Pope announces 3 Chinese bishops in a week, reorganizes diocese under a controversial 2018 accord

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has announced the nomination of a new Chinese bishop, the third in less than a week. Bishop Peter Wu Yishun was consecrated bishop of Minbei in southeast China. The Vatican says all three nominations took place “within the framework” of the 2018 Vatican-China accord. The 2018 deal aimed to unite China’s estimated 12 million Catholics, who have been divided between an official church and an underground church loyal to Rome. Critics have said the accord was a sellout of the underground Chinese Catholics who endured persecution to remain loyal to the pope.