An Overview of the Catholic Church in Post-Mao China

Abstract

This chapter offers an account of the Chinese Catholic Church since 1978, when China opened its doors and John Paul II initiated his pontificate. John Paul II closely followed events in China, hoping to make a breakthrough in the relationship between the two sides. Pope Benedict XVI wrote a letter to Chinese Catholics in 2007. In 2013, the election of Pope Francis was compared to the inauguration of Xi Jinping. Ideological nationalism under the “Sinicization” program of Xi Jinping is a great challenge to Christianity today. The 2018 provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops was a breakthrough in Sino-Vatican relations. Nevertheless, the difficulties for the Catholic faithful, in both the official or underground communities, are far from being over.