poignant is the fact that Fuzhou is geographically close to Taiwan, and as such – given China’s claim to Taiwan and its increasingly hostile stance – will be subject to considerable levels of state surveillance.
Bishop Cai Bingrui highlighted this aspect recently, telling AsiaNews “his diocese had long received visits by Catholics from the neighbouring island of Taiwan and that he hoped to continue engaging in dialogue and exchanges with the Church on the other side of the Strait.”
Aside from the geopolitical aspect and the resulting national importance of the region, Fuzhou is of great historical significance for the Catholic Church in China, being the site of some of the early Catholic missionary outreaches along with the location of a number of Chinese Catholic martyrs.
Yet, even with today’s apparent sign of goodwill from Beijing's communist authorities, tensions remain. The Holy See bulletins simply referred to “Fuzhou” and did not describe it as a diocese or an archdiocese.
This peculiar lack of specificity in a formal statement is due to differences in recognition between Rome and Beijing: the Holy See made Fuzhou an archdiocese in 1946, but Beijing does not recognize archdioceses or metropolitan sees, which would appear to have informed the deliberate avoidance of either word by the Vatican today.
Such a point highlights the ongoing tensions between Beijing and Rome, along with the ever present tendency of Beijing to move unilaterally in making decisions for the church in the country. Indeed, it remains to be seen what actual role the new auxiliary will be allowed to practice in his archdiocese, or whether it is a purely nominal gesture without any real world implications.
The CCPA details of today's events were true to form, making no mention of the Pope or the Holy See in the appointment and instead describing the state-church as the sole decision-making body.
It also took pains to mention that the new auxiliary bishop "solemnly vowed to abide by the Constitution and laws of the country, safeguard the unity of the motherland and social harmony, love the country and the Church, adhere to the principle of independent and self-running churches, adhere to the direction of Sinicization of the Catholic Church in our country, and contribute to the comprehensive construction of a modernized socialist country and the comprehensive advancement of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."
Such an oath is part of the norm for those prelates the CCPA recognizes, but AsiaNews suggested that such statements "seem more than statements of substance, to hide an evident fact: the recognition that underground 'communities' are an important face in the history and present of the Church in Fujian."
Pope Leo XIV has so far not expressed any clear opinions on the highly controversial Sino-Vatican deal of 2018, which was last renewed in October for four years.
In a recent address he prayed for China’s Catholics to be in “communion with the universal Church” in direct contradiction to the “Sinicization” aims of communist China. This comment gave hope to some China experts that Leo might not be as subservient to China as the Holy See was in the last pontificate. However, others remained as yet unconvinced that Leo was signaling any China policy.
“Will Pope Leo prioritize the secret Vatican-China Agreement on bishop appointments, even though the Chinese authorities have repeatedly violated it? Will he avoid directly mentioning the persecution of the underground Church, which Benedict’s prayer initiative implicitly supported? It’s too early to tell,” Steven Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute, told this correspondent.
For AsiaNews – which regularly documents the persecutions of the Church in China – today’s appointment suggested continuity between Leo and Francis:
With the choice announced today and the words of comment released by the Holy See, Pope Leo XIV however clearly shows that he wants to continue implementing the Agreement signed by the Vatican with Beijing in 2018.
But Catholic outlet The Pillar suggested that the move showed Leo wielding power rather than the Chinese, and that Lin Yuntuan was Leo's pick rather than Beijing's.
In a June 12 press conference, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman commented thus on the episcopal appointment:
In recent years, China and the Vatican have maintained communication and increased mutual understanding and trust through constructive dialogue. With the joint efforts of both sides, the provisional agreement regarding the appointment of bishops is smoothly implemented. China stands ready to work with the Vatican for continued improvement of China-Vatican ties.
In recent weeks humanitarian organizations have urged the new Pope to take action against the Sino-Vatican deal and defend persecution religious minorities.
Cardinal Dominik Duka has also warned that the deal and the “Holy See’s unbalanced diplomatic policy towards the Chinese regime can damage the Catholic Church itself.”
China has long practiced a process of “Sinicization” with regard to religions present in the nation, and China experts warn that Sinicization involves having “all religious communities be led by the [Communist] Party, controlled by the Party, and support the Party.”
Leo’s pontificate will have to address the deal in a decisive manner, one way or the other.
