China discusses Covid-19 with Vatican but ‘unaware’ of visit by Pope Francis

China said it had engaged with the Vatican about Covid-19 but appeared to rule out a visit by Pope Francis, after a report in Italy claimed one was being planned.

Italian newspaper La Verita this month reported that secret arrangements had been made by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, for the Pope to visit China, stopping first in Wuhan – the initial epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak – before continuing to Beijing and other cities.

But Chinese scholars studying China-Vatican relations considered it highly unlikely.

The Chinese foreign ministry said in a written response that it was unaware of a forthcoming trip by the Pope to China, but wished to improve relations with the Vatican.

“We are pleased to see that both sides have engaged in mutual support and cooperation for global public health safety in the midst of Covid-19,” it said.

It said it hoped to work with the Vatican to continue improving ties, without mentioning any possible visit despite Pope Francis having expressed on multiple occasions his desire to go to China.

For decades, the Catholic Church in mainland China has been split between an official, government-controlled church whose bishops are selected by the state, and an underground church loyal to the Vatican, which maintained its traditional prerogative of appointing bishops.

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It was not until a groundbreaking provisional agreement on bishop appointment was signed in September 2018 that ties showed concrete progress. A visit by the Pope to China is highly anticipated by Chinese Catholics.

In 2018, two Chinese bishops, Guo Jincai and Yang Xiaoting, invited the Pope to visit China during a global gathering of bishops in Vatican City. The idea seemed to receive a boost when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign minister, for the first time in Munich, Germany, this February.

However, a number of expert observers said the chance of China hosting the Pope in the immediate future was next to none.

A Chinese scholar studying China-Vatican relations said it was impossible “simply looking at the pandemic factor alone”.

“This seems to be such an impractical suggestion in light of so many uncertainties posed by the outbreak,” said the scholar, who refused to be named, citing the sensitivity of the subject. “The Pope himself has cancelled trips, so it made no sense that he would go to Wuhan.

“To China, the Pope is not a political but a religious figure and spiritual leader. There is no logical foundation supporting an upcoming visit, because the prospect of China and the Vatican forming official diplomatic ties is still very, very far off.”

The Vatican maintains diplomatic ties with Taipei rather than with Beijing, which views the self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province. Beijing demands that its allies sever official relations with Taipei.

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Last month, Pope Francis cancelled a number of trips because of the coronavirus, including a trip to Malta in May.

Italy, which surrounds the Vatican, is one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic.

According to La Verita, Pope Francis was considering visiting several cities in China to send a message of hope to the global community. The trip was planned by Cardinal Parolin and communicated to Beijing via the Italian government, according to the report.

Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See press office, also dispelled rumours of a visit by the Pope, saying the report was “without any substance”.