VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis established a new Catholic diocese in China encompassing territory claimed by Beijing, aโ move announced September โข11, 2025,โค amid ongoing tensions over religious freedom adn control of โฃthe Church within the country. The newly formed diocese of Sanyuan, located in Shaanxi province, was created by splitting โthe existing โฃdiocese of Yan’an, a decision thatโฃ directly impacts the Catholic faithful in the region andโข escalates a long-simmering border dispute with Chinese authorities.
Theโ Vatican‘s โaction, โขwhile intended โto provide betterโค pastoral โcare for Catholics in the โฃarea, is likely to be viewed as a challenge to Beijing’sโฃ authority over religious institutions.โ China’s โgovernment operates its own state-sanctioned Catholic Church, separate from the Vatican, and routinely appoints bishops without papal approval – a key point of contention in China-Vatican relations. The creation of Sanyuan diocese underscores the โคHoly See’s insistence on its canonical rights within China,โค evenโ as it seeks a path toward greater dialog.Cardinal Stephen Chow,S.J., Bishop of Hongโฃ Kong, recently emphasized โthe importance of respectful dialogue with mainland authoritiesโข in navigating these complex issues. “He recognizes the importance of dialogue between the Church and the mainland authorities, and considers โขrespectful communication as the priority in addressing โขchallengesโข in China-Vatican relations,” Chow stated.
Theโ Vaticanโฃ has not publicly commented โฃon the timingโ of โthe Sanyuan diocese’s establishmentโ in relation to the ongoing disputeโค with Beijing. Though, the moveโ follows years of delicate negotiationsโ aimed at reaching a completeโข agreement regarding bishop appointments and the โฃstatus ofโ the Catholic Church in China. A provisional agreement signed in 2018, and renewed in 2022, has allowed โคfor a limited degree of cooperation, but significant disagreements remain.
The diocese of Yan’an, from which Sanyuan was carved, has beenโข a focal point ofโ contention. Chinese authorities have reportedly pressured Catholics to joinโค theโ state-sanctioned Church, and the appointment of bishops hasโ been a sourceโ of friction. The Vatican’s decisionโค to establish Sanyuan diocese appearsโฃ to be an attempt to clarify jurisdictional boundaries and ensureโ the spiritual needs of Catholics areโ met, despite the political complexities.
Courtney mares, Rome Correspondent for the Catholic News agency, reported on the development. She is the author of “Blessed Carlo Acutis: A Saint in Sneakers” (Ignatius, 2023).