Il Papa -v- China (6)

Taiwan exhorts the Vatican not to easily give up its principles of "divine construction" and "religious freedom" while seeking normalization of engagements with Beijing, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.

David C. Y. Wang made the call in response to media inquiries after the Vatican announced the establishment of a committee of Chinese affairs following a weekend high-level meeting on issues concerning Holy See-China ties.

The Vatican has also urged China to engage in a "constructive" dialogue.

Wang said it is understandable that the Holy See has been sparing no efforts to better engage China for the sake of millions of Chinese faithful.

However, Beijing has been insisting that the Vatican break off official ties with Taiwan before opening an embassy in China. Such a request reflects Beijing's insincerity in matters concerning the millions of Chinese who are denied the exercise of religious freedom in their acts of worship, Wang noted.

Wang said that according to a statement released by the Secretariat of State of the Holy See Saturday on its future relations with Beijing, the Holy See still holds tightly to its principles on the issue, which includes an insistence 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.

At present, around 15 million of Catholics in China are allowed to worship only within the state-sanctioned church, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.

Wang also indicated that the communications between Taiwan and the Vatican are free and unobstructed.