Various commentaries appeared online after the signing of the Sino-Vatican provisional agreement on bishop appointments on Sept. 22, but, frankly speaking, it is very hard to find a comprehensive one in the mainland media except those we call “sunflower” (pro-government) articles.

Most are written by church members or academics, and it is obvious that they feel reluctant to express all their ideas.

If they had expressed all their thoughts, their articles and even their online platforms could have been blocked. To say whatever you want can result in you not being allowed to say anything at all. The result is that commentators self-censor, making it impossible for readers to understand their entire viewpoints.

The Sino-Vatican agreement, for the Vatican, is for pastoral purposes, but for China it is purely and simply a political agreement. As such, we need to analyze it under a political micro-scope to have a deeper under-standing.

Secret contacts between China and the Vatican have been conducted for several decades. As everyone knows, the Vatican is far more anxious and urgent than China in this matter. China has always regarded the power to appoint bishops as a non-negotiable part of its national sovereignty.