Even as China and the Vatican are reportedly coming close to an agreement on the appointment of Chinese bishops, controversy and confusion continue to pervade the Catholic world both in and outside China.

On Monday, Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-Kiun escalated the debate by rebuffing the words of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, as 'specious fallacies,' warning that the Vatican's deal with China will force China's underground communities 'into a bird cage.'