Recently elected Pope Leo XIV has pledged to maintain open and respectful dialogue with Beijing, continuing the path set by his predecessor Pope Francis in handling China-Vatican relations, Catholic media in Hong Kong reports.
Hong Kong Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau-yan met with the US pontiff on Tuesday, at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, where they discussed the life of the Church in Hong Kong and the mainland, as well as broader challenges in Sino-Vatican relations.
“[Pope Leo] recognises the importance of dialogue between the Church and the mainland authorities, and considers respectful communication as the priority in addressing challenges in China-Vatican relations,” Chow told the Sunday Examiner.
[See more: American cardinal elected Pope Leo XIV in historic Vatican conclave]
He added that the new pope intended to continue the positive direction set by his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, in the church’s dealings with China. The 2018 Sino-Vatican agreement is the heart of these relations, and allows Beijing to recommend bishops to the Vatican while giving the pope veto power.
The joint selection process aimed to resolve a decades-long divide between the underground church in China, loyal to Rome, and the state-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. The deal was renewed in 2020, 2022 and again in October 2024, though its exact terms remain undisclosed.
Chow said that his meeting with Pope Leo “helped him gain a fuller picture and a better understanding of the current state of China-Vatican relations.” Chow also noted that the pope once visited the mainland while serving as superior general of the Augustinian Order, prior to his papal inauguration earlier this year.
