The connection with China remains sensitive within the Catholic Church over the 2018 deal between the Holy See and Beijing in 2018.
The newly elected Pope Leo XIV called on Chinese Catholics to pray in his first reference to the Catholic Church and one of the most controversial issues facing the Catholic Church on the geopolitical stage.
Speaking on Sunday through the window of the Vatican Apostles Palace, the Pope recalled the Day of the Prayer World for the Chinese Church.
“Prayers have been raised to God as a sign of concern and affection for the communion between Chinese churches and shrines and around the world with Chinese Catholics and the universal church,” Leo told about 35,000 faithful people.
The Pope said that prayers “want to become strong and joyous witnesses of the gospel, in order to “great for them and for us, and to promote peace and harmony, even in the midst of trial.”
Pope Benedict XVI, who headed the church from 2005 to 2013, established the East Feast as part of an effort to unite China’s presumed Catholics, as part of an effort divided between the official state-controlled church that did not recognize the papacy and the underground church that remained faithful to Rome.
ties with China remain Some clergy have deep and sensitive issues within the church as they reject the 2018 deal between Holy Shi and China, who spoke to Beijing in the appointment of a Catholic bishop there, as Catholics were being oppressed by the Communist Party.
The agreement was intended to consolidate the flock, normalize the status of seven bishops that were not recognized by Rome, and to thaw decades of alienation between China and the Vatican.
Although details of the contract were never released, Pope Francis claimed he retained a veto over the ultimate choice.
Critics especially on the Catholic right wing, believed that Francis fell into Beijing’s demands and sold out the loyal Chinese underground. The Vatican has said it is the best deal you can get and has been updated regularly since.
Pope Leo will need to decide whether to continue updating the agreement. There were several obvious violations on the Beijing side, and some unilateral appointments that occurred without the consent of the Pope.
The issue came to mind just before Conclave, who elected Leo, as the Chinese Church advanced the primary election for the two bishops.
The Vatican has worked for many years to improve relations with China, which was officially cut off more than 70 years before the communists came to power.
While the Vatican asserted the exclusive right of the Pope to name the successor of the original apostle, relations have long been haunted by China’s claims of exclusive right to naming the bishop as a matter of national sovereignty.
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