Pope Francis urges Catholics to trust historic agreement with China
2018-09-27 09:26:34 source：NPR
September 26, 2018
Days after signing a landmark agreement with the government of China on the appointment of bishops, Pope Francis has written a letter reassuring the Chinese Catholic community of his support. The agreement, which was announced on Saturday, had sparked confusion and criticism of Francis, that he was selling out to the Chinese government.
Under the agreement the Vatican will recognize seven bishops appointed by the government, and lift a previous order excommunicating them from the church. The agreement was reached after many years of negotiation between the Vatican and China. The government has long insisted it must appoint bishops within the country, and refused to recognize papal authority to do so.
NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reported for our Newscast unit that "the historic move could pave the way to formal diplomatic ties but it will also anger many Chinese Catholics."
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