Once again the Vatican has announced the ordination of a Chinese bishop— after the fact.

As I explained last week, the Vatican ordinarily announces the Pope’s appointment of a new bishop, and then the episcopal ordination is scheduled. But for the 2nd time this month the process has been reversed.

The Vatican announced today that Bishop Francis Xavier Duan Yongkun was ordained on July 29—that is, earlier today—as coadjutor bishop of Bameng, with the Pope “having approved his candidacy within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China.” According to the announcement, the Pope approved the nomination on June 15, but curiously, it was not announced at that time.

Putting the best possible interpretation on this sequence of announcements, it seems evident that Rome and Beijing are not communicating very well about episcopal appointments. And given Beijing’s track record of contempt for the Vatican’s authority, the “best possible interpretation” is not likely accurate.