Sunday service with the Vatican at their sight after a bishop said the "Holy See" is "anxious" to establish diplomatic relations with neighboring China in exchange for "more religious freedom".
Beijing sees Taiwan as a renegade province and only wants official ties with nations that have no diplomatic relations with the island. The Vatican, which was the only country to recognize Taiwan, may therefore be prepared to end its official ties with Taiwan, said Hong Kong’s Bishop Joseph Zen.
However he told secular and Catholic media that Pope Benedict XVI it is only willing to make these concessions if Beijing allows "more religious freedom".
A major sticking point in the establishment of relations has been the appointment of Catholic bishops. The Vatican traditionally insists that it has the sole right to do this. Beijing, wary of allowing its people to pledge allegiance to the Vatican or any other foreign power, has insisted on appointing the leaders of the officially sanctioned Patriotic Catholic Church.
CHINA’S GOVERNMENT
In a move that was expected to raise eyebrows among Christian groups, Bishop Zen suggested however that the Vatican might want to compromise on the issue, "as it has with the government of Cuba," by allowing the Chinese government to approve the Vatican’s appointments.
"Not to surrender completely, but to make some compromise so that the Beijing government may also have some say in that appointment," he said in widely quoted statements. 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 is forced to make a painful decision, because otherwise the China authority would not accept dialogue with the Holy See."
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
China demands the Vatican cut relations with Taiwan, and refrain from "interfering" in China’s internal affairs – by agitating for religious freedom – before relations can be restored. But Bishop Zen said the Vatican should only accept normalization if Beijing will guarantee genuine religious freedom.
"It’s unfair to switch diplomatic relations and to start negotiations [on religious freedoms] later. Nobody works that way," added Bishop Zen. "So the Vatican should be sure that the Beijing government is going to grant a real religious freedom."
The Patriotic Catholic Association claims 4 million believers, but foreign experts say the underground Catholic Church has 12 million followers, the Voice of America (VOA) reported this week.
UNITING GROUPS
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 association 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.
Church watchers have raised doubts about Beijing intentions to make life easier for the up to 80 million Christians, who human rights group Open Doors has described as "the single largest" persecuted religious minority in the world.
MAJOR CRACKDOWN
This week BosNewsLife reported that a major human rights group said obtained a copy of a government document outlining China’s "new offensive" on underground house churches.
The Voice of the Martyrs Canada (VOMC) said the document reads in part: "We have dealt with the Falun-gong [sect]. We have arrested and put their leaders on the run. Now we must resolutely and strongly deal with the unregistered house churches. They are too numerous — too many. We must deal with them strongly."
Better relations between the Vatican and Beijing would fulfill a dream of late Pope John Paul II who was never able to visit China during his 26-year papacy. (With Stefan J. Bos, BosNewsLife Research and reports from China)
