Pope Francis declared Friday that China was “a promise and a hope” for the Catholic Church, offering extensive praise for Beijing at the tip of a four-nation tour through Asia and again expressed hope to sooner or later visit.
Francis’ comments, during an in-flight press conference en route home from Singapore, got here because the Vatican enters into the ultimate weeks of negotiations to renew a 2018 agreement over the contentious issue of bishop nominations.
Francis declared himself “completely satisfied” with the method, saying each side were engaging in negotiations in a spirit of fine will. “I’m completely satisfied with the dialogue with China,” he said. “The result is sweet.”
“China for me is an illusion, within the sense that I would like to go to China,” he said. “An awesome country. I like China. I respect China. It’s a rustic with a millennial culture, with a capability for dialogue and understanding that goes beyond other systems of democracy.”
The Vatican has been working for years to try to enhance relations with China that were officially severed over seven a long time ago when the Communists got here to power. The aim is to unite the country’s estimated 12 million Catholics, who were divided into an official, state-recognized church and an underground church that stayed loyal to Rome.
Relations had long been stymied over China’s insistence on its exclusive right to call bishops as a matter of national sovereignty, while the Vatican insisted on the pope’s exclusive right to call the successors of the unique Apostles.
The 2018 deal sought to search out a middle ground, although the Vatican has flagged repeated violations and Rome has acknowledged it was a foul deal however the just one it could get. It was signed at a time when China was tightening controls on all religions, especially Christianity and Islam, that are viewed as foreign imports and potential challengers to Communist authority.
The Holy See under Francis has gone out of its approach to extend overtures to China. But its position has drawn criticism especially from American conservatives, who’ve accused the Vatican of selling out the faithful who’ve been forced underground.
Francis nevertheless was upbeat and seemed grateful for the chance to discuss China on his return from Asia, a region where Beijing wields a lot influence.
“I believe China is a promise and a hope for the church,” he added.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely accountable for this content.
