(UCAN): The Vatican-China agreement on the appointment of bishops signed five years ago has yielded positive results despite the dialogue between Beijing and Rome not progressing as desired, said Scheut missionary Father Jeroom Heyndrickx.
He made his remarks in an interview with the Gianni Valente of the Fides news agency, on September 22, the fifth anniversary the agreement.
“The presence of two bishops of mainland China in the next synod is obviously a clear fruit of the agreement with China of Pope Francis to initiate ongoing dialogue and exchange,” Father Heyndrickx told interviewer.
He added that the recent visit of four Chinese bishops to the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium, as well as France and the Netherlands in early September with permission from Chinese authorities, was “another concrete fruit” of the 2018 agreement.
“Thanks to this agreement all new Catholic bishops are ordained in full communion with the pope and are now legitimate and recognised by both the Holy See and China. That removes one main obstacle to more unity in the Church. This way a historical move towards more unity in the Church is happening under our own eyes,” he explained.
The presence of two bishops of mainland China in the next synod is obviously a clear fruit of the agreement with China of Pope Francis to initiate ongoing dialogue and exchange
Father Heyndrickx
Father Heyndrickx said he is aware of the limitations and consequent criticism of the deal including fewer episcopal ordinations since it was signed and the ongoing secrecy.
“True, the dialogue with China did not progress so smoothly even after the pope’s agreement. Why should we hide this? We too feel disappointed that not more bishops have been appointed to fill the empty seats for bishops in more than 25 dioceses in China,” he said.
The priest said there is no denying freedom of religious belief is restricted in China but criticised Western political parties for exclusively pointing to these aspects of the agreement.
“They criticise the pope’s efforts to dialogue and promote the spiritual goals of the Church. Why? Perhaps to promote their own political goals. But facts like the recent visit of Catholic Chinese bishops in Europe proves that their criticism is unfounded,” he said.
Father Heyndrickx said the visit of Chinese bishops in Belgium provided a great opportunity for exchange and collaboration. The encounters happened in an atmosphere of Christian brotherhood seeking how the Churches in China and the West can exchange and confirm each other in faith, he said.
“Churches in the West these days welcome this confirmation in faith. They are inspired and confirmed by the faith of Christians in China, while the Church in China feels strengthened by the brotherly welcome they receive in the West,” he added.
Achieving more unity inside the Church by crossing beyond misunderstandings inside the Church is a missionary achievement of the pope. We need to open our eyes to more remarkable evolutions these days
Father Heyndrickx
He observed that this encounter is in contrast to the 60 years of tension and suspicion, division even inside the Church in China between “unofficial” and “official” communities, adding that this “giant step” would not be possible without the pope’s agreement.
“Achieving more unity inside the Church by crossing beyond misunderstandings inside the Church is a missionary achievement of the pope. We need to open our eyes to more remarkable evolutions these days,” Father Heyndrickx said.
Pope Francis’ recent visit to Mongolia was surprising as it sent a powerful testimony to the Church and the whole world, he said, adding that it reminded him of the time of October 1991, when the Vatican and his religious congregation—the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary—sent him to Mongolia before the Catholic mission in the country resumed.
He said that the open contacts between the Church in China and the universal Church have increased significantly in recent years.
“It is evident that this happens thanks to the positive ongoing dialogue with China by Pope Francis. We are all invited to be more aware of this and support the untiring efforts of this pope of dialogue in service of the Church,” he said.
Father Heyndrickx spent decades in Taiwan and China as a missionary and seminary professor starting in 1957 and was a member of the Vatican Commission on China between 2007 and 2013, before returning to Belgium.
