Appointments of bishops in China that receive Rome’s approval are rare and scrutinized as major events. They attract a level of attention not seen for any other country. Since the beginning of Pope Leo XIV‘s pontificate, they’ve become significantly more frequent, while drawing less media interest. Is this a sign of normalization? The most recently announced appointment of a Chinese bishop — for Haimen, named on August 24 and announced on October 15, the day of his consecration — filled a diocese that had been without a bishop since 2023. This is the 21st appointment (though only the 19th episcopal consecration, excluding two transfers) since Beijing and the Vatican signed a secret, provisional agreement on episcopal appointments in 2018. More importantly, since the election of Pope Leo XIV, there has been a clear acceleration in bilateral appointments. Pope Leo has appointed seven bishops, averaging more than four per year, compared to fewer than two per Read More…

Chinese bishops: Faster appointments, ‘very small steps’