SW News: Hong Kong's Jesuit bishop, Peter Chow Sau-yan, recently visited the Diocese of Beijing and shared some information on the dioceses in mainland China that have yet to make their own autonomous episcopal appointments.
He noted that, as a result of the April 17 trip, the leaders of the two churches were able to get to know each other better and continue working together in a variety of areas.
Regardless of what some may have heard or read, Bishop Chow insists that the current temporary agreement between the Holy See and the People's Republic regarding the selection of Chinese bishops is very much alive and well, despite the fact that Bishop Joseph Shen Bin has moved from Haimen to Shanghai and Bishop John Peng Weizhao, Bishop of Yujiang, has become Auxiliary Bishop of Jiangxi.
Bishop Chow has noted that deploying bishops to various places might be a source of dispute that must be explored and handled. As a result, more frequent and in-depth contact may result in future clarity.
The bishop noted that the great majority of Chinese Catholics support Pope Francis and are hopeful that the interim accord will result in beneficial consequences, such as a meeting between Pope Francis and President Xi.
The Bishop of Hong Kong also said that on April 27, the Shanghai diocese marked the tenth anniversary of Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian's death, expressing thanks for his substantial contributions to the Chinese Church.
Bishop Chow recalled that in one of his global speeches, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid tribute to the renowned Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci, noting that the title of Venerable was enthusiastically received and that they prayed for his beatification and canonization, which China would honor.
Meanwhile, the cardinal discussed the government-sponsored sinicization of the Chinese Catholic Church, saying that the Mainland Church is now discussing the consequences of this practice.