Who Really Picks China’s Bishops?

Person in white robe holding a Bible outdoors — Photo: D'Action Images / Shutterstock

Pope Leo XIV’s approval of a new bishop in China is reigniting anger over a secretive deal that leaves many Catholics asking who really controls the Church there.

Quick Take

The Vatican said Joseph Chang Yanfeng was approved by the pope under the provisional Holy See-China agreement.
Chinese reports say Chang had already been chosen by the state-linked Catholic system before the ordination.
Critics say the agreement stays murky because its full text has never been made public.
Supporters say the deal is meant to keep Chinese Catholics in communion with Rome.

Vatican Says the Appointment Follows the China Deal

The Holy See said Chang Yanfeng was ordained as bishop of Chifeng after Pope Leo XIV approved his candidacy on June 15, 2026. The Vatican framed the move as part of the provisional agreement with Beijing, which still guides bishop appointments in China. For many Catholics, that detail matters because it shows Rome is still trying to work inside a system shaped by the Chinese state.

That same arrangement has been used before. Reuters reported earlier that the 2018 deal gives Chinese authorities some influence over bishop choices, while the pope keeps final authority in the process. Vatican-related reporting also says the agreement was renewed and remains valid through 2028. That makes the Chang case less like a one-off and more like the latest test of a policy already under strain.

Why Critics See a Bigger Problem

Opponents of the deal argue that the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association is not a normal free church body. Background material describes it as a state-linked structure that has long stood in tension with papal authority. Critics say that when bishops move through that system, Beijing still shapes the outcome, even if Rome later signs off. That is why the approval of Chang is being treated by some as a sign of weakness, not peace.

The secrecy of the agreement feeds that view. Human Rights Watch said the full text of the 2018 provisional agreement has never been made public, and other reporting repeats that the rules remain unpublished. Without the text, outsiders cannot easily verify how nominations are handled or whether the pope’s veto power works in practice. That lack of openness invites suspicion and makes every new appointment a political flashpoint.

What the Chang Case Shows About Vatican-China Tensions

The Chinese side’s own reporting adds another layer. Spanish reporting said the church-linked China Catholic outlet described Chang as a top official in the Chifeng Patriotic Catholic Association and said he had been chosen earlier in 2026. That suggests the state-backed system remained active in the process. Even if Rome approved the final step, the public record still points to a church structure that operates under heavy government oversight.

At the same time, the Vatican continues to argue that the deal serves a pastoral purpose. The agreement was originally presented as a way to ease old divisions and keep Chinese Catholics tied to Rome. That goal sounds practical on paper. But the continued secrecy, the state role in nominations, and the lack of public veto use all leave conservatives with a familiar concern: government power keeps creeping into religious life, and nobody outside the system can fully see how far it goes.