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Updated Monday, November 26, 2007 0:00 am TWN, By Dimitri Bruyas, The China Post



	Hung San-chuan, right, new archbishop of the Taipei Diocese, thanks Vice President Annette Lu, left, for her speech on the prospects of Taiwan diplomatic relations with the Vatican, prior to his official ordination yesterday in Taipei. (CNA) Enlarge Photo

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Lu: Vatican should not yield to China

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Vice President Annette Lu yesterday sounded out Taipei’s new appointed archbishop on the Vatican’s strategy concerning its ties with China, while she expressed hope that the Holy See would not too easily yield on principles in seeking normalization with Beijing.

Lu was speaking at the ordination ceremony of Hung San-chuan, new archbishop of the Taipei Diocese, and said “she understands the Holy See’s concern about the large number of Chinese Catholics in maintaining close exchanges with Beijing authorities.”

However, Lu reiterated twice in her speech that the Holy See should not establish diplomatic relations with China at the expense of Taiwan.

“I am confident that the Vatican will continue to take care of the Catholics in Taiwan,” she hinted at Hung.

Insisting on its One-China policy, Beijing has been pressing the Vatican to break off official ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan) before allowing the Holy See to settle any embassy in China.

Taiwan’s government has been denouncing such a request, claiming that it reflects Beijing’s insincerity in matters concerning the millions of Chinese who are denied the exercise of religious freedom in their acts of worship.

Besides, China has placed another condition on the establishment of diplomatic ties with the Vatican, that is, an undertaking not to interfere in China’s internal affairs, such as the ordination of Chinese Catholic priests.

Last January, the Secretariat of State of the Holy See released a statement on its future relations with Beijing, in which the Catholic authority still holds tightly to its principles that only the pope — not a local church — has the power to appoint bishops, and that it will not yield on so crucial a point as the religious freedom of Chinese Catholics in China.

According to various estimates, more than 15 million Chinese Catholics in China worship only within the state-sanctioned Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, while tens of million of Chinese worship within the underground Catholic Church loyal to the Holy See.

Conversely, worship in Taiwan is totally free and unobstructed, reminded Lu.

Furthermore, the vice president expressed the hope that the Holy See would enhance ties with Taiwan through the concerted efforts of Catholic nuns and fathers sent by the Vatican.

“She has echoed the sound of our heart,” said Hung in response to Lu’s speech. He added that he would do his utmost to help promote Taiwan’s diplomatic work in the Vatican.

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