As the Vatican is preparing to cave in to the demands of the Chinese regime in exchange for the resumption of diplomatic relations with China, a world-renowned Chinese dissident has come out to condemn the Vatican’s move as a moral betrayal of faithful Catholics worldwide, in an article titled, “The Vatican Is Making a Deal With the Devil.”
It was reported recently that the Vatican under Pope Francis and the People’s Republic of China are close to reaching an historic deal regarding the resumption of diplomatic relations, as the Vatican has acquiesced to the Chinese regime’s demands regarding the appointment of bishops in China. An agreement could be signed within a matter of a few months, according to a Vatican source.
The move is seen as a stunning reversal of the Vatican’s decades-long stance on the issue and has generated widespread criticism of Pope Francis’s leadership. Critics point out that giving up the right to appoint bishops would formally deprive the Vatican of any remaining moral and de facto leadership over Chinese Catholics. It would also, critics say, be a blatant betrayal of China’s underground house church Catholics, who are still heavily persecuted by the Chinese regime.
Among the critics of the deal is Chen Guangcheng, a famous Chinese human rights lawyer who gained international attention in 2012 for escaping house arrest and making his way to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. Chen has since resided in the United States and has continued his civil rights advocacy and vocal criticism of the Chinese regime.
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