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Hong Kong, 14th June 2005 (CNA)
- During a luncheon Tuesday at the Foreign
Correspondents' Club in Hong Kong, Bishop Joseph
Zen told reporters that the Vatican's policy on
China has not changed under Pope Benedict XVI and
that the Vatican desires to make every effort in
order to normalize relations with Beijing.
A major sticking point in the establishment
of relations has been the appointment of Catholic
bishops. The Vatican has the sole right to do
this; however, as it has with the government of
Cuba, Bishop Zen suggested that the Vatican might
want to compromise on the issue, "not to surrender
completely, but to make some compromise so that
the Beijing government may also have some say in
that appointment of bishops".
China also demands the Vatican severe
relations with Taiwan and refrain from
"interfering" in China's internal affairs – for
instance, agitating for religious freedom - before
relations can be restored. Bishop Zen conceded
that a switch to relations with Beijing would come
at the expense of Taipei, with which the Vatican
currently has diplomatic relations.
"The Holy See is ready to switch diplomatic
relations with Taiwan to Beijing. Until now the
Holy See never unilaterally abandoned any friend,"
he said. "So this time, it may be forced to make a
painful decision, because otherwise the China
authority would not accept dialogue with the Holy
See”. But, the bishop cautioned, the Vatican
should only accept normalization if Beijing will
guarantee genuine religious freedom. "The Vatican
should be sure that the Beijing government is
going to grant a real religious freedom. It's
unfair to switch diplomatic relations and to start
negotiations later. Nobody works that way," he
added.
Relations between Beijing and the Holy See
have been severed for more than 50 years, since
the Communists took power at the end of China's
civil war and expelled the Vatican's ambassador in
1951--a move that was followed by the severance of
diplomatic ties.
Bishop Zen says the Vatican has tried to
discuss a restoration of ties with China in the
past, but he says Beijing in recent years has not
shown any interest in pursuing the matter despite
visits by Vatican officials to the mainland.
The government only allows Catholics to
worship in the state-sanctioned church, and
officials and followers of the underground,
Vatican-affiliated Church often face
persecution.
The government's Patriotic Catholic church
claims 4 million believers, but foreign experts
say the unofficial church has 12 million
followers. Bishop Zen said that both groups of
Catholics would unite if China allowed them to
have ties with the Vatican. "When they hear the
voice of the Holy Father, they'll all be ready to
obey," assured the Prelate, adding that there
should not be a problem integrating the two groups
because many of the bishops in the
government-sanctioned church are already
recognized by the Vatican.
Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule in 1997,
but under the "one country, two systems"
principle, retains the freedoms it enjoyed under
British colonial rule. The Catholic Church in Hong
Kong is officially under Vatican supervision and
operates without
restrictions.
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