Angry Chinese Blogger
 |
 |
Angry Chinese Blogger:
The news and views about China that the big media can't, or won't, tell you The is no single truth Menu: Home |
|
Entries By Country
   |
Beijing’s ‘Poisoned Chalice’: Hope for Sino-Vatican reconciliation Fade as Beijing offers to accept Vatican surrender.
posted Saturday, 23 April 2005
Hopes that the appointment of a new Papal father to the Roman Catholic Church might provide an opportunity for reconciliation between Beijing and the Vatican were cut short this week by the release of a ‘reconciliation’ offer from Beijing that most Catholics see as placing unacceptable conditions on the Vatican while offering it little in return.
|
|
"We are willing to improve the relationship between China and the Vatican on the basis of two principles," |
|
Many around the world had hoped that the appointment of a new Pontiff, particularly a reformer, would present both the Vatican and the Chinese government with a fresh start but this now seems increasingly unlikely, not only because of the appointment of a conservative Pope, but also because of Beijing’s continued insistence on being the dominating partner in any future relationship, and on setting the terms of such a relationship without negotiation.
Relations between China and Vatican were severed in 1951, when China’s Communist government ordered the resident Vatican ambassador to leave. The two sides drew further apart on 1 October 2001, when Pop John Paul II canonized 120 Chinese martyrs, angering Beijing.
Poisoned Principles
Despite offering the resumption of ties, Beijing’s memorandum is widely seen as being ‘poisoned chalice’ which offers the Vatican no concessions beyond what amounts to lip service diplomatic status, in return for what is seen by Catholics as being the surrender of the Vatican’s spiritual mandate to the Catholic faithful of China
In its latest memorandum, Beijing offered a resumptions of ties in exchange for adherence to two guiding principles:
• Joseph Ratzinger should break off the so-called diplomatic relationship with Taiwan and recognize that the government of the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government which represents China and that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China.
• Ratzinger should not interfere in internal Chinese affairs, including in the name of religion.
During the period since the breaking of ties, there have been several attempts at raising a dialog between the Vatican and Beijing, though all have so far fallen on these two issues: Vatican recognition of Chinese Taiwan, and Vatican ‘interference in mainland affair’.
While there have been suggestions that the Vatican might one day be willing to end its recognition of Chinese Taiwan, which has a small catholic population, in exchange for a greater influence in mainland China, which has in excess of 10 million Catholic faithful, the largest sticking true sticking point in relations between Beijing and the Vatican has always been the second of Beijing’s demands, that it cease ‘interfering in mainland affairs’.
Largely, ‘internal affairs’ is a euphemism used to mean the religious affairs of Chinese Catholics.
Compliance with Beijing’s terms would mean the Vatican not only relinquishing its mandate of spiritual leadership over China’s 14 million Catholics, but also officially handing over the right to appoint Chinese Bishops to the secular Chinese government.
Catholic Freedoms
In return for recognizing Chinese Taiwan as an integral component of the Chinese Mainland, the Vatican has long expected to be allowed to resume its role at the head of China’s Catholic hierarchy, and for Beijing to end its enforced regulation of Chinese Catholicism. This however seems unlikely, as China’s government is still unwilling to undertake moves that would lessen its power or influence.
|
|
"In return, they [The Vatican] would want real control
over the church in China, and the central government does not want to
let them have that," |
|
One of the key issues the Beijing has with Catholicism is that Catholics place the authority of the Vatican above the authority of the state, while Beijing decrees that its authority must supercede all others.
Beijing does not permit Chinese Catholics to recognize Papal mandate, and those that do can be subjected to state sponsored intimidation and even detention.
Though secular Beijing often does not publicly distinguish between organized religion and unorganized superstition, often placing Catholic Mass and other Christian rituals in the same category as fortune telling and nature worship, it is deeply concerned about any group that has the potential to become a political or social force that could one day oppose it.
Beijing uses a program of registration and regulation to ensure that the Chinese branch of church is subservient to it, and that it teachers only a moderate version of Christianity that dissuades people from becoming involved in wider issues, and that agrees with the government line on outside issues.
Beijing’s restrictions on the Catholic Church are similar to those placed on trade unions, protest groups, and other large organizations of like minded people (including academics).
Chinese Bishops
Since the breaking Sino-Vatican ties, a key demand of the Chinese government, and probably the greatest single impediment to a renewing of ties, is that the Vatican recognize Beijing as being the sole body responsible for naming Bishops in China; A demand seen as wholly unacceptable by a sizable majority of the world’s Catholics priests and faithful.
|
|
"The big issue for normalizing relations between the
Vatican and the Chinese government has to do with who gets control of
the appointment of bishops," |
|
Bishops form the core the Vatican’s global voice, leading the Catholic faithful as proxies to Rome. Were the Vatican to surrender control of its mandate to name bishops in China, it would enable Beijing to ‘stack the deck’ of Chinese Catholicism with politically sanctioned Bishops whose primary loyalty was to Beijing rather than to Rome, and who would, by default, have to be recognized by Rome under any such agreement.
Allowing any outside group to appoint Bishops is seen as a matter that ‘will ever be available for discussion’ by Vatican officials.
Other Incidents
While Beijing officially permits 5 religions/denominations to be practiced in China, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, and two forms of Christianity (Catholicism and Protestantism), these religions are only officially permitted to exist in a subservient form and are not permitted to recognize an authority higher than Beijing. They are also prevented from reaching a level of influence or density where they might be able to act as a force for change.
The naming of Bishops is not the only instance where In other incidents the Chinese government has attempted to direct religious affairs in an ‘agreeable direction’: Beijing has also interfered with Tibetan Buddhist succession practices in a similar manner.
In Buddhism, it is believed that the highest echelons the enlightened are reincarnated and will return to Earth in a new form to continue their duties, and because of this Beijing has interceded to name individuals who it claims are reincarnations of former Lama and to ensure that Buddhist figures who are charged with finding the highest reborn Lama not only choose an authorized candidate, but are also indoctrinated with Beijing’s view of Buddhism rather than more traditional forms.
Religious Underground
Though Beijing tightly controls permitted religious activities in China, and attempts to ensure that Chinese Catholics worship in ‘an appropriate manner’, China is home to a substantial underground Christian movement, commonly known as the underground church. China’s state sponsored Catholic Church is said to be dwarfed by the underground church.
Current estimates place the number of authorized Catholics in China at around 4 million (official government figures) and the number of underground Catholic Church members at 10 million (official Vatican estimates).
Penalties for joining the underground church include imprisonment. Even worshipping at in a private home is considered sufficient grounds for detention.
In a break from convention, seen being a snub by some, and as a result of ignorance by others, Chinese representatives referred to Pope Benedict XVI by his German name, rather than by his Papal title. Beijing also sent no official representative to the funeral of the Late John Paul II as a protest against the attendance of a representative from Chinese Taiwan.
View Comments/Add a Comment