Latest news with #oftheEcclesialMovements
GMA Network
4 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
China gets new Catholic bishop, as Pope Leo continues deal over appointments
Pope Leo XIV leads the mass for the Jubilee of the Ecclesial Movements, Associations and New Communities, in St. Peter square at the Vatican, June 8, 2025. REUTERS/ Remo Casilli VATICAN CITY - A new assistant Catholic bishop was installed on Wednesday for Fuzhou, the capital of China's southeastern Fujian province, signalling that the Vatican's accord with Beijing over Catholic bishop appointments will continue under Pope Leo XIV. Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan, 73, was appointed by Leo within the framework of a diplomatic deal originally struck in 2018 that gives Chinese officials some input into papal appointments. Michel Chambon, an academic who has written extensively on the Chinese Church, said Wednesday's installation indicates that both parties want to continue with the accord. "It is a willingness to support reconciliation instead of antagonism," said Chambon, a research fellow at the Asia Research Institute in Singapore. Some conservative Catholics have criticized the Vatican-China deal, which was negotiated under the late Pope Francis. The critics say it gives too much influence to China's ruling communists, who have kept a tight rein on religious practice since taking power in 1949. The Vatican stresses that the pope retains final decision-making power and says the accord resolves a decades-long split between an underground church swearing loyalty to the Vatican and the state-supervised Catholic Patriotic Association. Lin had previously been ordained a bishop in the underground church in 2017. The Vatican said in a brief statement that it had "learned with satisfaction" that his role had been officially recognized by the government. "This event constitutes another fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and Chinese authorities and is a significant step," it said. As part of Wednesday's ceremony, Lin swore to abide by Chinese laws and to safeguard social harmony, according to a report on social media provided by the Catholic Patriotic Association. Across China there are about 5 million Catholics in a total population of 1.4 billion, the Vatican estimates. The Vatican and China last renewed their accord in October 2024, for a further period of four years. The text of the deal has never been published, but only described by diplomatic officials. — Reuters
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Leo, the First US Pope, Criticises Nationalist Politics at Sunday Mass
Reuters Pope Leo XIV leads the mass for the Jubilee of the Ecclesial Movements, Associations and New Communities, in St. Peter square at the Vatican, June 8, 2025. VATICAN CITY, June 8 (Reuters) – Pope Leo criticized the emergence of nationalist political movements on Sunday, calling them unfortunate, without naming a specific country or national leader. Leo, the first pope from the U.S., asked during a Mass with a crowd of tens of thousands in St. Peter's Square that God would 'open borders, break down walls (and) dispel hatred.' 'There is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbours, for the exclusionary mindset that, unfortunately, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms,' said the pontiff. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected on May 8 to succeed the late Pope Francis as leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church. Before becoming pontiff, Prevost was not shy about criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump, sharing numerous disapproving posts about Trump and Vice President JD Vance on X in recent years. The Vatican has not confirmed the new pope's ownership of the X account, which had the handle @drprevost, and was deactivated after Leo's election. Francis, pope for 12 years, was a sharp critic of Trump. The late pope said in January that the president's plan to deport millions of migrants in the U.S. during his second term was a 'disgrace.' Earlier, Francis said Trump was 'not Christian' because of his views on immigration. 'A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,' Francis said when asked about Trump in 2016. Leo was celebrating a Mass for Pentecost, one of the Church's most important holidays.
