China has sent a message
to the new Pope who will be elected in March, calling on him to break
the Holy See’s diplomatic relations with Taiwan and to refrain from
interfering in its internal affairs in the name of religion. But the Chinese Cardinal Joseph Zen said, “The Vatican should ignore that old song!”
“China is willing to develop relations with the Vatican if the Vatican severs its diplomatic ties with Taiwan and refrains from interfering in China’s internal affairs”, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, said in Beijing on February 18, according to a report in the People’s Daily on-line.
The paper is an official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
AFP reported that Hong did so when asked for China’s reaction to Pope Benedict’s shock decision to resign on February 28.
He urged the Vatican “to recognize the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government representing China, as well as recognize that Taiwan is part of China”, the paper reported.
“The Vatican must also refrain from interfering in China's internal affairs, particularly the interference in the name of religion”, Hong said. This is a reference to the Holy See’s insistence that the Pope must have the final word in the appointment of Catholic bishops in China, something Beijing has not yet accepted.
Hong’s statement was reported in The People’s Daily on February 18 under the headline: “One China principle, non-interference requisites for China-Vatican ties.”
The Chinese Cardinal Joseph Zen however dismissed China’s statement as “an old song”.
“At this moment the Holy See should ignore that old song”, the Cardinal told me, speaking by phone from Hong Kong.
“They have unilaterally interrupted the dialogue. We never refused the dialogue. So let them ask for dialogue”, he said. This was a reference to the fact that China broke diplomatic relations with the Holy See and expelled the papal representative in 1951, soon after the Communists came to power.
“They need to show some good will. They should be humble and show they want to change. They have to show that sincerely now, instead of telling everyone else how to behave”, Cardinal Zen stated.
“We hope the new leaders take some time to look into what their people down there are doing about religion, the way they are enslaving our bishops, and doing things that are damaging our nation.” Cardinal Zen concluded.
For its part, the Vatican has no comment to make, Father Federico Lombardi, the Director of the Holy See’s Press Office said.