VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Giuseppe Wang Zhengui, 62, was installed and ordained as the first bishop of the new Diocese of Zhangjiakou, China, on Wednesday (Sept. 10) in an important milestone for a controversial arrangement between Communist Party leaders in Beijing and the Vatican.
In order to create the new diocese, in the province of Hebei, northwest of Beijing, Pope Leo XIV suppressed two existing dioceses established by Pope Pius XII in 1946. The new diocese conforms with China’s administrative jurisdictions and is contained within Hebei, home to many Chinese Catholics and historically an important hub of the underground church.
A Vatican statement on Wednesday said the decision was made by Pope Leo on July 8 “with the desire to promote the pastoral care of the Lord’s flock and better cater to its spiritual needs.”
In 2018, the Holy See and China signed a provisional agreement that has been renewed three times. While the document remains secret, it’s largely understood to include a compromise on the appointment of bishops. In the past, the unofficial Catholic Church in China, known as the underground church, would answer to Rome while the Chinese government appointed bishops to a parallel, approved church hierarchy that followed the party line. Under the 2018 agreement, Be …