Pope apologizes to China, pleads for dialogue. (World).
By CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE and NCR STAFFIn a renewed plea for an official dialogue with the government of mainland China, Pope John Paul II apologized for any actions taken by Catholics that offended China or gave an impression of disrespect for its culture.
Over the centuries personal limitations, political pressure and theological disputes sometimes led to tensions and mistrust between China and the Vatican, offsetting the good work accomplished by missionaries in evangelization, education and health care, the pope told scholars.
"I feel deep sadness for these errors and limits of the past, and I regret that in many people these failings may have given the impression of a lack of respect and esteem for the Chinese people on the part of the Catholic church," he said.
"For all of this I ask the forgiveness and understanding of those who may have felt hurt in some way by such actions on the part of Christians."
The pope's message was addressed Oct. 24 to an international conference in Rome marking the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Jesuit Fr. Matteo Ricci in Beijing.
With "renewed and deeply felt friendship toward all the Chinese people," the pope said, "I express the hope that concrete forms of communication and cooperation between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China may soon be established."
The pope said the values of mutual respect and sharing that existed between the Chinese imperial court and Ricci, an Italian scientist and missionary, could be recovered and applied to a new Vatican-Chinese relationship.
Ricci lived in Beijing from the beginning of 1601 until his death in 1610, sharing with Chinese leaders his knowledge of Western science and his Catholic faith and learning about Chinese culture and science from them.
"Fr. Ricci forged a Chinese terminology for Catholic theology and liturgy and thus created the conditions for making Christ known and for incarnating the gospel message and the church within Chinese culture," the pope wrote.
The Jesuit's love for China and his love for the church were seen in everything he did, the pope said.
Looking back at Ricci's life, Pope John Paul said, "We cannot fail to ask what is the message he can offer to the great Chinese nation and to the Catholic church, to both of which he felt ever deeply bound and by both of which he was and is sincerely valued and loved."
The pope said Ricci's work was built on two pillars: first, the Chinese who embraced Christianity did not have to renounce loyalty to their country; and second, Christianity did not attempt to replace Chinese culture, but "complemented everything beautiful and good, just and holy in what had been produced and handed down by the ancient Chinese tradition."
Just as at the time of Ricci, the pope said, "so too today, the Catholic church seeks no privilege from China and its leaders, but solely the resumption of dialogue in order to build a relationship based on mutual respect and deeper understanding."
The pope described the Catholic church and China, with more than 1 billion people each, as "two of the most ancient `institutions' in existence and operating on a world scene."
"The church has very much at heart the values and objectives which are of primary importance also to modern China: solidarity, peace, social justice, the wise management of the phenomenon of globalization and the civil progress of all peoples," he said.
As China continues its push toward social and economic progress, he said, the Catholic church is ready to offer its help, especially "in the promotion and defense of the human person and of the person's values, spirituality and transcendent vocation," the pope said.
With such large populations and with so much at stake, he said, "it is no secret that the Holy See, in the name of the whole Catholic church and, I believe, for the good of the whole human family, hopes for the opening of some form of dialogue with the authorities of the People's Republic of China."
"The normalization of relations between the People's Republic of China and the Holy See would undoubtedly have positive repercussions for humanity's progress," the pope said.
In its initial response to the pope's remarks, China said Oct. 25 that it was studying the pope's request for diplomatic relations. "We have made it clear all along that we are willing to improve our relations with the Vatican," said Sun Yuxi, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman at a news conference.
However, Yuxi said that the Vatican still must meet its demands that the Vatican end diplomatic ties with Taiwan, admit that Taiwan belongs to the internal affairs of China and promise not to interfere in China "under the pretext of religion."
The text of the pope's message can be found on the Vatican Web site at www.vatican.va
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| Publication: | National Catholic Reporter |
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| Article Type: | Brief Article |
| Geographic Code: | 9CHIN |
| Date: | Nov 2, 2001 |
| Words: | 806 |
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