THE HOLY SEE’S deal with China is a remarkable diplomatic coup that gives the Catholic Church a platform for evangelisation in the world’s most populous country – or it is a craven succumbing to Beijing’s communist leaders by a naive Pope Francis.

The New York Times last month gave Cardinal Joseph Zen, 86, the retired Bishop of Hong Kong, space on its front page to explain why the accord is a step towards “the annihilation of the real Church in China”. In order to assess fairly the impact of the new Vatican-China agreement, we would have to know what is actually happening on the ground – and it is very difficult to get accurate and reliable information.

Someone with testimony worth hearing is Fr Kevin O’Neill, a former Superior General of the Missionary Society of St Columban, who is now based in Hong Kong.