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Mimi Lau

A meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pope Francis is unlikely to take place when Xi visits Italy later this week, analysts said.
On Monday, China’s Foreign Ministry announced that Xi would pay state visits to Italy, Monaco and France from Thursday until Tuesday of next week.
While it was customary for heads of state visiting Rome to meet the pope, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in Beijing on Monday that he was unaware of any plans for a meeting between the leaders.
China and the Vatican signed a two-year agreement six months ago, settling on a mechanism for the appointment of Catholic bishops on the mainland.




However, Beijing has yet to nominate candidates for the pope’s approval. Terms of the agreement have remained a secret, although it signalled rapprochement between the Chinese government and the Vatican – the only European state which recognises Taipei over Beijing.
Father Sergio Ticozzi, a Hong Kong-based expert on mainland Catholic affairs, played down the likelihood of Xi meeting the pope.
“The pope is willing to see Xi Jinping, but I’m not sure Xi is willing to meet the pope. Politically speaking, it will go against his religious affairs policy if he accepts the Vatican’s invitation,” Ticozzi said.
Vatican vows to help mainland China reunite Catholics
“Xi has emphasised the Sinicisation of religions, so meeting the pope would kind of gesture an acceptance of interference from a Western religious authority in his domestic religious policy.
“[The meeting] will not happen unless there is another political ambition that will push [Xi] such as [efforts to] isolate Taiwan,” Ticozzi said.
The provisional agreement signed last September resulted in the end of independent election and consecration of Chinese bishops without the Holy See’s approval.

China compromised by recognising the pope as the supreme head of the universal Catholic Church, while Francis was reconciled with seven excommunicated bishops.
The deal has been described as groundbreaking by some observers after decade-long negotiations, but conservative Catholics regarded it as betrayal of the Chinese underground leaders who had served long jail terms to stay faithful to the papacy during the Cultural Revolution, when worshippers were persecuted.
The fate of underground communities has not been settled by the temporary agreement. There have been reports of underground priests and bishops facing pressure from local religious affairs officials to join the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association if they wished to gain official recognition following the signing of the agreement.
Why did the Pope bring a Hong Kong bishop out of retirement?
The association is a semi-official organisation that executes the government’s political will over Catholic communities on the mainland.
In a recent editorial, Father Bernardo Cervellera, chief editor of Asianews, the official press agency of the Roman Catholic Church overseas, called on Francis and Xi – should they meet – to clarify if underground bishops and priests must join the patriotic association before they would be officially recognised.


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Religion in China

Chinese President Xi Jinping ‘unlikely to observe leaders’ custom’ and meet pope during visit to Italy

Watchers of papal affairs believe Pope Francis is unlikely to receive a visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping. Photo: EPA

China's President Xi Jinping attends a plenary session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 12, 2019. (Photo by FRED DUFOUR / AFP)

Pope defends deal with China amid criticism 

Pope Francis greets faithful from China as he arrives for his weekly general audience on in April in the Vatican. His deal with Beijing is opposed by some Catholics. 

Chinese Catholics chat after attending a morning service at an underground Catholic church in the southern province of Guangdong in March. 

A Catholic priest performs Sunday mass rituals in a state-approved church in Beijing. The pope will have the final say on the appointment of bishops under a new agreement with Beijing. 

Pope Francis will visit Pyongyang if invited, says South Korea’s President Moon, as Vatican rules out Taiwan trip

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would ‘ardently welcome’ Pope Francis, according to the South Korean president

Pope Francis meets South Korean President Moon Jae-in during private audience at the Vatican, October 18, 2018. Alessandro Di Meo/ Pool via Reuters

Pope Francis and South Korean President Moon Jae-in gesture as they exchange gifts at the Vatican on Thursday. Photo: Agence France-Presse

China bishops on historic Vatican visit invite pope to Beijing

Churchmen attend their first bishops’ conference in Rome since agreement between Chinese government and the church

Chinese bishops John Baptist Yang Xiaoting and Joseph Guo Jincai attend a mass in Saint Peter's square on their first visit to Rome since the historic agreement between China and the Vatican. Photo: Reuters

Pope admits underground Chinese Catholics will suffer after Vatican deal with Beijing

Pope Francis said there had been precedents for states naming bishops. Photo: AFP

A woman leaves the Christian Glory church in Wuhan on September 23, 2018. - The landmark deal between China and the Vatican is a win for Beijing, giving official recognition to bishops appointed by the government despite a crackdown on religion, and potentially softening the ground for full diplomatic relations after 67 years of estrangement, analysts said. (Photo by Nicolas ASFOURI / AFP) / TO GO WITH China-Vatican-religion-politics, FOCUS by Dan Martin

News

China

Diplomacy

Beijing says it is unaware of plans for Xi to visit the Vatican
Such a move would run contrary to China’s religious affairs policy


Beijing says it is unaware of plans for Xi to visit the Vatican and such a move would run contrary to China’s religious affairs policy.


Xi Jinping

Catholic Church

Pope Francis

Religion

Chinese President Xi Jinping ‘unlikely to observe leaders’ custom’ and meet pope during visit to Italy

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}Beijing says it is unaware of plans for Xi to visit the Vatican Such a move would run contrary to China’s religious affairs policy

Beijing says it is unaware of plans for Xi to visit the Vatican

Such a move would run contrary to China’s religious affairs policy