WORLD NEWS SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 / 5:03 PM / UPDATED 6 MINUTES AGO

Pope defends China deal on bishops, says he will have final say on names

Philip Pullella
4 MIN READ

ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Tuesday defended a landmark deal between the Vatican and China on the appointment of bishops, saying he, and not the Beijing government, will have the final say on who is named.

In his first public comments on the deal signed in Beijing on Saturday, he told reporters on the plane returning from a trip to the Baltics that while he realizes not everyone will understand the logic behind the agreement, he was confident in the “great faith” of Chinese Catholics.

“It’s not (that the government) names them. It is a dialogue. But the pope will appoint them. Let that be clear,” he said of the deal, which was more than 10 years in the making.

The deal gives the Vatican a long-desired say in the choice of bishops in China, though critics labeled the deal a sellout to the Communist government.

In future, new bishops first will be proposed by members of local Catholic communities together with Chinese authorities. The names of candidates will be sent to the Vatican.

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