Vatican extends agreement with China

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) criticizes the Holy See's kowtow to the Chinese Communist Party. The Vatican has quietly extended its "Provisional Agreement" with the People's Republic, which, from the viewpoint of the STP, is questionable in terms of human rights – and also not very goal-oriented: "In the first two years, this agreement did not help to improve the situation of the Catholic believers in the Peoples' Republic," stated Ulrich Delius, the STP's Director. "Instead of a decrease, we see an increase in violations of the freedom of religion in China – while there is hardly ever any criticism of Beijing's actions from Rome.

In an extremely brief communication regarding the extension, the Vatican yesterday called the Concordat a success. "However, it was actually only a success for China's rulers. The state-recognized part of the church is controlled by the party leadership, and there are measures to suppress public criticism on the part of believers who do not want to submit to this control," Delius criticized. "Especially in Hong Kong, where the Christian community is under pressure for supporting the democracy movement, this self-imposed muzzle is fatal. The Catholic Church has given up its position as a moral authority in China – thus weakening its position as a moral authority all over the world."

The "Provisional Agreement" was signed in September 2018. Among other things, it was intended to end the decades-long conflict between China's leadership and the Vatican over the appointment of new bishops. The exact content of the agreement is still not fully known. "The lack of transparency will not help to build trust. If the Vatican had made substantial concessions for its congregation, it would certainly want to inform it," Delius criticized. However, even members of the recognized churches in China still have to hide their religiosity in public. Furthermore, crosses are removed from churches, church buildings are destroyed, and people are punished for their religious belief. In view of the extension of the agreement, the situation will probably not change during the next two years.