ROME — The Vatican is pulling out all the stops to woo Beijing into full diplomatic relations, according to veteran Vatican journalist John L. Allen, Jr.
In an article Sunday in Crux, a U.S.-based online Catholic news outlet, Allen wrote that the Vatican is “covetous of a relationship with China, and often apparently willing to stifle objections and give away a great deal” in order to make headway.
In short, “the Vatican is moving full-steam ahead in its courtship of Beijing, with the ultimate prize remaining full diplomatic relations, a secure legal standing for the church, and partnerships on the global stage,” Allen wrote.
His case in point was the notorious 2018 provisional accord between the Holy See and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on the naming of Chinese bishops, a move that received an avalanche of criticism at the time, which has only been aggravated by ongoing CCP aggressions against Christians in the country after the deal was inked. …