The Vatican is aiming to renew its secret provisional agreement with China as Chinese President Xi Jinping’s regime becomes more totalitarian and ruthless.

Since the Sino-Vatican deal was originally signed on Sept. 22, 2018, China has carried out genocidal atrocities against Uighur Muslims, breached its treaty with the United Kingdom on Hong Kong’s sovereignty, and deceived the world about the coronavirus. For Pope Francis, nothing should speak to Beijing’s bad faith and contempt for human dignity louder than the regime’s recent treatment of the Chinese Catholic Church itself.