Vatican sees long wait to set up ties with China
ICC Note:
Although the Pope has made improving relations with China a major goal of his pontificate, the Vatican's top enjoy to Taiwan believes that realization to be a long way off due to the failure of Beijing to make enough significant advancement in religious freedom.
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11/17/08 China (Reuters) The Vatican's top envoy to Taiwan sees no imminent diplomatic ties with China as dialogue with Beijing has failed to produce changes in religious freedom that the Catholic Church seeks, he said on Monday.
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"The Pope hopes to see full and authentic religious freedom in the PRC," he said. "Progress has been made in these areas, but conditions do not yet correspond to what the Catholic Church considers authentic religious freedom."
China's communist government does not allow its Catholics to recognise the Pope's authority and forces them to be members of a state-backed Catholic organisation. China's 8 to 12 million Catholics are split between the officially approved church and an "underground" one loyal to the Pope.
