Pope Francis says that a secret diplomatic agreement with China, governing the appointment of new bishops, is working well, and he hopes it will be renewed in October.

In an interview with Reuters, the Pope conceded that the appointment of new Chinese bishops is “going slowly.” He suggested this was “the Chinese way,” adding “no one can rush them.”

Since the reached the accord with Beijing in 2018, allowing the Chinese regime to select episcopal candidates for the Pope’s approval, only six new Catholic bishops have been installed; about 40 more appointments are still overdue.

Defending the agreement—which has been criticized for allowing the Chinese government to select Church leaders—Pope Francis said that the Vatican was practicing the “martyrdom of patience.” He likened the situation to the Cold War diplomacy undertaken by Cardinal Agostino Casaroli when he was Vatican Secretary of State, which was also criticized for refusing to confront Communist regimes.