US Secretary of State Pompeo appeals Pope Francis to call out human rights violations in China

On Wednesday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appealed to Vatican to call out China for its continued practice of human rights violations in Xinjiang province and abuse of religious freedom by attacking Uyghur Muslim minorities in the region. Pompeo expressed that the catholic church presided by Pope Francis must lead the battle against human rights violations with China.

The appeal was made by Pompeo at a religious freedom symposium organized by US Embassy to the Holy See. This is also a period when Vatican is entering a crucial stage of negotiations with China to extend its “controversial agreement over Bishop nominations. Pompeo called out leader of every religious faith to call out China against its suppression of religious freedom of people of Xinjiang.

Pompeo said, “We must support those demanding freedom in our time.” Pointing at Pope Francis he added, “To be a church ‘permanently in a state of mission’ has many meanings.” He added, “Surely one of them is to be a church permanently in defense of basic human rights.” Pompeo had written an article for First Things, the conservative magazine and had suggested in the article that the Vatican had compromised its moral authority as it signed the 2018 accord with Beijing. The Vatican did not perceive the article in a good taste. On Thursday, Pompeo is scheduled to meet the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.