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BEIJING, Jan. 5 (AP) — The presence of a former Hong Kong bishop and adviser to Taiwan’s leader at Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s funeral this week underscores the Vatican’s uneasy relationship with Communist-ruled China.
The Chinese government, which does not have formal diplomatic relations with the Vatican, has not commented on Benedict’s death and did not appear to send anyone to Thursday’s funeral.
Pope Francis, who succeeded Benedict XVI in 2013, sought to make amends with Beijing, moving beyond the hard line of his predecessor, signing an agreement in 2018 on the appointment of Chinese bishops. Meanwhile, the Vatican maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan, not China, one of the few governments that still does.
The former Hong Kong bishop, Cardinal Zen, who was present at the funeral, severely criticized the agreement concerning the bishop. In an Italian-language blog post this week, he praised Benedict, who in 2006 elevated Zen to the rank of cardinal.
“He cannot accept any compromise,” wrote Zen, 90, who was arrested last year after clashes with Hong Kong authorities over his involvement in the now-quiet pro-democracy movement.
Zeng said he was grateful for Benedict’s 2007 letter to Chinese Catholics in which he invited them to unite under his leadership and thanked him for his efforts to build a strong committee to deal with China. the affairs of the church.
China’s ruling Communist Party tightly controls organized religion, viewing it as a potential threat to its monopoly of power. People can worship in institutions that obey party rules. Some Christians have founded underground churches, which are considered illegal and harassed by authorities.
The agreement on Catholic bishops has been renewed twice, most recently last October for a further two years. A month later, a dispute erupted over the appointment of the auxiliary bishop of Jiangxi province, which the Vatican does not recognize as a diocese.
Full details of the agreement have never been made public, but Francis said he has the final say on the bishop’s choice. The Vatican has described the agreement as an imperfect one, which it hopes will ultimately lead to better conditions for Chinese Catholics.
Zen was detained in May on suspicion of collusion with foreign powers under Beijing’s national security law imposed after mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. He has not been formally charged, but he and five others were fined in a separate November case for failing to register a now-defunct fund set up to help arrested protesters.
Police confiscated his passport after his arrest, so he had to apply to court for permission to leave the city earlier this week.
Taiwan sent former official Chen Chien-jen, a devout Catholic, as a special envoy to Benedict XVI’s funeral. He is a scientist who served as President Tsai Ing-wen’s health minister and vice president from 2016 to 2020.
“Sending Chen is more symbolic than sending the current ambassador to the Vatican,” said Zhang Jialin, a professor of religion at Taiwan’s Alesia University.
Zhang said Benedict was not as enthusiastic about China as his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. The Vatican’s pivot to China began with Benedict, who reached out to Beijing, unsuccessfully.
John Paul sees Taiwan and Hong Kong as bridges connecting Chinese Catholics.
China and Taiwan split during a civil war in 1949, when the Communist Party came to power and defeated nationalists fled to the island of Taiwan.
China still considers Taiwan part of its territory and will not establish diplomatic ties with countries with official ties to the self-governing island. Only 14 governments, including the Vatican, recognize Taiwan instead of China.
Francesco Sisci, an expert on China-Vatican relations at Settimana News, an Italian center for Catholic studies, said the lack of contact made it difficult for China to send a representative to the pope’s funeral.
In 2005, China sent no one to John Paul’s funeral, Sisci said, although a foreign ministry delegation paid a private tribute to his body in a little-publicized event.
This could happen again, he said, although the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in China may complicate the situation. (Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the body of content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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