Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky had a private audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican Photo: Vatican Media

Communist China recognizes 94-year-old Catholic bishop Melchiorre Shi Honghzen

In the latest development of the Agreement between China and the Holy See, authortities recognise the ‘underground’ prelate long under arrest for refusing to join the Patriotic Association as leader of the local Catholic community. Archbishop Celli had met him two years ago and presented him with a pectoral cross in the name of Francis. Today’s ceremony was held in a hotel and not in the cathedral to reaffirm aappointment’s civil rather than canonical character.