Ms Chen's ordeal began in 2003 when her husband was imprisoned for attempting to breach a quarantine during a Sars epidemic, according to the Global Times newspaper.
In his home country of Argentina, however, some critics have raised questions about the pope's actions during years of military dictatorship, when two priests in his order were imprisoned by authorities.
"We should not be sending people to be tried in foreign courts and then, if convicted, imprisoned away from family and friends when it is perfectly feasible to try them in the courts in this country, " she said.