Our Chinese Brethren: A Delicate and Complex Situation for Pope Leo XIV

Congratulatory messages to Pope Leo XIV were issued by world leaders of Catholic and non-Catholic nations alike on his elevation to the Throne of St. Peter. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his “cordial congratulations,” saying, “I am confident that the constructive dialogue and cooperation between Russia and the Vatican will continue to flourish, grounded in the shared Christian values that unite us.” 

One, however, who did not extend his best wishes to the new pope was Chinese leader Xi Jinping. In fact, there was only an indirect recognition that came at a Friday press conference—and only because a journalist asked Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian about the new pope. Jian replied: 

We hope that under the leadership of the new pope, the Vatican will continue to have dialogue with China in a constructive spirit, have in-depth communication on international issues of mutual interest, jointly advance the continuous improvement of the China-Vatican relations, and make contributions to world peace, stability, development, and prosperity. 

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Jian was referring to the provisional two-year agreement struck between Beijing and the Vatican in 2018, which was renewed once more last year. Although its details have never been made public, we know that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has the authority to appoint bishops; the pope confirms them.

Designed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, with the hope of “reconciling…to the full communion of all Chinese Catholics”—in particular those of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association(CCPA), that is, the clergy and the faithful of the State Church—the accord remains clandestine. 

The CCPA was formed in 1957 by the CCP and effectively established a Catholic government “church” independent of Rome. By early 1958, the first Catholic bishops were illicitly appointed by Beijing without reference to the Holy See. In June of the same year, Pope Pius XII issued his encyclical Ad Apostolorum Principis, in which he condemned China’s “parallel” church by refusing to recognize any episcopal consecrations performed without prior Vatican approval. 

From that moment onward, Catholics who remained faithful to Rome went underground. To this day, they continue to survive as an “underground” Church, which the Vatican, as a result of the clandestine agreement, no longer supports. Numerous priests, nuns, and faithful continue to be imprisoned, tortured, and, in certain cases, even put to death for their refusal to submit to the CCP’s institutional church. Numerous priests, nuns, and faithful continue to be imprisoned, tortured, and, in certain cases, even put to death for their refusal to submit to the CCP’s institutional church.Tweet This

The Vatican came under criticism during Francis’ pontificate for what activists see as a muted response to China’s human rights abuses, including the internment of Uyghur Muslims and the imprisonment of Catholic pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong. Oddly enough, one person who has raised a voice in Lai’s defense is President Donald Trump, who recently said he would raise the case of the jailed Hong Kong activist as “part of the negotiation” with China over trade and tariffs.

In 2022, ChinaAid, a non-governmental Christian non-profit that focuses on human rights abuses and religious freedom in China, released a 63-page report stating that government pressure on Christian churches and faithful to yield to political ideology have not increased. In other words, China’s efforts to sinicize—transform the faith to become more in-line with Chinese culture—intensifies as those in opposition face heightened persecution. 

Many of our Chinese brethren continue to be arrested for their refusal to join the CCPA. Not to mention, as part of the policy to sinicize the Christian population, Beijing has even gone so far as to print versions of the Bible for government-run schools that distort Gospel narratives, such as that of Jesus forgiving the adulteress woman as recounted in the Gospel of St. John. In the sinicized account of the episode, Jesus instead stones her, saying, “I too am a sinner. But if the law could only be executed by men without blemish, the law would be dead.”

When Pope Francis died, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, at the behest of the CCP, did not even send a delegation to attend the pope’s funeral. In addition, Beijing had a brief condolence message deleted from the CCPA’s website, replacing it with content promoting its cooperation with the Communist Party. Chinese authorities also made moves to assert the Church in China’s autonomy from Rome by unilaterally electing two bishops—including one in a diocese already led by a Vatican-appointed bishop.

In May of last year, Cardinal Parolin went so far as to say that Western Catholic missionaries had made “errors” in past centuries in their zeal to convert the Chinese faithful to Catholicism. He did so in the presence of Bishop Joseph Shen Bin of Shanghai, whose unilateral appointment by the CCP Pope Francis was coercedto accept in July. 

Pope Leo XIV, who is known for his promotion of Catholic social teaching and advocacy for the rights of workers, will certainly have quite a bit to deal with when it comes to China. Unlike his predecessor, who quite often had to clarify or walk back statements he made off the cuff to reporters, the new pope has not traditionally been voluble or freewheeling on the issues of the day. 

In 2000, Pope St. John Paul II sent a strong signal to China’s beleaguered “underground” Catholics—who are loyal to Rome and not the CCPA—that they are not forgotten: he canonized as martyrs 87 Chinese faithful and 33 European missionaries who were killed for the Catholic Faith between 1648 and 1930. Let us pray for Pope Leo XIV that God may give him the strength to not just deal with the most delicate and complex situation of our brethren in China but that of the entire Church, too.