Pope recognizes China’s unilateral appointment of Shanghai bishop, three months after the fact

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has given in to China’s unilateral appointment of a new bishop in Shanghai and formally recognized Beijing’s installation of Bishop Shen Bin three months after the fact. The Vatican said on Saturday that Francis had appointed Shen as bishop of Shanghai. The Vatican spokesman said in early April that the Holy See learned of Shen’s appointment to lead the Catholic Church in Shanghai from media accounts. The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said Francis decided to accept China’s unilateral appointment for the “greater good” of the faithful in Shanghai. But Parolin made clear China’s move had violated the “spirit of collaboration” outlined in a 2018 accord on bishop appointments.