Bishop: Vatican wants to cut ties with Taiwan
The Vatican wants to cut formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and recognise the island’s rival China because the move would give Catholics more freedom on the mainland, Hong Kong’s bishop said in a newspaper article today.
The report did not say whether outspoken Bishop Joseph Zen thought that the death of Pope John Paul II – an ardent campaigner against communism – would create new momentum for establishing ties with the communist government in Beijing.
The Vatican is Taiwan’s only European diplomatic ally and rumours have long been circulating that the Holy See plans to soon sever official relations with Taipei. It would be a big blow to Taiwan, which competes fiercely with China for recognition since the two sides split amid civil war in 1949.
Beijing claims that self-ruled, democratic Taiwan is part of China and should not act like an independent nation with foreign relations with other countries. Taiwan only has official ties with 26 countries – mostly small and impoverished nations in Africa and Latin America.
Today, the South China Morning Post quoted Zen as saying the Vatican was ready to cut ties with Taiwan.
“The Holy See has been thinking of giving up Taiwan. This is a difficult (decision), but it has decided to do it,” Zen said. “There is however no way that (it would) do so before negotiations. We have got to start the negotiation before talking about what we can give.”
Zen said that church officials in Taiwan would understand the move. “If the Holy See does not establish ties with China, Catholics there will no have real freedom,” he said.
China’s communist leaders ordered Catholics to break ties with the Vatican in 1951 and Catholics are permitted to worship only in state-sanctioned churches. But millions more worship in unauthorised “house churches” and the government frequently harasses and arrests followers and clergy of the underground church.
