As the Guardian reports:
Mike Pompeo will visit the Vatican to protest against the imminent renewal of a deal between the Catholic church and China, which the US secretary of state claims endangers its moral authority. Pope Francis has reportedly declined to meet Pompeo during his visit this week, citing the closeness of the US election. However, such a move is likely to be linked to Pompeo’s recent attacks on the Vatican’s perceived soft-pedalling on China’s human rights record as the two sides prepare to extend a historic agreement signed two years ago. The details of the deal have never been made public, but it gave the Vatican a say in the appointment of Catholic bishops in China. Pope Francis also recognised eight bishops that had been appointed by Beijing without his approval. In the past two years, two new bishops have been appointed in China after consultation with the Vatican, and Chinese and Vatican officials met publicly for the first time in seven decades.
Perhaps the next step is to move the Pope to Hunan. It has a nice river and perhaps the Chinese Government can build a nice palace for a Chinese Pope. After all the last time the Church allowed the State to appoint clergy they moved to Avignon for almost a century. It was also during the 1348-1350 plague years as well. Nice set of coincidences.
But then again we may be lucky to get another Ockham who saw through this fallacy and set up the break from such Papal nonsense.
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