Chinese Catholic bishops defend Sinicization policy at Rome conference

At a conference in Rome marking the centenary of the first Chinese-born Catholic bishops, Archbishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing and Cardinal Stephen Chow of Hong Kong defended the policy of Sinicization. Speaking at the Urbaniana University, Archbishop Li stated that Communist Party regulations set legal boundaries that guarantee the Church’s ability to conduct pastoral care and evangelization while protecting the rights of the faithful.

Cardinal Chow addressed the challenge of maintaining loyalty to both the government and the Catholic faith. The Sinicization policy, a component of a 2018 Vatican-China agreement, requires the Church to recognize the supremacy of state authority and Communist Party dogma over religious hierarchy.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin called for more concrete expressions of communion between the Pope and Chinese bishops. The event, held in collaboration with the Dicastery for Evangelization, examined the historical significance of the 1926 consecrations and the ongoing tension between building a Church rooted in Chinese society and safeguarding its universal identity from political interference.