Concerning!
I don't know or don't remember what the deals were like between the catholic church and the former Soviet Union. If I remember correctly, the Polish Pope John Paul II (1978-2005) fiercely retained/defended some independence for the catholic church in then communist Poland.
"Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin — a close ally of Francis, the Vatican’s secretary of state, and the architect of the controversial deal with China — is considered among the top frontrunners by many Vatican watchers. But even if Parolin is not the next pope, the successor to Francis will have to decide what to do with the deal as the Chinese Communist Party continues to strengthen its grip over Catholics in China.
The Chinese government said the number of Catholics in China numbered roughly 6 million in 2018, according to the Pew Research Center. The Holy Spirit Study Centre in Hong Kong estimated there were 10 million Catholics in China in 2020. Asia Harvest, a non-denominational Christian ministry, estimated that in 2020 there were 8.2 million Catholics in the Chinese government-run Catholic church in China and 11.7 million Catholics in underground churches in the country.
The existence of the Sino-Vatican deal — referred to as a "provisional agreement" whose specific text remains secret at the behest of both the CCP and the Vatican — was first announced in 2018 and has been renewed multiple times, most recently in October 2024 when the deal was extended all the way to 2028. What is publicly known about the "Provisional Agreement regarding the Appointment of Bishops" is that it has given the CCP unprecedented sway over the selection of Catholic prelates in China. ..."
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