The problem with Beijing is religious freedom, says Cardinal Sodano
Rome (AsiaNews) The Vatican and China are involved in "conversations, contacts", not "negotiations" (the word would be excessive). The main obstacle is not Taiwan as much as the lack of respect for religious freedom and the Church which "is one, in all the world, in all cultures, in all nations," said Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican Secretary of State. He spoke to journalists last night about the prospects of ties between Holy See and China at the inauguration of the new Fr Matteo Ricci Convention Centre at the Gregorian University in Rome.
Respect for religious freedomwhich every state, including China, must doand not Taiwan is the real stumbling block.
Cardinal Sodano expressed regrets for the absence of the four Chinese bishops but restrained from showing the Holy See's disappointment. The Vatican had thought it had been assured that they would be present in Rome. Still, it is holding out hope that they may still travel to Eternal City to meet the Pope.
"Bishops of all the world gathered at the synod were sorry not to see their fellow brothers from China, these four fellow brothers whom the Pope invited," he said. "Still we hope that soon, as they said in their letter to the Pope, they might take the road to Rome and give us a brotherly embrace. History moves and I believe that soon these difficulties will be surmounted."
"Let us hope that these momentary tensions will cease," he added when speaking about the overall situation.
This said, "How many Churchmen go to China? How many representatives of the Chinese government, ambassadors, men of culture, businessmen, merchants are there in the world? There is an ongoing osmosis because the world is one. Today the world is united and so is the Church," he said.
"We feel like our Chinese brothers and sisters, like all the people of good will. We will continue to build bridges because the Church does not want anything else but the right to announce the Christian principles of the Gospel of Christ, respectful of all people and cultures. The Catholic, i.e. the Universal Church, has always set roots among all peoples and in every continent."
"The Church has always said it was ready to start dialogue, to establish contacts, to explain its traditions. But we must insist always on the principle that the Church is one, in all the world, in all cultures, in all nations, and governments do not have the right to tell men and women how they must live their faith".
"Everyone has a right to religious freedom, a right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, enshrined in the history of the Chinese people itself, which loves freedom so much. Therefore, we hope the sun of freedom shall rise on this great country."
For Cardinal Sodano, the presence of a diplomatic envoy from the Holy See in Taiwan "is not an obstacle".
"I have said many times that if we had contacts with Beijing, our chargé d'affaires who is in Taiwan would go to Beijing, not tomorrow morning, but tonight,"
Reiterating what he said back in 1999, the Secretary of State noted that "the Nunciature was there in the past; from there it was forced to move first to Nanjing, then to Hong Kong. If it were possible, as we hope it will, it will go back to its original location in Beijing. The letterhead on our letters still says 'Nunciature in China' as it did when it was Beijing. We did not change it."
As for when that might happen, the Secretary said that "we should not enter the plans of Providence". (FP)
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