Vatican City, May 11, 2006 / 22:00 pm
The Bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Joseph Zen, reminded the Chinese government his week that it has no real authority to ordain bishops and said he would not mediate talks with the Holy See aimed at getting the Church to accept China’s conditions for establishing diplomatic ties.
“If the position of Beijing is that of appropriating authority to ordain bishops and to maintain a Patriotic Association that is above everything, it will bring no good to the country and will not be accepted by the majority of clergy and faithful,” he said in press release published by the South China Morning Post.
Beijing has insisted on two points for re-establishing ties with the Vatican: First, that the Vatican recognize China’s authority to appoint bishops, and second, that the Vatican break its ties with Taiwan. China broke of ties with the Vatican in 1953, when the Holy See’s representative was expelled by Mao Zedong.