China and the Vatican
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2017 SOPA AWARDS NOMINATION BISHOPCHINAfor EXPLANATORY AND THE VATICAN REPORTING Part 1 Pope Francis, seen here in a photomontage with Chinese President Xi Jinping, has been sending overtures to Beijing since he became pope in March 2013, signaling he wants to transform the frigid relations between the Vatican and China. Pictures by Jason Lee and Stefano Rellandini Inside their secret negotiations China and the Vatican BY LISA JUCCA, BENJAMIN KANG LIM, GREG TORODE, PHILIP PULLELLA AND NATALIE THOMAS JULY 14 — DECEMBER 23 HONG KONG/BEIJING/ROME/CHENGDU 2017 SOPA AWARDS EXPLANATORY REPORTING 1 CHINA AND THE VATICAN Part 1 has the authority to select and ordain bishops in China, several of the sources told Reuters. The group is also trying to settle a dispute over eight bishops who were appointed by Beijing but did not get papal approval — an act of defi- ance in the eyes of the Vatican. In what would be a dramatic breakthrough, the pope is preparing to pardon the eight, possibly as early as this summer, paving the way to further detente, say Catholic sources with knowledge of the deliberations. A signal of Francis’ deep desire for After decades rapprochement with China came last year in the form of a behind-the-scenes effort by the Vatican to engineer the first-ever meet- of mistrust, ing between the head of the Roman Catholic Church and the leader of the Chinese Communist Party. Aides to the pope tried to Pope pushes for arrange a meeting when both Francis and Chinese President Xi Jinping were in New York in late September to address the United breakthrough Nations General Assembly. The meeting didn’t happen. But the over- ture didn’t go unnoticed in Beijing. with China While the two sides have said they are discussing the issue of the bishops, Catholic sources gave Reuters the most detailed account BY LISA JUCCA, BENJAMIN KANG LIM AND yet of the negotiations and the secret steps the GREG TORODE Vatican has taken to pave the way to a deal. The current talks come more than six JULY 14 HONG KONG/BEIJING decades after victorious Communist Party leaders, having vanquished the Nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek, expelled Vatican ope Francis is leading a determined envoy Antonio Riberi from Beijing in 1951 push to fundamentally alter the rela- as they banished missionaries and began a tionship between the Vatican and crackdown on organized religion. The Vatican China, which for decades has been remains the only Western state that does not Pinfused with mutual suspicion and acrimony. have diplomatic ties with Beijing, maintaining Interviews with some two dozen Catholic offi- instead formal relations with the Republic of cials and clergy in Hong Kong, Italy and main- China, based in Taiwan, which Beijing views as land China, as well as sources with ties to the a renegade province. leadership in Beijing, reveal details of an agree- For the Vatican, a thaw in relations with ment that would fall short of full diplomatic ties China offers the prospect of easing the plight but would address key issues at the heart of the of Christians on the mainland who for decades bitter divide between the Vatican and Beijing. have been persecuted by the authorities. It A working group with members from both may also ultimately pave the way to diplomatic sides was set up in April and is discussing relations, giving the Church full access to the how to resolve a core disagreement over who world’s most populous nation. 2017 SOPA AWARDS EXPLANATORY REPORTING 2 CHINA AND THE VATICAN Part 1 An official relationship with China “would deal with Beijing. Catholic clergy belonging to crown a dream that the Catholic Church has the underground church have been detained cultivated for many centuries: to establish a and jailed through the years, and several bish- regular presence in China through stable diplo- ops have died in prison, according to Catholic matic ties,” said Elisa Giunipero, a researcher sources who monitor the situation on the at the Catholic University of Milan who has mainland. studied the history of the Catholic Church in The Catholic Church in China, where there China for 20 years. are an estimated eight to 10 million devotees, For China, improved relations could is divided into two communities: the “official” burnish its international image and soften crit- church, which is represented by the state-sanc- icism of its human rights record. It would also tioned Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, be an important step in prizing the Vatican and the “underground” church, which swears away from Taiwan, handing China an import- allegiance solely to the pope in Rome. Scholars ant diplomatic victory in its efforts to isolate estimate the number of Christians in China the self-governing island. belonging to all denominations may be as Spokespeople for the two sides acknowl- many as 70 million. edged the talks are continuing but declined to Despite resistance in some quarters of the answer detailed questions about them. Catholic Church, including in Hong Kong, Pope “The aim of the contacts between the Holy Francis has made improved ties with China a See and Chinese representatives is not primar- priority, and a tight-knit circle of envoys and ily that of establishing diplomatic relations, but advisers around the pontiff are working on a that of facilitating the life of the Church and deal, multiple sources told Reuters. contributing to making relations in ecclesial After he was elected pope in March 2013, life normal and serene,” Vatican spokesman Francis sent a message to Xi congratulating Father Federico Lombardi told Reuters. him on having become president of China. “We are willing, on the basis of the rele- Then, while flying over China in August 2014 vant principles, to continue having construc- on the way to Seoul — the first time Beijing had tive dialogue with the Vatican side, to meet allowed a pope to enter its airspace — the pope each other halfway and jointly promote the sent his best wishes to Xi and the Chinese people. continued forward development of the process The next month, Francis sent a letter to Xi via of improving bilateral ties,” China’s Foreign Argentinean politician Ricardo Romano, who Ministry said. “(We) hope the Vatican can had met the future pope when Francis was the likewise take a flexible and pragmatic attitude archbishop of Buenos Aires, inviting the Chinese and create beneficial conditions for improving leader to a meeting, Romano told Reuters. bilateral relations.” In early February this year, the pope sent wishes to Xi for the Chinese New Year, the country’s most important holiday. And on his A PAPAL INVITE way back to Rome from Mexico two weeks Forging an agreement won’t be easy. There is later, the pope told a news conference on the resistance on both sides. plane that he would “really love” to visit China. Among Chinese leaders, there is concern that a deal would give the Vatican a power- ful foothold on the mainland, challenging the NEW YORK RENDEZVOUS Communist Party’s absolute authority. An early indication that Pope Francis was In the “underground” church in China, serious about improving relations with China whose members have been systematically was his appointment in August 2013 of then persecuted for decades by the authorities, Archbishop Pietro Parolin as his Secretary many devotees may feel betrayed by a Vatican of State, the highest ranking diplomat in the 2017 SOPA AWARDS EXPLANATORY REPORTING 3 CHINA AND THE VATICAN Part 1 Vatican. Under Pope Benedict XVI, Francis’ China adopted to iron out issues before the predecessor, Parolin had been the Vatican’s handover of Hong Kong to the mainland in chief negotiator with Beijing and was near 1997, according to one of the officials. to hammering out a deal with China on the The pope, says one Catholic official, has In 2009, appointment of bishops in 2009, people with given “clear instructions to continue the Parolin direct knowledge of those negotiations say. dialogue (with China) and find a resolution.” came very “In 2009, Parolin came very close to an The working group, which met in May, has close to an agreement (with China),” said Agostino been charged with hammering out technical agreement Giovagnoli, a professor of contemporary history solutions to the dispute over the ordination at the Catholic University of Milan who closely of bishops in China. It is currently discussing (with follows the Vatican’s relationship with China. how to resolve the issue of eight bishops who China). Ultimately, an agreement on the bishops were ordained in China without papal consent, wasn’t reached as the Vatican considered it too according to Church officials and other Catholic narrow, say Catholic Church sources. sources with knowledge of the deliberations. Parolin then moved to Venezuela in 2009 as Going forward, the Holy See wants to prevent a the Vatican’s representative there. His depar- situation in which bishops are appointed by an ture marked the start of a period of chilly rela- authority other than the pope. Agostino Giovagnoli Professor of tions with China. contemporary In June 2014, the sides restarted contacts history at the with a meeting in Rome, according to a EXCOMMUNICATED BISHOPS Catholic University of Milan Catholic official. A year later, the Vatican Catholic officials say there are 110 bishops in made its attempt to get Francis and Xi Jinping China, most of whom have been sanctioned by together in New York. the Communist Party. There are about 30 bish- The pope was scheduled to fly from New ops who are part of the underground church York to Philadelphia on the morning of Sept.