The government-sanctioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) and Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC) have named a young priest from Beijing as their first ever spokesperson. The Vatican does not recognize either of the organizations, which were established in 1957 and 1980 respectively. Conference president, Bishop Joseph Ma Yinglin of Kunming, said having a spokesperson is “a new thing for the China Church, and is essential given the present situation following the Eighth National Congress of Catholic Representatives.” The congress last December re-elected the association and conference leaderships. Though the Vatican warned that attending it would run counter to communion with the pope, about 300 representatives including 45 bishops were present.