Pope John Paul II apologized to China yesterday for "errors" in the Roman Catholic Church's missions there and pleaded for the establishment of diplomatic ties.
China yesterday, responding to the plea, insisted that the Vatican must drop its recognition of Taiwan and agree not to exercise direct control over Chinese Catholics before diplomatic relations between the Vatican and Beijing can resume.
PHOTO: AP
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi (
"We are ready to improve relations with the Vatican," Sun told a regular news conference.
"We have emphasized that it cannot interfere with China's internal affairs using the pretext of religious issues," he said. "If they can accept this principle in the future, the two of us can be like other states," Sun said.
When asked to comment on the Pope's plea yesterday, Katharine Chang (張小月), spokeswoman for the nation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said ties between Taiwan and the Vatican remain "very firm."
Chang also called for further cooperation between Taiwan and the Holy See to jointly fight for the religious freedom of China's vast population.
The Chinese Communist government severed diplomatic ties with the Vatican in the 1950s, expelled Roman Catholic and other Christian missionaries and forced believers to register with state-approved religious organizations.
Yet according to the Vatican, some 8 million Chinese Catholics remain secretly loyal to the Pope and Beijing fears the political influence this gives the Holy See.
China has insisted that better ties depend on the Vatican cutting its formal links with Taiwan.
"Our conditions are very clear," Sun said. "Contact through diplomatic channels has been going on."
Wednesday, the pope tried to smooth grievances from the past, saying, "I feel deep sadness for the errors and limits of the past, and I regret that these failings may have given the impression of a lack of respect and esteem for the Chinese people, making them feel that the church was motivated by feelings of hostility toward China."
Secretary-general of Taiwan Bishop's Conference John Baptist Wu (
"The Pope's statement simply reflected his goodwill" to try to establish channels for dialogue between the Holy See and China that seek to secure the rights of the Catholic population on Chinese soil, which is around 10 million according to the Holy See's estimation, Wu said.
"But the issue of establishing ties between the two sides will be contingent upon China's attitude toward religious freedom instead of that of the Holy See," Wu stressed.
The Holy See harbors bitter memories of the imprisonment of Catholic priests in China and has accused Beijing of persecuting millions of ordinary worshippers loyal to the Pope.
Relations between the Holy See and Beijing have been particularly tense since last year when the church canonized 120 Chinese as martyrs. Beijing has called these people criminals and traitors and has denounced the church's association with colonial powers.
The Pope also faces pressure from Taiwanese cardinals and conservative elements within the Vatican who would see a switch of allegiance as a betrayal of Taiwan and the underground church, a Western diplomat said.
The pope on Wednesday was speaking at a ceremony in Rome commemorating the opening of the mission in Beijing. "The present moment of profound disquiet in the international community," the pope said, "calls for a fervent commitment on the part of everyone to creating and developing ties of understanding, friendship and solidarity among peoples.
"In this context, the normalization of relations between the People's Republic of China and the Holy See would undoubtedly have positive repercussions for humanity's progress."
The pope said the church "is familiar with the significant advances made in recent times in the social, economic and educational spheres, and also with the difficulties that remain.
"Once the misunderstandings of the past have been overcome, a dialogue would make it possible for us to work together for the good of the Chinese people and for peace in the world."
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