September 22, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) — As someone who, over the years, has helped underground Catholics in China build churches and open orphanages, I believe that the "provisional agreement" is a betrayal of the Catholic Church in China.

Then the Vatican Secretariat of State, which has representatives in all but a handful of countries around the world, decided to enter into formal talks with the PRC. Pietro Cardinal Parolin, who had earlier been involved with the establishment of diplomatic relations with Mexico and ongoing negotiations with Vietnam, was put in charge of the effort. He established direct contact with Beijing in 2005 with the goal of signing a written agreement with the atheistic regime over the appointment of bishops. This was a major blunder on several counts.