Pope Leo prays for China’s Catholics, a thorny issue in his papacy

In his first address to China’s Catholics, newly elected Pope Leo XIV requested prayers for them. This is one of the most contentious issues that the Catholic Church and his papacy face in the world of geopolitics.

The pontiff recalled the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China, which Pope Benedict XVI initiated on May 24 and was addressing the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Sunday.

Leo addressed about 35, 000 faithful to God as a sign of concern and affection for Chinese Catholics and their communion with the universal church in China and around the world.

The pope hoped that the prayers would “obtain for them and for us the grace to be strong and joyful witnesses of the Gospel, even in the midst of difficulties,” he said.

Benedict XVI, the pope’s archbishop from 2005 to 2013, established the feast as part of his efforts to unite China’s estimated 12 million Catholics, who were divided between an underground church that remained faithful to Rome throughout decades of persecution and an official, state-controlled church that didn’t recognize papal authority.

Due to the Communist Party’s persistently contentious relationship with China, some clergymen object to a 2018 agreement between the Holy See and China, which gave Beijing the power to choose Catholic bishops there. &nbsp,

The agreement was intended to bring the flock together, regularize the status of seven non-recognized bishops, and end decades of animosity between China and the Vatican.

Pope Francis resisted having veto power over the final decision, despite the agreement’s details never being made public.

Critics, particularly those in the Catholic right wing, feared Francis had abandoned the Chinese government and sold the underground faithful. The Vatican has reportedly renewed its lease on occasion since then, saying it was the best deal they could find.

Pope Leo will have to decide whether or not to keep the agreement in force. On the Beijing side, there have been some glaring violations, including some unilateral appointments that took place without papal approval.

Prior to the conclave in which Leo was elected, the Chinese church conducted a preliminary election of two bishops, a process that occurs before official consecration.

The Vatican has worked for years to restore China’s officially broken relations, which were established more than a decade ago when the Communists took office.

The Vatican urged the pope’s exclusive right to name the successors of the original Apostles, a matter that had long strained relations.