Pope Francis urges Catholics to trust historic agreement with China: NPR

A few days after signing a historic agreement with the Chinese government on the appointment of bishops, Pope Francis wrote a letter to reassure the Chinese Catholic community of his support. The deal, announced Saturday, had sparked the confusion and criticism of Francis, which he was selling to the Chinese government.

Under the agreement, the Vatican will recognize seven bishops appointed by the government and lift a previous order excommunicating them from the church. The agreement was reached after many years of negotiations between the Vatican and China. The government has long insisted that it should appoint bishops in the country and refused to recognize the papal authority to do so.

Sylvia Poggioli, of NPR, reported for our newscast unit that "this historic decision could pave the way for formal diplomatic relations, but also the anger of many Chinese Catholics".

Pope Francis "hopes that the agreement" will allow the wounds of the past to be overcome "and will lead to full Chinese Catholic unity," reports Poggioli.

For decades, Catholics in China had to choose between official government-approved Catholic churches and underground secret churches led by bishops chosen by the Vatican. The agreement announced on Saturday will change that, but the details of what Pope Francis agreed to stay remain uncertain. In his letter, Francis acknowledged "some confusion" about the agreement and that it "has elicited different reactions in the hearts of many". He asked Chinese Catholics to "place your trust more and more firmly in the Lord of history and in the discernment of the church of his will".

Francis spoke with reporters during a plane ride Tuesday night, according to the New York Times. He said that the appointment of new bishops will involve a "dialogue" with the Chinese government, but that the Vatican will have the final say on what the bishops would be.

In his letter of Wednesday, Francis said that he thought the "good candidates" for bishops in China would be Catholic pastors. "It is not a matter of appointing officials responsible for religious matters, but of finding authentic shepherds according to the heart of Jesus, men committed to work generously in the service of the people of God, especially the poor and the most vulnerable. "

It is still unclear whether Francis will select the new bishops or choose among the candidates already selected by the Chinese government.

In his remarks to reporters on Tuesday evening, Francis acknowledged that both parties had lost something in the negotiations and that members of the underground Catholic churches in China "will suffer," according to the South China Morning Post. "It is true, they will suffer, there is always suffering in an agreement," said the pope.

"Some feel doubt and perplexity, while others feel abandoned by the Holy See," writes Francis in his letter, recognizing "the gift of your faithfulness, your steadfastness in trials."

The members of the underground churches have long been persecuted. Fr Bernardo Cervellera, editor-in-chief of Vatican News Agency Asia News, noted the unresolved disagreements. "There is a bit of joy, because something is happening, there is a tentative agreement, but there is a lot of sadness because many of the problems remain open, especially the fact that many bishops have disappeared from the hands of the police. ", he told CNN.

In his letter, Francis urges Catholics out of China to overcome these problems. He said Catholics had "an important duty: to accompany our brothers and sisters in China".

"If Abraham had demanded ideal social and political conditions before leaving his land, he might never have left the country," the pope wrote. "It's not the historical changes that have caused a change in history."

As for Catholics in China, Francis urged them to keep talking to build a more "humane" society. "Sometimes it can also require a critical effort, not sterile opposition, but to build a more just, humane and respectful society," he added. wrote.

Christianity is growing rapidly in China. According to The Atlantic, if it continues to spread at its current rate, there will be in a few years more Christians in China than in any other country in the world. L & # 39; Atlantic reports that "the Vatican seems desperate to beat Protestantism in the race for Chinese souls".

But up to now, Protestantism far exceeds Roman Catholicism by attracting new followers to the country. According to the New York Times, there are about 60 million Christians in China and about 10 million of them are Catholic.

In recent years, China has launched a massive crackdown on Christianity, demolishing hundreds of churches and expelling congregations. The measures are seen by some as an effort to take control of the rapid spread of religion.