VATICAN, CHINA EXTEND DEAL ON BISHOP APPOINTMENTS

Pact allows Beijing to weigh in on pope’s clergy selections

The Vatican and China on Saturday extended their oftcriticized agreement on the appointment of bishops in the Asian country, where the government has waged crackdowns over the years on religious believers.

The Holy See announced the latest, two-year renewal of the 2018 arrangement in a brief statement.

It said the Vatican was committed to “constructive dialogue” with China on implementing the accord and in improving bilateral relations “with a view to fostering the mission of the Catholic Church and the good of the Chinese people.”

The two sides haven’t had diplomatic relations since 1951, in the wake of the the Chinese Communists’ rise to power.

In the past, conservative Catholics slammed the deal in view of China’s persecution of people practicing their religions. The Vatican insists better relations allow for discussions about any human rights abuses.

Details of the agreement never have been made public. In essence, it gives Pope Francis the final say in selecting China’s bishops while allowing Chinese authorities input earlier in the process.

Catholics in China have been divided for decades between those who belong to an official, state-sanctioned church and an underground church loyal to the pontiff.

In comments to Vatican media outlets about the deal’s extension, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s No. 2 official, said Francis “decided to continue along this path not under the illusion of finding perfection in human rules, but in the concrete hope of being able to assure Chinese Catholic communities, even in such a complex context, of the guidance of pastors who are worthy and suitable for the task entrusted to them.”

ANTONIO CALANNI AP FILE Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the deal reflects the pope’s “determination and patient foresight.”