Perhaps you’ve heard the news that the Vatican and the Chinese government are on the verge of signing an agreement on appointing bishops, a deal that could re-establish relations between China and the Roman Catholic Church. Though not yet official, the deal is part of ongoing negotiations that have lasted for years. Today’s China Snapshot gives a brief explainer. (See also “In Caesar’s shadow,” Nov. 26, 2016.)

Pope Francis on Friday defended a Chilean bishop accused of covering up sexual assaults and said the accusations against him amounted to “calumny.” Bishop Juan Barros was the protégé of the Rev. Fernando Karadima, whom the Vatican dismissed in 2011 for assaulting dozens of minors over decades. Several victims said Barros knew about the assaults but did nothing. The case sparked further outrage in 2015 when the pope appointed him as bishop. “The day they bring me proof against Bishop Barros, I’ll speak,” Francis said. “There is not one shred of proof against him.

Pope Francis began his visit to Chile on Tuesday by begging for forgiveness for the “irreparable damage” done by priests who raped and molested children in a scandal that damaged the Catholic Church’s reputation in the country. Francis delivered his speech to Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, lawmakers, judges, and other officials at La Moneda palace in Santiago, Chile’s capital. “I am one with my other bishops, for it is right to ask for forgiveness and make every effort to support the victims, even as we commit ourselves to ensuring that such things do not happen again,” he said.

Cardinal Bernard Law, the former archbishop of Boston who was publicly disgraced for his failure to stop child molesters in the priesthood, died early Wednesday, according to the Vatican. He was 86. Law had been sick and was recently hospitalized. In 2002, The Boston Globe revealed that Law had orchestrated a cover-up plan to transfer dozens of abusive clergy from parish to parish without notifying parents or police.

A year ago, I wrote a story about the fiery, 85-year-old former Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong and his staunch opposition to an agreement between the Chinese government and the Vatican, which at the time was believed to be months away. The Chinese Communist Party cut ties with the Vatican in 1951.

Cardinal George Pell, a senior Vatican official, on Thursday took a leave of absence after authorities from his native Australia filed multiple sexual assault charges against him. Pell, 76, had served as an archbishop in both Melbourne and Sydney. Victoria state Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton announced the charges early Thursday and said there are several complainants against Pell, who faces multiple counts of “historical sexual assault offenses.” Pell is set to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18.

Pope Francis encouraged Egypt’s Coptic Christians to remain hopeful during his weekend visit to the country which followed heightened attacks against Christians in the past month. The pope’s trip also included a call for more tolerance as he visited the country’s top Islamic institution and met with Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.