The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) stressed yesterday that the Holy See has never severed ties with its diplomatic allies, in response to a Hong Kong Catholic leader's claim that the Vatican wants to cut formal relations with Taiwan and recognize China.
Hong Kong Bishop Joseph Zen (
The report did not say whether Zen thought that the death of Pope John Paul II -- an ardent campaigner against communism -- would create new momentum for establishing ties with the communist government in Beijing.
"The Holy See has been thinking of giving up Taiwan. This is a difficult [decision], but it has decided to do it," Zen was quoted as saying.
"There is, however, no way that [it would] do so before negotiations. We have got to start the negotiation before talking about what we can give," he was reported as saying.
"If the Chinese government is willing to grant real freedom to the church in mainland China, then the Vatican would reluctantly be willing to give up its diplomatic relations with Taiwan," the bishop said yesterday.
"The unfair thing is, Beijing wants the Vatican to stop its relations with Taiwan first before it will talk with the Vatican," he said.
Zen said church officials in Taiwan would understand the move.
"If the Holy See does not establish ties with China, Catholics there will not have real freedom," he said.
Archbishop Joseph Cheng (鄭在發) of the Archdiocese of Taipei admitted on Sunday that the Vatican, Taiwan's only diplomatic ally in Europe, has actively sought to establish official relations with Beijing but said that the Holy See will never give up Taiwan.
Cheng was unavailable for comment yesterday. A guard at the Archdiocese of Taipei said the archbishop was off because yesterday was Tomb Sweeping Day.
Michel Lu (呂慶龍), spokesman of MOFA, said the Vatican views China's demand that it cut ties with Taiwan as an "unbelievable" request. The Holy See never proposed to sever ties with any of its allies in its history, Lu said.
"Our understanding is that Bishop Zen made the comment during a mass. He said the Vatican would reluctantly be willing to give up its diplomatic relations with Taiwan if the Chinese government is willing to grant real freedom to the church in China," Lu said.
The Chinese government is confronted with "a huge challenge" from the Vatican, which wants China to grant religious freedom to Catholics in the country, Lu said.
China does not want the Vatican to "interfere" in its domestic affairs and clashes with the Holy See over the appointment of Catholic priests, Lu said.
The Holy See's representative in Taipei, Monsignor Ambrose Madtha, on Monday extended the Vatican's invitation to President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to attend John Paul II's funeral on Friday.
The president might send an envoy to join the pontiff's funeral on his behalf, Lu said.
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