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The Vatican’s decision to renew the secretive Vatican-China deal amid Beijing’s crackdown on religious freedom conditions is making things worse for Catholics, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) members say.
USCIRF Commissioner David Curry (pictured) says “USCIRF is disappointed that the Vatican had decided to renew the provisional agreement with the Chinese government on Catholic bishop appointments”.
He and other commissioners think things have become worse for Catholics and other Christians and religious minorities in China since the deal was first brokered in 2018.
The secretive provisional deal between the Vatican and China was first agreed to in September 2018. It was renewed for another two years in October 2020 and again last month.
“USCIRF has observed significant deterioration in religious freedom conditions for all religious minorities, including Protestant Christians and Catholics, during the 10-year rule of Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping,” Curry says.
Rather than improvements in religious freedom for Catholics in China, Curry says it’s likely the deal has been used by the Chinese government to justify its crackdown on underground Catholics who refuse to join the state-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association.
The Vatican announced the renewal of the “Provisional Agreement regarding the appointment of Bishops” on 22 October.
“The Vatican Party is committed to continuing a respectful and constructive dialogue with the Chinese Party for a productive implementation of the Accord and further development of bilateral relations, with a view to fostering the mission of the Catholic Church and the good of the Chinese people,” the Vatican said when announcing the renewal.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, is defending the deal.
“Pope Francis — with determination and patient foresight — has decided to continue along this path not under the illusion of finding perfection in human rules, but in the concrete hope of being able to assure Chinese Catholic communities, even in such a complex context, of the guidance of pastors who are worthy and suitable for the task entrusted to them,” Parolin says.
However, the USCIRF’s 2022 annual report assessed that “despite the Vatican-China agreement on bishop appointments, authorities continued to harass and detain underground Catholic priests who refuse to join the state-controlled Catholic association”.
It added Beijing “also intensified persecution of Protestants by harassing, detaining, arresting and physically abusing leaders of Protestant house churches who refuse to join the state-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement.
“Authorities throughout China routinely raided churches, detained Christians and confiscated religious materials.
“The government also continued to demolish church buildings and crosses … under its ‘sinicisation of religion’ campaign.”
The USCIRF made similar warnings in 2021.
It said “Chinese authorities continued to harass, detain and torture underground Catholic bishops” despite the Vatican deal.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said last month “the two sides will continue to maintain close communication and consultation, work for the sound implementation of the provisional agreement, and continuously advance the process of improving relations”.
A Ministry official also claimed in late September: the Vatican-China deal “has been successfully implemented thanks to the efforts of both sides”.
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