VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis urged Chinese Catholics on Wednesday to trust him and make concrete gestures of reconciliation following a landmark deal over bishop appointments that is aimed at ending decades of estrangement between the Vatican and Beijing. China’s estimated 12 million Catholics are split between those belonging to the government-backed Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, which is outside the pope’s authority, and an underground church loyal to the pope. The letter appeared aimed at acknowledging the deep reservations of some underground faithful, for whom the deal represents a sell-out to the Communist government and betrayal of their decades of loyalty to the pope. Francis acknowledged these Chinese “sense themselves somehow abandoned” and expressed his “sincere admiration” for their fidelity over the years. Their cause has long been championed by Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen, who has called Francis’ deal a sell-out of the church to China’s Communist rulers.

Source: National Post September 26, 2018 08:48 UTC