Fortify Rights Urges Vatican to Reconsider 2028 China Deal as Christian Persecution Deepens
Updated
Updated · fortifyrights.org · Jul 16
Fortify Rights Urges Vatican to Reconsider 2028 China Deal as Christian Persecution Deepens
2 articles · Updated · fortifyrights.org · Jul 16
Summary
Fortify Rights called on Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican to overhaul ties with Beijing, saying China’s crackdown on Christians has reached its worst level since the Cultural Revolution.
The group said Xi Jinping’s decade-long “Sinicization of religion” drive has brought arrests, surveillance cameras in churches, destroyed crosses and pressure on believers to worship only in state-controlled churches.
Pope Leo was urged to pray publicly for persecuted Christians and for jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, 78, while warning Beijing that the bishops agreement due for renewal in 2028 could be suspended.
The appeal said Pastor Ezra Jin’s release after nearly 9 months in detention was a rare bright spot, but eight other Zion Church pastors and leaders remain detained.
Fortify Rights also questioned the US-China Catholic Association’s engagement with China, arguing any future dialogue should center on religious freedom and prisoner releases rather than symbolic outreach.
With Beijing rewriting Bibles and installing church surveillance, how are Chinese Christians secretly keeping their faith alive?
As its secret deal backfires, will the Vatican risk its China relationship to defend millions of persecuted Catholics?
Is Xi Jinping's demand for absolute loyalty creating the largest underground Christian movement in modern history?
The Vatican-China Provisional Agreement (2018–2028): Secret Diplomacy, Escalating Repression, and the Future of Catholicism in China
Overview
The report traces how decades of political intervention in the Catholic Church in China led to deep divisions and the rise of an underground community. After years of negotiation, the 2018 Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and China aimed to resolve these issues by regularizing bishop appointments and restoring unity among Chinese Catholics. Despite these intentions, ongoing government control and repression have limited the agreement’s effectiveness, leaving many Catholics facing difficult choices between loyalty to their faith and compliance with state demands. The Vatican now faces a strategic dilemma as it considers its next steps before the agreement’s renewal in 2028.