'Message of regret' will appease Taiwan: Zen
Cardinal keen to smooth path if Vatican decides to cut ties with island
Hong Kong Catholic leader Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun is to propose to the Vatican that it convey a 'message of regret' to pacify Taiwan when the Holy See decides to cut ties with the island in exchange for diplomatic relations with Beijing.
The proposal came as a senior Beijing official was quoted as saying that Taiwan would not be a stumbling block in the renewal of formal relations because the mainland is more concerned with how bishops are appointed in China.
A church source said Cardinal Zen, who wanted to take an active role in bridging the Sino-Vatican divide, was to propose that the Holy See should offer a public message to Taiwan when it decides to switch diplomatic recognition to Beijing.
'His idea is that a senior Vatican official should publicly make a formal statement conveying the Holy See's regret in switching diplomatic relations to Beijing. This will pacify both the government in Taipei and Catholics in Taiwan,' the source said.
It is understood bishops and members of the faithful in Taiwan have already accepted the inevitability of an imminent change and they will be satisfied if the Holy See keeps some sort of informal links to the church in Taiwan.
Allen Lee Peng-fei, a Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress, revealed yesterday that a senior mainland official 'at the state level', who he declined to name, told him before the NPC session last month that the mainland was sincere in rebuilding diplomatic ties with the Vatican.
'The official said Taiwan would not be a stumbling block. What Beijing was concerned about was how bishops on the mainland were to be appointed,' Mr Lee said.
A top Vatican official earlier said that it was prepared to concede over the appointment issue, proposing a mechanism where the Holy See consults Beijing first with names of a handful of candidates, before the Pope appoints a bishop.
Speaking in Hong Kong, National People's Congress vice-chairman Cheng Siwei said 'there are hopes on establishing Sino-Vatican ties' if a consensus can be reached on two conditions.
'Firstly, to recognise the People's Republic of China. It is the one China principle. If it is not accepted, there's no way to talk.
'Secondly, don't interfere with China's internal affairs. China advocates religious freedom but we oppose interfering with China's internal affairs via religion,' Mr Cheng said.
At a church reception yesterday, Cardinal Zen told more than 100 foreign dignitaries and Hong Kong government officials that he was positive on imminent favourable developments in Sino-Vatican relations and was ready to help.
But none of the top officials from the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong, who were invited to the function, attended.
