Because of his firsthand knowledge of the brutality of the Chinese communist state, Chen said he watched the Vatican’s rapprochement with China take shape with “intense shock and dismay.”

“What we currently know of the agreement is that the Vatican will cede selection of bishops in China to the Communist Party,” he said. “In exchange, the CCP will recognize the pope as the official head of the Catholic Church, and regular relations between the two states will be renewed.” MORE