Church in the World

New bishop raises cooperation hopes

China

The Vatican has signalled its approval of two new archbishops - including one for Beijing - who were ordained earlier this month by the State-sponsored Catholic Church in China, writes Robert Mickens. The recognition came last Saturday in an unsigned notification in L'Osservatore Romano.

It said coadjutor-Archbishop Paul Xiao Zejing of Guiyang (ordained 8 September) and Archbishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing (ordained 21 September) were "recommended to the Holy See by their local Catholic communities as worthy and qualified candidates". The paper said that all the bishops who consecrated the new prelates "are in communion with the Pope and recognised by the Government". The Vatican's Assistant Secretary of State - Archbishop Fernando Filoni - said that Bishop Li's appointment marked a significant step forward in Vatican-Chinese relations.

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