VATICAN CITY — The Vatican and China said Saturday they had signed a “provisional agreement” over the appointment of bishops, a breakthrough on an issue that stymied diplomatic relations for decades and aggravated a split among Chinese Catholics. The development comes nearly seven decades after the Holy See and Beijing severed official relations. Beijing’s long-held insistence that it must approve bishop appointments in China had clashed with absolute papal authority to pick bishops. A Vatican official earlier this year said the deal allows the pope to effectively veto future bishop names proposed by Beijing. Xi is trying to infuse all of the religions in China with “Chinese characteristics” such as loyalty to the Communist Party.

Source: National Post September 22, 2018 10:27 UTC