The proposal is worth being taken seriously given where it has come from and the suggestions it makes.
The man responsible for preparing it is Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of People, the Vatican dicastery which is in charge of all of China’s ecclesiastical districts.
In a brief essay published by Hong Kong-based Catholic quarterly Tripod (which Fides news reported on in the West), the cardinal, taking his cue from the five years that passed since Benedict XVI sent a letter to Chinese Catholics (June 2007) to try to trigger a shift in the tense relations between the Holy See and China. Relations between the two are currently deadlocked.
The Prefect of Propaganda Fide recreated the context in which the papal letter from 2007 was written and the expectations it sparked for the present and future of Chinese Catholicism. After years of study – the cardinal said – “After years of study, the Holy See clearly perceived that as a whole, the Church in China was never schismatic.”
But the Vatican was hurt by internal conflicts between those who rejected the political control the Party exercised over ecclesial dynamics and those who adapted to it for existential reasons. These wounds were deepened by persistent interference from the regime in the Church life.
The main objective of the papal letter of 2007 was “to provide an orientation regarding the life of the Church and the work of evangelization in China.” But his Eminence explained that given the circumstances, the intention to foster ecclesial reconciliation involved opening dialogue channels between the Holy See and the upper echelons of Chinese political power.
Hence, Benedict XVI’s letter to the Chinese Church “opens with the clear and public declaration that the Holy See is open to a respectful and constructive dialogue with the Beijing Authorities.” This active openness has so far not been reciprocated as rightfully expected.
These five years have been marked by highs and lows, Cardinal Filoni admitted. After what seemed like a promising phase – with frequent contact being made privately between Vatican officials and Beijing officials – the path has been obstructed yet again by a number of stumbling points.
For example, the National Assembly of Chinese Catholics in 2010, which “sharpened the control of the State over the Church.” Rigorous control over the appointment of Bishops has led to the choice of controversial candidates, who were both morally and pastorally unacceptable, yet acceptable to the political authorities.”
Not to mention the forced participation of illegitimate bishops in Episcopal ordination rites, which triggered “a dramatic crisis of conscience for both the Bishops being consecrated and those who were consecrating.”
Faced with this deadlock, Cardinal Filoni has made a proposal that could change the landscape of Sino-Vatican relations: the creation of a bilateral Commission for relations between Beijing and the Holy See, similar to China and Taiwan’s stable high level commissions and to that of the “Holy See and Vietnam, [which] have found a modus operandi et progrediendi.”
The facts themselves suggest the creation of a negotiation body to guarantee “direct and stable contact between the two parties.” Quoting Benedict XVI’s letter to Chinese Catholics, the Prefect of Propaganda Fide, said that recent developments in the Sino-Vatican question confirm that “the solution to the current problems cannot be pursued within a state of perpetual conflict.”
Filoni presented the papal letter as a valuable road map for dealing with and resolving the many anomalies that still exist in the Catholic world in China. The cardinal said: “After the uncertainties, doubts, fears and restrictions that slowed down its reading and comprehension, a time has now opened in which this Pontifical document can be better understood. Indeed, it can be a point of departure for a dialogue within the Church in China. It can also stimulate dialogue between the Holy See and the Government in Beijing.”
Cardinal Filoni’s proposal and the arguments he put forward in the text published by Fides news agency, demonstrate his informed sensitivity towards the “Chinese question”. Filoni lived in Hong Kong from 1992 to 2001 as head of the study centre (a sort of unofficial apostolic delegation) which the Holy See runs in the former British colony.
In his essay’s opening lines, the cardinal mentions the visits he paid to Beijing during that period and how he “was struck by the economic development of the country.” Given his profile and skill set the Prefect of Propaganda Fide looks destined to play a key role in the future management of the delicate Sino-Vatican dossier.
After his proposal for the revival of dialogue – which was announced just days before the Communist Party’s Congress which will set out the direction to be taken by China’s political leadership – frank and concrete answers are also now expected from beyond the Great Wall.