Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Reactions in Church, social and even political circles to the letter Pope Benedict XVI sent to Chinese Catholics on 27 May 2007 are at the centre of a meeting held today and tomorrow in the Vatican by the Vatican Commission in charge of religious life in China.
The meeting is taking place as part of the Commission’s “natural function’ which is to meet once a year in order to take stock of the Church’s situation in China, Sino-Vatican relations, religious freedom and all that relates to religious education in the country.
In a statement the Vatican said that during the two-day meeting, the members of the Commission will pursue “the rich content of the Pontifical document and, in light of it, the main aspects of the Church’s life in China will be considered.”
In addition to the heads of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia relevant in the matter, the bishop of Hong Kong, Card Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, and his co-adjutor, Mgr John Tong Hon, are present along with some experts from Hong Kong’s Holy Spirit Study Centre. The archbishop of Taipei, Mgr John Hung Shan-chuan, and the archbishop emeritus of Kaoshiung, Card Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, arrived from Taiwan. Some experts from the United States and certain religious congregations are also attending the meeting.