The US Commission on International Religious Freedom was dismayed by the renewal of the secret Vatican-Beijing agreement on the appointment of Catholic bishops, a commission member told Crux.

Stephen Schneck, a Catholic who was appointed to the commission by President Biden, said that “it looks to me that China may in fact be using this agreement to crackdown further on underground Catholics in China.” Speaking for himself, h e said, “the Holy See should rethink its decision to dance with Xi on this whole business.”