Inside The Vatican

China breaches its agreement with the Vatican on appointment of bishops


Listen Later

China has breached its long-fought-for agreement with the Vatican on the appointment of bishops. On April 4, Bishop Shen Bin was transferred from the Diocese of Haimen, where he had been an auxiliary bishop, and installed as the bishop of Shanghai, the largest Roman Catholic diocese in mainland China. 

Matteo Bruni, the director of the Vatican Press Office, confirmed the installation in a statement on April 6. The Holy See had been informed of the appointment only “a few days prior,” Mr. Bruni said, and was only alerted to the bishop’s installation through reporting in the mainstream media. It appears the appointment is in direct violation of the highly controversial bilateral agreement that the Vatican reached with China in 2018, and renewed last October. “It's the pope's prerogative to nominate the bishop to a diocese,” says Gerry. “Many people are now—even those who are quite in support of the agreement—are raising questions.”

In the second half of the show, Gerry and Ricardo review “The Pope: Answers,” a new documentary film on Hulu. In the documentary, Pope Francis has a conversation with 10 young people from Spain, Senegal, Argentina, Peru, Colombia and the United States, aged between 20 and 25 years old. 

Among them are an atheist; a porn content creator; a nonbinary person; a survivor of sexual abuse; and a former nun from Peru, who is lesbian. They talk candidly about sexual abuse, the pope’s salary, loss of faith and dating apps like Tinder. “It’s such an intimate and personal film,” says Ricardo. “It really was a good example of what it is to live out synodality, which is what Pope Francis is calling us to do, really listen to each other.”


Please support this podcast by becoming a digital subscriber to America Media.

Links from the show

New bishop installed in Shanghai

  • China installs new bishop in Shanghai, in apparent violation of Vatican-China deal


Holy Week

  • Pope Francis’ Easter Message: The international community must strive to end the war in Ukraine
  • Pope Francis’ Easter Vigil homily 2023: The women at Easter bring the news that will change life and history forever
  • Pope Francis to miss Way of the Cross event in cold Rome
  • Pope Francis washes the feet of young prisoners in Holy Thursday rite, telling them: ‘Any of us’ can fall into sin.

  • “The Pope: Answers”

    • Watch “The Pope: Answers” on Hulu


    Twenty-five years of the Good Friday Agreement

    • Pope Francis prays for lasting peace in Northern Ireland on 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Inside The VaticanBy America Media

    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7
    • 4.7

    4.7

    354 ratings


    More shows like Inside The Vatican

    View all
    Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermons - Catholic Preaching and Homilies by Bishop Robert Barron

    Bishop Barron’s Sunday Sermons - Catholic Preaching and Homilies

    4,939 Listeners

    Church Meets World: The America Magazine Podcast by America Media

    Church Meets World: The America Magazine Podcast

    103 Listeners

    Catholic Stuff You Should Know by J. 10 Initiative

    Catholic Stuff You Should Know

    14 Listeners

    The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture by Bishop Robert Barron

    The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

    5,693 Listeners

    The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast by Ascension

    The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast

    7,544 Listeners

    Jesuitical by America Media

    Jesuitical

    978 Listeners

    Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast by America Media

    Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast

    272 Listeners

    The Popecast: A History of the Papacy by The Popecast

    The Popecast: A History of the Papacy

    119 Listeners

    The Examen with Fr. James Martin, SJ by America Media

    The Examen with Fr. James Martin, SJ

    705 Listeners

    Deliver Us by America Media

    Deliver Us

    229 Listeners

    American Catholic History by Noelle & Tom Crowe

    American Catholic History

    767 Listeners

    AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast by Jesuit Conference

    AMDG: A Jesuit Podcast

    127 Listeners

    Godsplaining by Dominican Friars Province of St. Joseph

    Godsplaining

    1,211 Listeners

    Ave Explores by Ave Maria Press

    Ave Explores

    192 Listeners

    Plague: Untold Stories of AIDS and the Catholic Church by America Media

    Plague: Untold Stories of AIDS and the Catholic Church

    289 Listeners

    Imagine: A Guide to Jesuit Prayer by America Media

    Imagine: A Guide to Jesuit Prayer

    70 Listeners

    Voting Catholic by America Media

    Voting Catholic

    115 Listeners

    The Pillar Podcast by The Pillar Podcast

    The Pillar Podcast

    650 Listeners

    The Gloria Purvis Podcast by America Media

    The Gloria Purvis Podcast

    354 Listeners

    Catholic Saints by Augustine Institute

    Catholic Saints

    1,000 Listeners

    Vatican & World News by Radio Vaticana - Vatican News

    Vatican & World News

    18 Listeners

    White Smoke - Pope Leo XIV the American Pope by Caloroga Shark Media

    White Smoke - Pope Leo XIV the American Pope

    17 Listeners