Free Republic

China’s Sinicization of Religion DeepensThe Sino-Vatican deal continues to empower the CCP to subjugate Catholicism in China under Marxist ideology.On September 29, 2025, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Xi Jinping demanded that the pace of Sinicization of religions—that of bringing them in line with the principles of Maoism, which sought the total eradication of religion through the destruction of thousands of houses of worship and the imprisonment, torture, and murder of religious leaders and laypersons—be stepped up. The “Red Emperor” explicitly demanded an “acceleration” of this process, describing it as essential to promote “religious meekness, ethnic harmony,...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope Leo XIV cannot afford to compromise with the CCP any furtherPope Leo XIV faces a crucial litmus test for international diplomacy and moral leadership as he inherits the Vatican’s controversial bilateral ties with Communist China under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The contentious and clandestine 2018 Sino-Vatican deal wasrenewed most recently for another four years in November 2024, permiting the Vatican and Chinese authorities to jointly oversee episcopal appointments in China’s state-sanctioned church.As the present head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV has a lot on his plate. In the context of Asia, the new...

[Catholic Caucus] The Next Pope Needs a Better China Policyeforming the Vatican’s policy on China should be a priority of the next papacy. The current approach is defined by the Vatican’s controversial 2018 agreement with China to share power with Beijing in the appointment of Catholic bishops. It severely compromises the Catholic Church in China and erodes papal religious and moral authority.Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Cardinal Parolin is the architect of the China deal and its chief enthusiast. Beijing has not-so-subtly signaled that he is China’s top pick for the next pope. At a press conference on April 22—one...

[Catholic Caucus] Chinese Catholics plead with cardinals: ‘Do not let our suffering be in vain’(Stella Maris Media) — First and foremost, the Church in China mourns the loss of our Holy Father, Pope Francis. Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace.Now that the pontificate of Pope Francis has come to an end, and the cardinals are preparing to gather in conclave to elect the next Holy Pontiff, I write this open letter to you – cardinal electors – with a burdened conscience and a deep sense of urgency.This is not a letter campaigning for...