(LifeSiteNews) — Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo, a leader of China’s underground Catholic Church who endured decades of persecution under the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has died at 90 years old. Yet his passing has drawn no official response from the Vatican. Bishop Jia, long targeted for his pastoral ministry, was repeatedly arrested by the Communist Party.

Starting in 1962, Bishop Jia endured multiple prison terms, ranging from periods of house arrest to as long as 15 years in confinement, for refusing to submit to the regime’s state-sanctioned church. His arrests marked significant stoppages in negotiations between Rome and China.

In 2009, Jia’s arrest led to a stalemate in negotiations between the Vatican and China’s state-approved Catholic Patriotic Association. Under the pontificate of Benedict XVI, Rome expressed caution in its relations with Chinese prelates, as persecution of the underground Church loyal to the Vatican intensified.

“Situations of this kind create obstacles to that constructive dialogue with the competent authorities.… This is not, unfortunately, an isolated case,” stated the Vatican commission.

After the Sino-Vatican agreement, overseen by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, this tone changed. As tensions grow within the Vatican regarding the Provisional Agreement with China, which grants the CCP authority in the appointment of bishops, many members of China’s underground Catholic Church feel abandoned by Rome.

The Vatican insisted in L’Osservatore Romano that the agreement was in the name of “unity.”

“The main purpose of the Provisional Agreement on the Appointment of Bishops in China is to support and promote the proclamation of the Gospel in those lands, reconstituting the full and visible unity of the Church,” stated the Vatican.

The unity the Vatican sought to achieve has yet to materialize, as persecution of Catholics in China continues.

Jia operated an orphanage in China for 30 years, enduring constant pressure from the Chinese government to remove the children from his care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the CCP reportedly attempted to make him sign an agreement allowing his church to remain open only if he promised that no children under 18 would attend.

In an interview with La Stampa in 2016, Bishop Jia explained how he was able to undergo such intense persecution.

“All we needed was to have God in our heart,” stated Jia.

“This is what sustained and protected me all that time. So it is His doing, not mine. There were many difficulties along the way but God stood by my side and that was enough for me. Our minds were at rest because we placed all our trust in the Lord. Sometimes difficulties can also help us grow, trusting and loving Jesus.”