Pope Leo XIV has made his first appointment of a Chinese bishop less than a month after taking office, signaling his intention to continue improving the relationship between the Vatican and China. The newly appointed bishop, Lin Yuntuan, has been designated as the auxiliary bishop of the Fuzhou Diocese in Fujian Province. This appointment has been widely recognized by both the Vatican and China, demonstrating a commitment to the historic agreement reached in 2018 regarding bishop appointments.

This agreement allows Chinese officials to have a say in the appointment of bishops, although the specific details have not been fully disclosed to the public. Beijing insists that bishop appointments must receive state approval, which contradicts the Church's stance that such decisions are made by the Pope.

China currently has millions of Catholics who face the choice of attending government-approved churches or secretly gathering in underground churches loyal to the Vatican. The Vatican stated on Wednesday that Lin Yuntuan's appointment has been “recognized” by Chinese law, welcoming this development as another success in dialogue between the Holy See and Chinese authorities.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry noted that this appointment indicates the “smooth implementation” of the 2018 agreement and expressed a desire to continue improving relations with the Vatican. Scholars in China and abroad indicate that the Pope's actions reflect a willingness for reconciliation rather than confrontation and suggest that there may not be significant changes in Vatican-China relations in the near future.