Pope Leo XIV

The unfulfilled desire

China, the missed stage in Pope Francis' apostolic pilgrimage

Beijing has conveyed its condolences for the passing of the Pontiff who reached the best possible agreement with the country during his lifetime

23 April 2025

Fedeli cinesi pregano per la scomparsa di Papa Francesco nella chiesa di Sant Ignazio a Shanghai (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP)

2' min read

There is a huge hole in the map of the globe, a country as big as a continent where Bergoglio, although he wanted to, has never set foot during his pontificate: China.

Asian sliding doors

Two years ago, the Pontiff and President Xi Jinping both found themselves on a visit to Central Asia, they were there to follow two different events.
It was the perfect sliding door, which reaffirmed, however, the strict rules of diplomacy. No way. They did not meet.

What remains of Pope Francis' great concern for dialogue with China is the provisional agreement woven by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, who has always been at the forefront of the Holy See's relations with China. The central point of the understanding is the shared appointment of bishops.

The role of Cardinal Parolin

The cardinal was instrumental in the renegotiation of the 2018 agreement, which was renewed again last year for another four years, with the intent, as official reports state, "to bring the Chinese bishops into communion with Rome".
Parolin gave shape to the Holy See's desire 'to build bridges and foster dialogue with China, recognising the challenges and difficulties in relations'. The biggest difficulty, let us remember, in bilateral relations, lies not in China, but in the Vatican, one of the last states in the world to recognise Taiwan's independence, complete with diplomatic representation within the Vatican walls.
A boulder that Beijing will never be able to digest. Nor is it foreseeable that the Vatican will turn its back on the island that China considers an integral part of its sovereign territory and that it has repeatedly declared it wants to take back if necessary even by force of arms. In fact, Cardinal Parolin has repeatedly shown himself sceptical about the likelihood of a visit, admitting that, despite the agreement, "there were no conditions for the Pope's wish to come true.
Pope Francis wanted to visit China, he confidently awaited an opening before which he would immediately pack his suitcase. A wish that did not materialise.

Bishops with double seals

The shared appointment of bishops with the approval of both Beijing and the Vatican has, however, brought more Chinese bishops into communion with Rome, despite the difficulties at the local level in ensuring timely implementation of the agreement. There are provinces like Henan where practising Catholics number seven million out of a hundred million inhabitants. The Church's hope, of course, remains that all bishops in the land of Confucius will be in full communion with the Church of Peter.

Meanwhile, last June, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang, bishop of Zhoucun, to the archdiocese of Hangzhou vacant since the death of Archbishop Matthew Cao Xiangde, appointed by the party and, only later, by the pope. Now taking communion op the confirmation in China is equivalent to taking it anywhere in the world.

Should the outcome of the Conclave favour an Asian pope or the current in the Vatican in favour of further opening up to China, the dialogue would be revived.