Vatican Appoints New Bishop for Chifeng Diocese After 20 Years

The Vatican has confirmed the appointment of Joseph Zhang Yanfeng as the new bishop of Chifeng Diocese, located in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This diocese has been without a bishop for the past two decades.

Pope Leo XIV is said to have personally approved Bishop Yanfeng’s appointment. This decision comes amid a controversial agreement established between the Holy See and the Chinese Communist Party in 2018, under former Pope Francis. This arrangement has allowed the Chinese government, which is officially atheist and has no formal relations with the Vatican, to have a say in the selection of bishops, even as it continues to recognize Taiwan as a separate state.

Although the specific details of the agreement remain undisclosed, it appears that the Pope must consult with the Communist Party before appointing bishops in China. This deal seemingly restored some influence to the Vatican after years of tight control by the Chinese government. Reports indicate that the “Catholic Patriotic Churches” in China promote state-sanctioned atheistic communism over traditional Catholic teachings.

On July 22, Pope Leo officially announced Bishop Joseph Zhang Yanfeng’s appointment, citing the terms of the interim agreement with China. Zhang has an impressive background, having studied theology in both China and South Korea. He was ordained to serve in Chifeng Diocese in 2010 and has been managing the diocese even before becoming bishop. In fact, he previously led the Chifeng Catholic Patriotic Association, effectively overseeing the local Catholic community. Over the years, the lack of a bishop allowed the government-approved church to take precedence over the authentic Catholic Church in the area.

Media sources affiliated with the Vatican, such as AsiaNews, have reported on the prolonged vacancy of a bishop in Chifeng, attributing this situation to the Communist Party’s oppression of Christians and an ongoing effort to eradicate the indigenous population of Inner Mongolia. Similar patterns of cultural and religious suppression exist in other regions of China with significant non-Han ethnic communities, like Tibet and East Turkestan. The current regime under Xi Jinping has actively sought to undermine local cultures and identities.

This oppression manifests in various ways, including government programs that aim to eliminate the Mongolian language by enforcing Chinese language education in schools and diminishing the legacy of important historical figures, like Genghis Khan. Additionally, the Communist Party encourages the displacement of rural Mongolians to urban areas for better control, labeling these actions as part of their “Sinicization” strategy.

Estimates suggest that there are around 160 million Christians in China, including hundreds of thousands in Inner Mongolia. The Communist Party has undertaken several initiatives to diminish Christianity’s public presence, such as removing crosses from churches and banning Bible distribution. Before Xi Jinping’s rise to power, Inner Mongolia was known as a stronghold for Catholicism.

AsiaNews recently noted that the Chifeng church saw a revival in the 1980s after a period of persecution during the Cultural Revolution. In 1990, Father Andreas Zhu Wenyu was ordained as a bishop without papal approval, but he later sought reconciliation with Rome and passed away in 2006. Today, the Chifeng Catholic Church is home to about 50,000 members, supported by around 30 priests and 20 nuns.

According to various accounts, Bishop Zhang initiated dialogue with the Communist government before receiving approval to lead the diocese, which had been devoid of leadership for quite some time. He has publicly expressed support for China’s national reunification policies, which aim to integrate non-Han ethnic groups, often at the cost of their cultural and religious identity. Reports indicate that in discussions with local Chinese officials, Father Zhang and his colleagues emphasized the importance of strengthening the sense of national community, a phrase frequently employed by the Communist Party to rationalize cultural erasure.

Historically, the Vatican has resisted political intervention in its operations, leading to a number of martyrdoms recognized by the church over the years. However, the 2018 agreement, facilitated by Pope Francis, marked a significant shift in this approach, allowing for cooperation with the ruling atheist government in China. While both parties have kept the details of their bishops’ agreement largely confidential since then, it’s understood that the Pope still holds the final authority on appointments, albeit with the necessity of Communist Party approval.

Bishop Zhang’s appointment stands as the first significant decision under Pope Leo’s leadership regarding China, marking a continuation of appointing bishops since he took on papal responsibilities.