[Cath Cauc] China’s President Xi Jinping Unlikely to Meet Pope Francis During Rome Trip

National Catholic Register ^ | March 19, 2019 | Edward Pentin

[ebb tide]

China’s President Xi Jinping Unlikely to Meet Pope Francis During Rome Trip

The leader of communist China arrives in Rome on Thursday, his first visit to Italy since the historic agreement last September between Beijing and the Holy See, but a papal audience is thought unlikely.

The Pope and senior Vatican officials strongly want such a meeting with President Xi Jinping to go ahead, coming just six months after a controversial Sino-Vatican two-year provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops.

The agreement also included the lifting of excommunications on seven illegitimate Chinese bishops.

But Vatican sources say a papal audience is unlikely, primarily because President Xi has received internal opposition about the agreement.

[ebb tide]

Earlier this month it emerged that the agreement is being exploited to compel Chinese Catholics to join the Patriotic Association, the state-run church, despite such compulsion being against Chinese law.

Asia News has reported that for several months, four priests of the underground community loyal to Rome have been kept in an unknown location, subjected to indoctrination and brainwashing to make them join the Patriotic Association.

Father Bernardo Cervellera, Asia News’ editor, also wrote of “the amazing fact” that some bishops, even among those who had their excommunications lifted, “proclaim that it is time to erase” the underground community and join the state-run church (he also quoted a Church official opposed to such an approach). Father Cervellera said he believed a meeting between Xi and the Pope could help iron out those problems.

[bigbob]

That’s a shame, they have so much in common...

[ebb tide]

Vatican makes new overtures on eve of China’s Xi Italy visit

Francischurch is groveling to the Communists.

[ebb tide]

Vatican hints that Pope Francis may meet Xi Jinping