Beijing snubbed pope's funeral, seeks recognition from Benedict XVI
UNITED NATIONS — The election of German Cardinal Josef Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI, a man of resplendent gravitas, represents both a continuity of the Pontificate of John Paul II, and a hopeful new chapter as the 265th Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.
One of the first key decisions for Pope Benedict XVI may involve his choice of China — namely, which of the two governments in that divided East Asian nation he, as leader of the Catholic Church, shall deal with diplomatically.
In essence, the Pope must navigate between Two Chinas, Two Churches, and Two Options.
Currently the Vatican maintains longstanding diplomatic ties with the Republic of China on Taiwan — in fact, the Holy See remains Taipei’s only formal European ally. Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian led a delegation to the recent funeral of Pope John Paul II. Beijing diplomats snubbed the mournful occasion.
By switching its diplomatic recognition to the People’s Republic of China, the Vatican would not only surrender its high moral ground, but moreover would cave into concessions to the world’s largest surviving dictatorship. Though the short term benefit may appear to assist Mainland China’s twelve million Catholics — themselves divided into two groups, an “Official” and Underground Church, the political implications of any change in recognition would clearly sanction the Patriotic Church — blessed by Beijing’s atheist Marxist mandarins.
Presently six Catholic Bishops languish in PRC prisons while another ten are under house arrest. A number of Bishops and priests were arrested as a recently as 2005 according to the Cardinal Kung Foundation human rights group.
Just prior to the death of Pope John Paul II, Hong Kong Bishop Joseph Zen opined that the Holy See may switch diplomatic ties to Beijing should the PRC be willing to “grant real freedom to the Church in Mainland China.” China’s standing demand for recognition is not only the Vatican cutting its ties to Taiwan but that Rome “does not use religion to interfere in China’s internal affairs.” These comments followed a discreet trip to Beijing by a ranking Vatican official Cardinal Godfried Daneels who met with leading communist officials dealing with religious affairs.
Beyond the obvious political import, China’s state sponsored Patriotic Church while seemingly Catholic has its Bishops appointed by Beijing not Rome. Sino/Vatican dialogue to resolve this outstanding issue remains welcome, but should not be at the expense of persecuted believers who have long shunned the so-called Patriotic Churches.
The PRC police state has permitted the Catholic Church as long as it can be monitored, controlled and coerced — it has allowed the Catholic faithful to practice but in a context where the religious rules are written inside the Forbidden City, not Vatican City.
The political relativism that a “Changed China” will somehow allow truly free practice of a religion which confronts the intrinsic evil of communist materialism, becomes itself a contradiction. The PRC may in the short run, appear to be conciliatory, only to turn a wrathful side to perceived Papal transgressions in the future.
Pope Benedict XVI having lived under the totalitarians of the Third Reich, having fully confronted the totalitarians of the Soviet Union along with his political spiritual friend and mentor John Paul II, knows only too well that a diplomatic kowtow to the Beijing regime would not more than superficially improve conditions for the faithful but may actually seal their fate. What leverage the Holy See now holds would be lost. Equally the move would be seen as a slap to the Catholic faithful in Taiwan where religious freedom has nurtured a strong and vibrant Catholic community.
As a German Cardinal, having experienced his own nation’s division, Josef Ratzinger is acutely aware of the trauma; that of two states and two governments representing one people. He will recall the active persecution and compromise of Catholics and Protestants in former East Germany where the communists always seemed willing to trade seemingly more religious freedoms and rights in return for political legitimacy and loans.
For the People’s Republic of China diplomatic recognition by the Holy See would represent a rare and coveted political honor. Despite having actively persecuted the Catholic Church in the past and presently still coercing and dividing the faithful through the regime-blessed Patriotic Churches, Beijing would gain an ironic victory.
Pope Benedict XVI who has brilliantly condemned relativism — the concept that there are no absolutes--must consider the diplomatic choice here. The options remain a formal compromise with the PRC or a flexible modus vivendi. Full recognition should not be sanctioned by the Vatican as it would represent a concession to moral relativism and the world’s largest dictatorship.
John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense
issues. He writes weekly for World Tribune.com.  |
