China and Vatican recently made significant progress under the leadership of Pope Francis. Recent events revealed that Beijing and the Holy See might have already come to a consensus concerning a crucial Church matter, suggesting a brighter future for both States.
Although not official, it has been widely recognized that the Beijing government broke ties with the Holy See in 1951 following a complicated incident. In order to mend the People's Republic of China- Vatican relations, certain demands were set by the PRC. One of the requirements was that for the Holy See not to interfere in religious matters in PRC.
As time progresses, the rift between the two States became even wider. A testament to this was the persecution of some members of the underground Catholic churches in PRC. However, such division may soon be amended as talks between two parties gained a significant progress. A consensus has been made between Beijing and the Vatican according to Cardinal John Tong Hon, head of the church in Hong Kong.
"The core problem to be resolved is the appointment of bishops... According to Catholic doctrine, the pope remains the last and highest authority in appointing a bishop. If the Pope has the final word about the worthiness and suitability of an episcopal candidate, the elections of local Churches and the recommendations of the Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church in China will simply be a way to express recommendations," The Diplomat quoted Cardinal Tong as saying.
Despite the initial consensus of adherence to the canonical rule in term of appointing bishops, other matters under the PRC and Holy See relationship are still unclear. However, other indicators of a much friendlier milieu have been recently observed.
Chinese former deputy health minister, Huang Jiefu, was recently invited for a to a two-day conference in Rome on organ trafficking and transplant tourism, according to Quartz. Such gesture does not only showcase the eagerness of the Holy See to reconnect with Beijing, but it also marked a significant development concerning the two entities' relationship.
Watch here below life as a Catholic in PRC: