c. 2006 Religion News Service

ROME _ Taiwan is urging the Vatican to rethink its proposal to cut diplomatic ties in order to reestablish formal relations with China, arguing that such a move could compromise the Holy See’s credibility as a global advocate for human rights.

A decision to switch Holy See allegiances from the democratic island nation to the communist mainland could undercut the Vatican’s status as a symbol of “democracy, liberty and justice,” said Ambassador Chou-seng Tou in a Wednesday (April 5) interview at the Taiwan embassy to the Holy See, just outside Vatican City territory.

“The Vatican upholds these principles of justice and truth,” he said, adding that he has expressed his concerns to the Vatican. “If you advocate justice, where’s the justice?”

The Vatican, which is a sovereign state, is the only country in Europe that maintains diplomatic ties with Taiwan instead of China. Most of Europe recognizes China’s “One China” policy, which considers Taiwan Chinese territory.”

Last week the Vatican acknowledged it had entered into informal talks that aim to give Pope Benedict XVI administrative powers over the Catholic Church in China on the condition the Vatican transfers its embassy from the Taiwan capital of Taipei to Beijing.

The Vatican relocated its embassy to Taiwan after China’s officially atheist government swept to power, prompting the expulsion in 1951 of the Holy See’s apostolic nuncio, or ambassador.

Five million Chinese Catholics currently belong to the state-controlled “Catholic” church while at least 8 million faithful are believed to belong to an underground church loyal to Pope Benedict XVI. Members of the underground church are routinely harassed, beaten and jailed by Chinese authorities.

The Vatican has pledged to not cut ties with Taiwan until the Chinese government guarantees the religious freedom of China’s Catholics. Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican’s No. 2 official, has stated that the Holy See is ready to relocate its embassy “not tomorrow morning, but tonight” if China’s restrictions on religious activity are loosened.

Pope Benedict appeared to rein in the drive for reconciliation in late March, however, when he promoted Bishop Joseph Zen of Hong Kong, an outspoken critic of the Chinese government, to the rank of cardinal.

Yet days after Zen’s appointment, Foreign Minister Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo traveled to China for informal talks, telling a Hong Kong cable network that the “the time is ripe” for reconciliation.

On Sunday (April 2), Ye Xiaowen, director of China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs, told China Daily, a state-run English-language newspaper, that a deal with the Vatican could be reached “very soon.”

Tou on Wednesday dismissed China’s overtures to the Holy See as a ploy to diplomatically isolate Taiwan.

“It now seems like Beijing is very eager to establish a relationship with the Vatican. I think the main reason is that Beijing is extremely unhappy to see the existence of our embassy at the Vatican,” Tou said.

“Their purpose is only to isolate Taiwan by digging out the only strategic position Taiwan has in Europe,” he said.

The significance of Taiwan’s toehold at the Vatican became apparent a year ago, when Taiwan President Chen Shui Bian attended John Paul II’s high-profile funeral, underscoring the island nation’s claim to independence from mainland China.

China, whose absence at the funeral grabbed headlines, subsequently stepped up talks with the Holy See to repair relations.

A frequently cited sticking point in China’s negotiations with the Vatican has been the question of who holds power to appoint Chinese bishops.

The Vatican maintains the pope has sole authority in naming bishops in China or any other country. Echoing a historic concern about foreign influence on religion in China, Communist officials say that granting such authority to the pope would allow a foreign leader to interfere in domestic affairs.

But Tou suggested that disagreements between the pope and the Chinese government extended beyond the issue of bishop appointments.

“How do you define `interfere with domestic affairs?”’ he said. Citing Chinese population control laws that discourage families from having more than one child, Tou questioned whether Chinese Catholics would be free to voice support for the pope’s opposition to birth control and abortion.

“The pope says we should respect life,” he said. “Would that constitute an interference in domestic affairs?”

MO/JL END RNS

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