VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican asked China’s communist government on Friday to stop intimidating Catholic clergy who want to remain unequivocally loyal to the pope and refuse to sign ambiguous official registration forms.

FILE PHOTO: A believer prays outside St. Joseph's Church, a government-sanctioned Catholic church, in Beijing, China, October 1, 2018. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo

The request, contained in Vatican guidelines to clergy in mainland China, was the latest hiccup in relations between the Holy See and Beijing since the two sides signed a historic and disputed pact on the naming of bishops last September.

Under Chinese law, priests and bishops must register with the state. They also must sign a form accepting the principle of independence, autonomy and self-administration of the Church in China.

Some have refused, fearing that it could jeopardize their fidelity to the pope as their religious leader and the independence of the local Church on doctrinal matters.

Catholics in China are emerging from more than half a century of division which saw them split between a state-backed “official” Church and a “non-official” underground Church that remained loyal to Rome.

Some divisions have begun to dissipate slowly since the September agreement, which gives the pope final say in the appointment of bishops. But the registration process has caused difficulties for those emerging from the non-official Church.

In the guidelines, the Vatican called for a registration procedure “that is more respectful of Catholic doctrine, and thus of the consciences of those involved”.

It added: “The Holy See asks that no intimidatory pressures be applied to the ‘non official’ Catholic communities, as, unfortunately, has already happened.”

The guidelines, requested by some Chinese bishops, said clergy should demand to include a sentence affirming that Catholic doctrine would be respected.

If authorities do not permit that, the priest or bishop, before signing, should take a stand orally before a government authority, preferably with a witness present.

September’s landmark deal between the Vatican and China has split Catholics there and around the world, with some critics of the pope saying he has caved in to the Communist government.

The deal’s most outspoken critic has been Cardinal Joseph Zen, the former archbishop of Hong Kong.

China’s constitution guarantees religious freedom, but since President Xi Jinping took office six years ago, the government has tightened restrictions on religions seen as a challenge to the authority of the ruling Communist Party.

China has been following a policy it calls the “Sinicisation” of religion, trying to root out foreign influences and enforce obedience to the Communist Party. </s> Dear Reader, As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analysis from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.

The Vatican asked China's communist government on Friday to stop intimidating Catholic clergy who want to remain unequivocally loyal to the pope and refuse to sign ambiguous official registration forms. 



The request, contained in Vatican guidelines to clergy in mainland China, was the latest hiccup in relations between the Holy See and Beijing since the two sides signed a historic and disputed pact on the naming of bishops last September.

Under Chinese law, priests and bishops must register with the state. They also must sign a form accepting the principle of independence, autonomy and self-administration of the Church in China.Some have refused, fearing that it could jeopardize their fidelity to the pope as their religious leader and the independence of the local Church on doctrinal matters.Catholics in China are emerging from more than half a century of division which saw them split between a state-backed "official" Church and a "non-official" underground Church that remained loyal to Rome.Some divisions have begun to dissipate slowly since the September agreement, which gives the pope final say in the appointment of bishops. But the registration process has caused difficulties for those emerging from the non-official Church.In the guidelines, the Vatican called for a registration procedure "that is more respectful of Catholic doctrine, and thus of the consciences of those involved."It added: "The Holy See asks that no intimidatory pressures be applied to the 'non official' Catholic communities, as, unfortunately, has already happened."The guidelines, requested by some Chinese bishops, said clergy should demand to include a sentence affirming that Catholic doctrine would be respected.If authorities do not permit that, the priest or bishop, before signing, should take a stand orally before a government authority, preferably with a witness present.September's landmark deal between the Vatican and China has split Catholics there and around the world, with some critics of the pope saying he has caved in to the Communist government.The deal's most outspoken critic has been Cardinal Joseph Zen, the former archbishop of Hong Kong.China's constitution guarantees religious freedom, but since President Xi Jinping took office six years ago, the government has tightened restrictions on religions seen as a challenge to the authority of the ruling Communist Party. China has been following a policy it calls the "Sinicisation" of religion, trying to root out foreign influences and enforce obedience to the Communist Party.

Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>> </s> VATICAN CITY: The Vatican on Friday (Jun 28) called on Beijing to stop putting pressure on worshippers who choose to belong to China's unofficial underground church loyal to the Vatican.

China's roughly 12 million Catholics are divided between a government-run association, whose clergy are chosen by the atheist Communist Party, and an unofficial underground church loyal to the Vatican.

"The Holy See asks that no intimidatory pressures be applied to the 'non-official' Catholic communities, as, unfortunately, has already happened," the Vatican said in a statement Friday.

Beijing and the Vatican severed diplomatic relations in 1951.

Although ties have improved as China's Catholic population grows and the Vatican intensifies efforts to restore relations, tensions remain.

The law in China requires priests and bishops not only register but also align with the country's official church, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association.

"Priests are asked to subscribe to texts which are incompatible with the doctrine of the Catholic Church, creating struggles of conscience," according to Andrea Tornielli, editorial director for Vatican communications.

"They are asked to accept the principle of independence, autonomy and self-management of the Church in China," he added - a problem for worshippers loyal to the pope.

The Vatican said bishops and priests could refuse on freedom of conscience grounds.

A document published Friday said those registering could ask for a sentence to be added affirming the independence of the Roman Catholic Church.

"At the same time, the Holy See understands and respects the choice of those who, in conscience, decide that they are unable to register under the current conditions," it said.

Tornielli said the Vatican was "aware of the limitations" faced by many Chinese Catholics.

"But it wants to show that we can look beyond and walk forwards without compromising the fundamental principles of ecclesiastical communion."

An agreement struck in September on the appointment of bishops paved the way for a rapprochement, with both Beijing and the Holy See now to have a say in appointing Catholic bishops in the Communist country, the world's most populous.

But the accord was forged despite a clampdown on religious worship in China, where churches were destroyed in some regions and several church-run kindergartens closed last year. Authorities have also cracked down on Bible sales. </s> In a new chapter in its relations with the Chinese government, the Vatican has issued guidelines for how bishops and priests in China can register with civil authorities while urging that “no intimidatory pressures” be put on underground Catholics in the country.

In an unsigned statement released on Friday, the Vatican said bishops in China had requested advice on how to fulfill the new requirement to civilly register with the government.

The revised Regulations on Religious Affairs announced in 2017 and implemented on February 1, 2018, require all ministers to be registered, but also makes other requirements, such as forbidding religious worship or instruction for those under 18 and greatly curtailing missionary activity.

In addition, clergy must be aligned with one of five officially recognized organizations for religion in China, which for Catholics is the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, a creature of the Communist government which the Vatican has always maintained is incompatible with Catholic doctrine.

This requirement has meant Catholics loyal to the pope have not been able to register in the past — China’s estimated 10-12 million Catholics have historically been almost evenly divided between members of the “patriotic” Church and the “underground” Church loyal to Rome.

Last year, the Vatican and the Chinese government signed a provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops, which included the Vatican recognizing the bishops of the state-approved Church.

In the July 28 statement, the Holy See said the “complex reality of China and the fact that there does not appear to be a uniform praxis with regard to the application of the regulations for religious affairs” make it “particularly difficult” to issue uniform instructions to clergy about civil registration.

1) the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China formally guarantees religious freedom;

2) the Sep. 22, 2018, Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and China on the appointment of bishops recognized the particular role of the Successor of Peter, and this “logically leads the Holy See to understand and interpret the “independence” of the Catholic Church in China not in an absolute sense, namely as separation from the Pope and the Universal Church, but rather relative to the political sphere, as happens everywhere in the world in the relations between the Universal Church and the particular Churches”;

3) the context of the current relations between China and the Holy See are different than when the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association was established in the 1950s; and

4) over the years, many bishops who were ordained without papal permission have asked for and received reconciliation with Rome, and now all Chinese bishops are in communion with the universal Catholic Church.

The note said that given these facts, a priest or bishop can register civilly, but should be careful to safeguard his conscience if the text of the declaration “does not appear respectful of the Catholic faith.”

In that case, the cleric should “specify in writing, upon signing, that he acts without failing in his duty to remain faithful to the principles of Catholic doctrine.” The Vatican document said if it is impossible to do this in writing, the cleric should make the declaration orally, and, if possible, in the presence of witnesses. It added, “it is appropriate that the applicant then certify to his proper Ordinary with what intention he has made the registration.”

“The registration, in fact, is always to be understood as having the sole aim of fostering the good of the diocesan community and its growth in the spirit of unity, as well as an evangelization commensurate to the new demands of Chinese society and the responsible management of the goods of the Church. At the same time, the Holy See understands and respects the choice of those who, in conscience, decide that they are unable to register under the current conditions,” the statement continued.

“It is important, then, that also the lay faithful not only understand the complexity of the situation, described above, but in addition accept with an open heart the anguished decision taken by their Pastors, whatever it may be,” the Vatican said.

“In any case, until such time as a modality for the civil registration of the clergy that is more respectful of Catholic doctrine, and thus of the consciences of those involved, is established through a frank and constructive dialogue between the two Parties, as agreed, the Holy See asks that no intimidatory pressures be applied to the ‘non official’ Catholic communities, as, unfortunately, has already happened,” the statement said.

The Vatican was referring to the ongoing harassment by the Chinese government against Christian communities.

According to Andrea Tornielli, the Editorial Director for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, the Holy See’s latest document is “clearly based on a realistic outlook on the current situation and the persisting difficulties.”

“Reading between the lines of this latest Note of the Holy See, we can see the supreme law of the salus animarum, the salvation of souls, and the commitment to cooperating for the unity of Chinese Catholic communities, through the eyes of the Gospel, showing closeness and understanding for what the Chinese faithful have endured and continue to endure,” he said in statement.

However, Tornielli denied the Vatican was in a state of “naivety.”

The Holy See, as written in the Note, is aware of the limitations and the ‘intimidatory pressures’ faced by many Chinese Catholics, but it wants to show that we can look beyond and walk forwards without compromising the fundamental principles of ecclesiastical communion.”

According to the 2018 U.S. State Department report on International Religious Freedom, the state of religious freedom has gotten worse since the new regulations went into effect last year.

“Authorities continued to arrest Christians and enforce more limitations on their activities, including requiring Christian churches to install surveillance cameras to enable daily police monitoring, and compelling members of house churches and other Christians to sign documents renouncing their Christian faith and church membership,” the report, released June 21 said. “An ongoing campaign of church closings continued during the year, and authorities removed crosses and other Christian symbols from churches, with Henan Province a particular focus area of such activity.”

Crux is dedicated to smart, wired and independent reporting on the Vatican and worldwide Catholic Church. That kind of reporting doesn’t come cheap, and we need your support. You can help Crux by giving a small amount monthly, or with a onetime gift. Please remember, Crux is a for-profit organization, so contributions are not tax-deductible. </s> VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican has told bishops and priests in China that they must follow their own consciences in deciding whether to register with the government, and it urged Catholics in the country not to judge them for the choices they make.

The problem, the Vatican said, is that registration almost always requires the bishop or priest to accept “the principle of independence, autonomy and self-administration of the church in China,” which could be read as a denial of one’s bonds with the pope and the universal church.

Releasing the “pastoral guidelines of the Holy See concerning the civil registration of clergy in China” June 28, the Vatican acknowledged that acceptance of the independence of the church in China comes despite “the commitment assumed by the Chinese authorities,” in an agreement with the Vatican in September, to respect Catholic doctrine.

Deciding whether to register with the government, which is the only way to be able to minister openly, is a choice that is “far from simple,” the guidelines said.

“All those involved — the Holy See, bishops, priests, religious men and women and the lay faithful — are called to discern the will of God with patience and humility on this part of the journey of the church in China, marked, as it is, by much hope but also by enduring difficulties.”

The guidelines assured Chinese clergy that the Vatican “continues to dialogue with the Chinese authorities” to find “a formula that, while allowing for registration, would respect not only Chinese laws but also Catholic doctrine.”

In the meantime, however, the guidelines said, “if a bishop or a priest decides to register civilly, but the text of the declaration required for the registration does not appear respectful of the Catholic faith, he will specify in writing, upon signing, that he acts without failing in his duty to remain faithful to the principles of Catholic doctrine.”

“Where it is not possible to make such a clarification in writing, the applicant will do so at least orally and, if possible, in the presence of a witness,” and then communicate that to his bishop, it said.

Registration, the Vatican said, has “the sole aim of fostering the good of the diocesan community and its growth in the spirit of unity,” as well as allowing for evangelization and “the responsible management of the goods of the church.”

The Vatican also said it “understands and respects the choice of those who, in conscience, decide that they are unable to register under the current conditions.”

Commenting more generally on the registration requirement, the Vatican said the Chinese constitution “formally guarantees religious freedom” and the provisional agreement the Vatican and China signed in September recognizes the special role of unity with the pope in the Catholic faith.

Therefore, it said, the Vatican interprets the “independence” of the Catholic Church in China “not in an absolute sense,” for example as independent of the pope and the wider church, “but rather relative to the political sphere, as happens everywhere in the world.”

“To affirm that for the Catholic identity there can be no separation from the successor of Peter does not mean making the local church an alien body in the society and the culture of the country in which she lives and works,” the Vatican said.

Copyright ©2019 Catholic News Service / U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Send questions about this site to cns@catholicnews.com </s> Pope Francis has called on Chinese bishops to show respect and loyalty to the ruling Chinese Communist Party as faithful “members of the Chinese people.”

The Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, published an article Sunday in Italian, English, and Chinese, saying that the pope has invited “all the Bishops to renew their total adherence to Christ and to the Church.”

At the same time, “as members of the Chinese people, they are obliged to show respect and loyalty to the civil authorities.”

The article stated that this is how the bishops are to understand the words of Jesus: “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Mt 22:21).

The state-run Chinese newspaper, Global Times, called the statement the pontiff’s “latest goodwill gesture toward Beijing.”

Pope Francis “has called on seven Chinese bishops, whose pastoral duties were made public on Sunday, to show ‘respect and loyalty to civil authorities’ while adhering to their faith,” the article stated.

“The announcement shows that the Vatican is calling on all the clergy and the faithful, including those who regard themselves as from the ‘underground churches,’ to be in solidarity and to support the bishops’ pastoral duties,” said Wang Meixiu, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, according to the Global Times.

The former bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen, told Breitbart News in an interview last week that Catholics in China are suffering “huge confusion” because of the recent deal between the Vatican and the Communist Party of China (CPC), which yielded some authority to the government over the naming of Catholic bishops.

“The provisional agreement between the Holy See and the Chinese government is a secret deal,” the cardinal said, “and no one knows exactly what it specified.”

“Government officials are trying to pressure all Catholics to join the Patriotic Association,” Zen said, “but this has not been mandated by the Vatican. There has been no merger between the Catholic Patriotic Association and the underground church.”

Still, he said, “the communists are taking advantage of the confusion to try to force Catholics to join.”

“We need to study our history,” the cardinal said. “Why are there two Catholic communities in the first place? There was a reason. The Catholic Patriotic Association teaches against Catholic doctrine and this has not changed.” </s> Australian police charged a top Vatican cardinal on Thursday with multiple counts of historical sexual assault offenses, a stunning decision certain to rock the highest levels of the Holy See.

Cardinal George Pell, Pope Francis’ chief financial adviser and Australia’s most senior Catholic, is the highest-ranking Vatican official to ever be charged in the church’s long-running sexual abuse scandal.

Victoria state Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said police have summonsed Pell to appear in an Australian court to face multiple charges of “historic sexual offenses,” meaning offenses that generally occurred some time ago. Patton said there are multiple complainants against Pell, but gave no other details on the allegations against the cardinal. Pell was ordered to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on July 18.

Pell has repeatedly denied all abuse allegations made against him. The Catholic Church in Australia, which issues statements on Pell’s behalf, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the charges.

“It is important to note that none of the allegations that have been made against Cardinal Pell have, obviously, been tested in any court yet,” Patton told reporters in Melbourne. “Cardinal Pell, like any other defendant, has a right to due process.”

The charges are a new and serious blow to Pope Francis, who has already suffered several credibility setbacks in his promised “zero tolerance” policy about sex abuse.

For years, Pell has faced allegations that he mishandled cases of clergy abuse when he was archbishop of Melbourne and, later, Sydney. His actions as archbishop came under intense scrutiny in recent years by a government-authorized investigation into how the Catholic Church and other institutions have responded to the sexual abuse of children. Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse — the nation’s highest form of inquiry — has found shocking levels of abuse in Australia’s Catholic Church, revealing earlier this year that 7 percent of Catholic priests were accused of sexually abusing children over the past several decades.

Last year, Pell acknowledged during his testimony to the commission that the Catholic Church had made “enormous mistakes” in allowing thousands of children to be raped and molested by priests. He conceded that he, too, had erred by often believing the priests over victims who alleged abuse. And he vowed to help end a rash of suicides that has plagued church abuse victims in his Australian hometown of Ballarat.

But more recently, Pell himself became the focus of a clergy sex abuse investigation, with Victoria detectives flying to the Vatican last year to interview the cardinal. It is unclear what allegations the charges announced Thursday relate to, but two men, now in their 40s, have said that Pell touched them inappropriately at a swimming pool in the late 1970s, when Pell was a senior priest in Melbourne.

Australia has no extradition treaty with the Vatican. That leaves two likely outcomes: Either Pell volunteers to return to Australia to fight the charges, or the Vatican could tell the cardinal to do so, said Donald Rothwell, an international law expert at the Australian National University.

“I would think that the pope would be very concerned to think that one of his cardinals, and someone who holds a high position within the Vatican government structure, is being wanted on criminal charges in Australia,” Rothwell said in a recent interview. “So if the pope was to say, ‘Well look, Cardinal Pell, I’d like you to return to Australia and mount a defense,’ I’m sure Cardinal Pell would probably follow that instruction. … In the case of someone like Cardinal Pell, the sway that the pope and the church has over him is much greater than the ordinary citizen.”

The charges put Pope Francis in a thorny position. In 2014, Francis won cautious praise from victims’ advocacy groups when he created a commission of outside experts to advise him and the broader church about “best practices” to fight abuse and protect children.

But the commission has since lost much of its credibility after its two members who were survivors of abuse left. Francis also scrapped the commission’s signature proposal — a tribunal section to hear cases of bishops who covered up for abuse — after Vatican officials objected.

In addition, Francis drew heated criticism for his 2015 appointment of a Chilean bishop accused by victims of helping cover up for Chile’s most notorious pedophile. The pope was later caught on videotape labeling the parishioners who opposed the nomination of being “leftists” and “stupid.”

When Francis was asked last year about the accusations against Pell, he said he wanted to wait for Australian justice to take its course before judging. “It’s true, there is a doubt,” he told reporters en route home from Poland. “We have to wait for justice and not first make a mediatic judgment — a judgment of gossip — because that won’t help.”

“Once justice has spoken, I will speak,” he said.

Francis appointed Pell in 2014 to a five-year term to head the Vatican’s new economy secretariat, giving him broad rein to control all economic, administrative, personnel and procurement functions of the Holy See. The mandate has since been restricted to performing more of an oversight role.

It remains to be seen how Pell — and the pope — will respond to the developments.

Given Francis’ credibility is on the line, any decision to keep Pell on as prefect while facing charges would reflect poorly on Francis, given he remains one of the pope’s top advisers.

At the same time, the Vatican has a history of shielding its own: When Cardinal Bernard Law resigned in disgrace in 2002 over his cover-up of abuse in Boston, victims expressed outrage that St. John Paul II gave him a plum position as archpriest of a Rome basilica.

The transfer spared Law what would likely have been years of litigation and testimony in U.S. courts as victims sued the archdioceses for their abuse, though Law himself was never criminally charged with wrongdoing.

In the 1980s, the Vatican refused to cooperate with Italian investigators when one of its officials, Archbishop Paul C. Marcinkus, was indicted over a banking scandal. The Vatican successfully cited his diplomatic immunity. </s> The Vatican’s announcement of an impending deal with China along political and religious dimensions has sparked serious debate among Catholics worldwide. But for Taiwan, it raises diplomatic worries, not doctrinal ones. The Holy See is one of now just 21 governments that grant diplomatic recognition to Taipei instead of to Beijing. As the democratic island struggles against the suffocating pressure of its continental neighbor, what does it mean for one of its few unambiguous allies, and perhaps the one with the greatest soft power, to negotiate terms of agreement with Beijing?

The latest blow has come in the tiny African island nation of São Tomé and Principe, which has just broken off ties with Taipei and is set to re-recognize Beijing after ditching it in 1997. But since the electoral victory this year of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Tsai Ing-wen, seen by Beijing as dangerously pro-independence, Taiwan has faced increasing antipathy from China, which has curtailed the number of Chinese tourists allowed to visit and repeatedly blocked Taiwan’s participation in multilateral organizations, including the UNFCCC, the global climate change body, and the International Civil Aviation Organization, the agency responsible for flight safety.

This comes despite Tsai’s moderation. She must respect the wishes of the Taiwanese people, who have registered deep concern about drifting too close to an acquisitive China. But more than any other leader, she has reined in the radical, pro-independence elements in her party and pulled the DPP to the political center. Despite real stretches by Tsai, this was still not enough for Beijing, which has ratcheted up pressure accordingly.

Signs of trouble already appeared in March — after election results were in but before Tsai assumed office. China established diplomatic relations with Gambia, which had previously broken off ties with Taiwan, raising concerns that it might try to peel off additional allies — as has just happened with São Tomé. There are now worries that the Vatican could be the next ally poached, especially after the Catholic Church’s top diplomat, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, announced “expectations for new developments and a new season of relations” with China.

Though officials in Taipei have publicly proclaimed that ties are stable, and graciously expressed support for dialogue and greater religious freedom, they are quietly concerned that relations with the Vatican could be severed, if not this year, then one day in the future.

Of the 190 plus countries in the world today, 20 nations, plus the Holy See, now recognize Taiwan, using the formal name Republic of China (ROC), with its capital in Taipei. The remainder officially recognize the People’s Republic of China, ensconced in Beijing. Some nations such as Panama have had continuous relations with Taiwan since its founding. Other ties are to small island states subject to a diplomatic tug of war with China, periodically fueled by development aid. Many nations — including the United States and numerous countries in Europe — engage in a vibrant trading relationship and maintain de facto relations with Taiwan through economic and cultural offices that function as embassies.

This is a remnant of Cold War conflicts. The ROC government historically claimed all of China, Mongolia, Tibet, and Taiwan, even after it was driven to the island, which it had occupied in 1945. Today, the government no longer actively pursues this claim, and in 1991, then-President Lee Teng-hui renounced “the use of force to reunify China” and acknowledged “Beijing’s rule on the Chinese mainland” as a gesture of goodwill. China, in contrast, has never renounced the use of force to acquire Taiwan.

For more than six decades, the Holy See has recognized Taiwan, sticking by it even after the island’s largest allies ditched it — diplomatically — in the 1970s. Though the Vatican originally kept its representative on the Chinese mainland after the Communist takeover in 1949, the diplomat was expelled shortly after. The relationship with the People’s Republic has been testy ever since, particularly fraught over the appointment of bishops.

Catholicism has a long history in China, including a spate of missionaries and advisors during the Qing Dynasty. The community has persisted, even through the darkest days of the Cultural Revolution, when it was attacked as an invasive force. In contrast, Catholics in Taiwan have historically been granted the protection of law, and the church functions much as it does in any other country. Decades of growth have resulted in a flourishing community of 300,000 practicing Catholics, including Taiwanese Vice President Chen Chien-jen.

Pope Francis maintains the church’s right to freely choose religious leaders, but the Chinese Communist Party insists that it should dictate the process of selection. Conflicts such as this have forced mainland Chinese Catholics to choose between a government-sponsored church that rejects the primacy of the pope and worshipping — as apparently half of the estimated 9 million to 12 million Chinese Catholics do — in unregistered or “underground” churches that proclaim loyalty to Rome.

Despite such challenges, relations have lately smoothed, due to concerted efforts by the Catholic Church, which remains interested in ministering to its flock across the Taiwan Strait. Critics of these negotiations, such as Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, have raised concerns that the Vatican is being hoodwinked by the Chinese Communist leadership and that the church might backslide on matters of religious and human rights. Other observers are more optimistic, believing talks will create space for the Catholic Church to develop in China without conceding too much ground on spiritual tenets.

Vatican and China watcher Francesco Sisci anticipates a wide-ranging “concordat” that secures the church and pope’s primacy in religious teaching while deferring to the Chinese government in worldly matters. The gray zone in between would require constant negotiation. Given the resurgence of faith communities in China in recent years, this type of agreement may even open the doors for broader religious freedom, by fully separating civil affairs from spiritual ones, thus insulating them from too much state interference.

But the opening up has created fears that the Vatican might sell out Taiwan to purchase better relations with China. The top Vatican diplomat, Parolin, later attempted to downplay such talk, but there is good reason for concern: China’s diplomatic track record reveals that it has regularly sought to monopolize diplomatic ties with foreign states, to the exclusion of Taiwan, so a future break in official Vatican-Taiwan relations is not inconceivable.

However, indulging in such a crass diplomatic quid pro quo would not just deplete the Vatican’s political capital but undermine the very source of it. The Holy See numbers among the few global entities that are not only subject to international norms but also granted the moral authority to explicitly define them. Thus, unlike for most states, outright realpolitik is not an option for the Vatican if it wants to retain its credibility in the eyes of believers. At a time of democratic retreat across the globe, support for a fiercely free Taiwan is particularly important.

Given the historical persecution of Catholics in China and the Communist Party’s abominable record on human rights, both clergy and lay people — even the pope’s supporters — have expressed serious reservations about his approach. Will the Vatican dilute its unique legitimacy by accommodating a regime it previously denounced? Chinese Catholics broadly support religious freedom, but those who have resisted the regime for decades remain wary. Other commentators wonder: Are these far-reaching hopes guided by a realistic understanding of China or imprudent idealism? Could papal diplomats simply be too eager to reach a historic accord with a regime that has taken advantage of foreign naiveté?

In the meantime, Taiwanese allies in heavily Catholic Central America will be closely watching the church’s next steps. Taiwanese diplomats fear a major rapprochement between the Vatican and China could initiate a “domino effect” of other countries relinquishing long-term friendship with the island in exchange for new relations with Beijing. The move by São Tomé, a heavily Catholic country, has only added to these worries.

At one end of the spectrum, the status quo features exclusive recognition of Taiwan by the Vatican, with no official ties to China. At the other end, the most extreme scenario would be if the Vatican offered outright recognition of China and completely derecognized Taiwan. This would come across as wholesale abandonment of Taiwan and its Catholic community, even if important spiritual ties were to remain. Though the church is most influential through the parishes in which it ministers, not necessarily the papal nuncios who reside in the capital, Taiwan symbolically losing its last official ally in Europe will hurt.

As an alternative to sole recognition of Taiwan, a growing number of Taiwanese are hoping the Vatican could opt for “dual recognition.” Citizen activists most recently raised this idea in an open letter to Taiwanese Vice President Chen. This option would preserve Taiwan’s ties to the Vatican but would not require the Catholic Church to shun relations with China.

For anyone interested in maintaining global harmony, especially Taiwanese who would prefer to diversify their international relationships, this may even be more favorable than exclusive recognition. Other countries could see the possibility of simultaneously recognizing Taipei without rejecting Beijing and peaceably develop relations with both. The Vatican would achieve its religious aims while opening creative new horizons for peaceful international coexistence.

Finally, it is possible for the Holy See and China to reach a significant accommodation — one that resolves issues of episcopal appointments, freedom of worship, and numerous other religious matters — without addressing diplomatic recognition at all. Were the “Catholic question” to be settled as a purely religious affair, it would uphold the social interests of the Chinese people, maintain cross-strait stability, and burnish their global stature while eliding the thorny international politics.

The choice here is not only for the Vatican but Beijing as well. Despite the habitual temptation to leverage negotiations for overwrought nationalistic purposes, if Chinese officials were to forgo petty demands about Taiwan, they could instead build up durable goodwill with multiple actors. Every time China chooses to humiliate Taiwan, it frustrates the Taiwanese public and drives the wedge deeper between the two societies. Beijing also comes across as a leering international bully. By embracing its untraditional role of both state and religious arbiter, the church could play the good-faith broker, intoning magnanimity and reminding stakeholders to focus on substantive benefits, thus upholding respect for the humanity of all concerned.

Unfortunately, given China’s belligerent attitude on Taiwan’s foreign relations and the Communist Party’s stoking of nationalism for domestic purposes, better arrangements may not be forthcoming. Furthermore, if the Vatican comes across as a supplicant requesting access to the Middle Kingdom, instead of a world-class institution with unparalleled social influence, this also further reduces its negotiating power.

Given changing complexities across the strait, one hopes the issue will never become so crude as the Vatican one day horse-trading Taiwan for a chance to expand its influence in China. And although recent negotiations center on spiritual matters, political considerations will undoubtedly seep into the calculus.

Still, when Pope Francis is involved, one cannot help but hope for wiser, gentler solutions coming to pass. In these uncertain times, ethical global leadership is ever more important. It would be a shame if the Vatican abdicated its claim to it. </s> On Tuesday, February 5th, Pope Francis offered his first public comments on what the Associated Press called a “global and pervasive” scandal that has quietly plagued the Roman Catholic Church for decades — the sexual abuse of nuns by bishops and priests. Last year, the Vatican refused to comment on an AP investigation which found allegations by religious sisters against Church clergy in Europe, Africa, South America and Asia were met with inaction by local Church leaders and the Vatican. However, according to the Washington Post, an article published last week by the Vatican’s women’s magazine, Women Church World, denounced the abuse as a “condition of the oppression of women,” who hold second-class status within Church hierarchy, saying nothing will change so long as the Vatican “continues to close its eyes.”

“It is true … there have been priests and even bishops who have done this,” Pope Francis said, according to Reuters, when asked about the article. “I think it is still going on because something does not stop just because you have become aware of it. … I can’t say ‘this does not happen in my house.’ It is true. Do we have to do more? Yes. Are we willing? Yes.”

While he acknowledged that the sexual abuse of nuns was an ongoing problem, Pope Francis claimed it was largely contained to “certain congregations, predominantly new ones,” and that the Church is “working on it.”

“It’s a path we’ve been on,” Francis said, noting that certain members of the clergy have been suspended. He went on to acknowledge his predecessor, Pope Benedict, for having “the courage to dissolve a female congregation which was at a certain level … slavery, even to the point of sexual slavery, on the part of clerics or the founder.”

Alessandro Gisotti of the Vatican press office told the New York Times that Pope Francis was referring to the Community of St Jean, which was based in France and dissolved in 2005. It wasn’t until eight years later, in 2013, the Community of St Jean disclosed that several women in the order had been treated “in ways that went against chastity” by Catholic priests.

According to Women Church World editor Lucetta Scaraffia, the scandal is “made even worse by the fact that abuse of women brings about procreation and is therefore at the origin of forced abortions” — particularly galling given the Catholic Church’s vehement opposition to abortion — “and children who aren’t recognized by priests.”

According to the AP and Women Church World, many of the victims feared retaliation against themselves and their orders if they reported the abuse – even after the Church was forced to publicly reckon with the ever-growing scandal of predatory priests sexually molesting children.

“The priests and even more, the bishops, have a huge power, not just over a single nun but over a whole congregation,” Scaraffia told the AP. “So if an abused nun goes to her superior general and says that she has been abused, she will be told ‘Keep quiet because if you don’t this bishop will turn against us.’”

The sisters who are now speaking out about the abuse, according to Scaraffia, have been empowered by the #MeToo reckoning and a growing movement of women within the Church demanding a greater distribution of power. </s> For the second time in three days, there's been a high-profile exit from the Vatican administration. On Saturday, Pope Francis replaced the Catholic Church's top theologian, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller.

Müller, who was the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, a department responsible for defending Catholic doctrine, was said to be "at odds with the pontiff's vision of a more inclusive Church," Reuters reported.

The news wire adds that Müller is among several cardinals who have publicly sparred with the pope, citing, "Mueller has criticised parts of a 2016 papal treatise called "Amoris Laetitia" (The Joy of Love), a cornerstone document of Francis' attempt to make the 1.2 billion-member Church more inclusive and less condemning."

The Vatican issued a brief statement that Müller's five-year mandate, which comes to an end on Sunday, would not be renewed. No further details were given.

"The Holy Father Francis thanked His Eminence Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller at the conclusion of his quinquennial mandate," the statement said.

No new position was announced for Müller, 69, who was appointed by former Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 and still has five more years before what's considered the normal retirement age for a bishop. Müller was actually the first Vatican official formally confirmed by Pope Francis after his election in 2013.

Müller's departure comes on the heels of fellow conservative Cardinal George Pell's, the Vatican economy minister who took a leave of absence Thursday. As NPR's Slyvia Poggioli reported, Pell took leave to defend himself after Australian police charged him with multiple "historical" sex crimes.

According to the Catholic News Service, the announcement of the pope's June 30 decision – the day he met with Müller — was anticipated by both English Rorate Caeli blog and the Italian Corrispondenza Romana blog, which "presented the pope's move as a dismissal of the German cardinal."

"While Pope Francis wrote in his exhortation on the family, 'Amoris Laetitia,' that church teaching on marriage had not changed, both Rorate Caeli and Corrispondenza Romana implied Cardinal Muller was let go because he insisted that divorced and civilly remarried Catholics could not receive Communion unless they made a commitment to abstain from sexual relations with their new partners. Other bishops and bishops' conferences have read Pope Francis' document as presenting a process of discernment that in certain circumstances could allow some couples to return to the sacraments."



It should be noted that in addition to discipline and matters of doctrine, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith also handles case of sexual abuse of minors for the church.

As NPR reported in 2014, Pope Francis had appointed a commission of both clergy and laypeople to advise the church on addressing abuse by clergy. But in March of this year, Marie Collins, a survivor of abuse by a priest, resigned from Pope Francis' panel citing "shameful" resistance within the Vatican to the group's efforts to protect children.

Collins spoke with NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro in an interview for Weekend Edition Sunday to be aired on Sunday, July 2, about the Catholic Church's response to its sexual abuse scandal.

Here's an excerpt from that interview:



"I think Pope Francis has got a commitment to doing what's necessary and he has tried. I think he put in place a commission, which was a very strong sign that he wanted to seek change. ... Pope Francis has shown that he is behind doing the right thing, he has the right attitude and he has back the pontifical commission. "But when it comes to having to face his own curia and resistance he has there, I don't think he has been strong enough. Although this weekend, we do see that he has replaced Cardinal Muller, who was the prefect for the congregation for of the Doctrine of Faith. "And Cardinal Mueller's dicastery was the one that was resisting change so may be a sign that he's not going to take resistance anymore and will push harder. But his attitude is right. He seems to understand abuse and the damage it does. It's just that things seem to move so slowly in the church. And every day children are at risk so there really can't be any acceptance of slowness or defensiveness or old views that are long out of date."



Müller's replacement Ladaria was born in Manacor, Mallorca, April 19, 1944, and was ordained to the priesthood July 29, 1973.
The Vatican asks China's communist government to stop intimidating Catholic clergy who want to remain unequivocally loyal to the pope and refuse to sign ambiguous official registration forms.