China and the Vatican continue to advance cooperation on bishop appointments. Duan Yongkun, the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Bayannur, Inner Mongolia, held his consecration ceremony on 29 July in Bayannur, becoming the second bishop in Inner Mongolia to be consecrated under the China-Vatican Provisional Agreement within one week, following the consecration of Bishop Chang Yan Feng of the Diocese of Chifeng on 22 July.
According to the official website of the Catholic Church in China, the consecration ceremony was presided over by Meng Qinglu, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and Bishop of the Diocese of Hohhot. Several bishops participated in the ceremony, with around 350 priests, nuns and representatives of the faithful attending.
Duan Yongkun, 45, was born in Inner Mongolia. He studied philosophy and theology at the Hebei Catholic Seminary, was ordained a priest in 2011, and became deputy bishop of the Diocese of Bayannur in 2020. He was elected as a candidate for auxiliary bishop in March this year and was appointed by the Pope in June. Vatican records show that he studied at Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan from 2013 to 2016.
China and the Vatican signed the China-Vatican Provisional Agreement in 2018, establishing a framework for cooperation on the appointment of bishops in China. The agreement has since been renewed several times. Although the details of the agreement have never been made public, bishop appointments have remained an important indicator of China-Vatican relations.
Commentary:
The consecutive consecration of two bishops in Inner Mongolia under the China-Vatican Provisional Agreement within one week shows that cooperation between China and the Vatican is continuing, but it also highlights the power dynamics behind the agreement.
The original purpose of the China-Vatican Provisional Agreement was to seek a balance between the Pope’s religious authority and the Chinese government’s management of national sovereignty. To maintain dialogue with China and preserve pastoral space, the Vatican has gradually adopted a more pragmatic approach. Meanwhile, China has used institutional arrangements to gradually integrate Catholicism into its state religious management system. While both sides have made compromises, they have also continued to protect their core interests.
However, such compromises come with costs. For underground churches that uphold the authority of the Pope, the Vatican’s concessions may weaken the beliefs they have long defended. At the same time, because the contents of the agreement remain undisclosed, it is difficult for the outside world to determine how responsibilities and powers are divided between the two sides. Whether China-Vatican relations can truly build mutual trust in the future will depend on how both sides find a more transparent and sustainable balance between religious autonomy and state governance.