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Beijing has conditions for Vatican

China and the Vatican have held talks on establishing diplomatic ties but a breakthrough remains dependent on the Holy See agreeing to two demands, Beijing's religious affairs chief said in comments published yesterday.

Ye Xiaowen (葉小文), director of the State Administraton of Religious Affairs, told the China Daily that the Vatican must first sever links with Taiwan and refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs.

Two principles

"We can establish diplomatic relations with the Vatican very soon if the two principles are accepted," Ye was quoted as saying.

"But it is very hard for us to do so if the two principles are violated," he said.

Ye said no schedule had been set for the restoration of ties, which have been severed since 1951.

"The contact between us has been continuing all along but it is hard to set a timetable," he was quoted as saying.

Ye's comments followed those from the Vatican's foreign minister, Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, in which he said recently that "the time was ripe" for a normalization of Sino-Vatican relations.

Newly elevated Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen (陳日君) also reiterated last week that the Vatican was prepared to switch recognition from Taiwan to China if Beijing could give assurances that religious freedoms would be respected.

Yesterday Zen said that relations could be re-established in time for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

China and the Vatican could have diplomatic relations "as early as the Olympic Games," Zen said.

"I think it's a very reasonable target. The process may be long and it may be short. It depends on how they [China's leaders] open their way of seeing things," he said.

Appointments

Experts say the biggest obstacle remains Beijing's refusal to recognize the supreme authority of the pope over the appointment of his own bishops.

The government-backed Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association appoints its own bishops.

Zen said the Pope could give some ground on the issue.

"The Pope can make concessions without giving the whole authority to them [the Chinese authorities]. Surely he can listen to their opinion," he said.

"Maybe ... the Holy Father presents a list of names to them and they may veto some of those names, or give their preference," he said.

Zen, who does not play a formal role in the talks with Beijing but has taken an active interest in Sino-Vatican affairs, has said the Vatican was prepared to make such a move.

Ye said China must continue to appoint its own bishops but said the issue "may be open to consultation," according to the China Daily.

He did not elaborate.

Hopes that the two sides could end their 55-year impasse were raised with the installation one year ago of Pope Benedict XVI, who has indicated he would like to visit China soon.

Zen said last week low-level contact between China and the Vatican had increased since the death of the pope's predecessor, John Paul II.

China's official church has about four million worshippers, according to government figures, while the underground church loyal to Rome has about 10 million based on Vatican estimates.
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