(LifeSiteNews) — A bishop of Datong was consecrated in China today with the approval of Pope Leo XIV under the controversial Vatican-China deal.
Pope Leo XIV appointed Paolo Liu Honggang Bishop of Datong in Shanxi, China, on August 10, “following the approval of his candidacy under the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China,” Vatican News reported on Monday morning.
This means that Honggang was made a bishop within the state-controlled, so-called “Catholic” church in China.
Honggang is the seventh bishop in China whom Leo has thus far appointed under the China-Vatican deal.
The officially secret Sino-Vatican deal, signed in 2018, is believed to recognize the state-approved church in China and allows the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to appoint bishops. The pope apparently maintains veto power, although in practice it is the CCP that has control. It also allegedly allows for the removal of legitimate bishops to be replaced by CCP-approved bishops.
The deal was renewed most recently in 2024 for a four-year period.
Before Leo XIV was elected, during the sede vecante period after Pope Francis’ death, two bishops who were selected by the CCP, eliciting concerns that China was taking advantage of the vacancy.
The CCP’s move to appoint two bishops during this period demonstrates that Beijing does not see the role of the Holy See or the pope as important. It further points to the fact that in the highly secretive Sino-Vatican deal, it appears to be China – rather than the Holy See – that is in charge.
Cardinal Joseph Zen, emeritus bishop of Hong Kong, has repeatedly criticized the deal strongly. He described the agreement as an “incredible betrayal” of China’s Catholics and accused the Vatican of “selling out” Chinese Catholics.
He has been supported by numerous activists and China experts, including former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who warned in 2020 that “(t)he Vatican endangers its moral authority, should it renew the deal.”
Additionally, the deal has led to an increase in religious persecution, and the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China has documented this in its annual reports.