Greg Burke, Director of the Holy See Press Office, has denied recent allegations of the Pope and Vatican’s treatment of the Catholic Church in China.
Yesterday, Cardinal Joseph Zen, Emeritus of Hong Kong, at the end of a Facebook post yesterday, Jan. 29, 2018, wrote: «So, do I think that the Vatican is selling out the Catholic Church in China? Yes, definitely, if they go in the direction which is obvious from all what they are doing in recent years and months.»
Today, the Vatican spokesman responded with a statement denouncing the widespread news on a presumed difference of thought and action between the Holy Father and his collaborators in the Roman Curia on issues relating to China.
In the statement, Greg Burke rebukes those words, explaining: “The Pope is in constant contact with his collaborators, in particular in the Secretariat of State, on Chinese issues, and is informed by them faithfully and in detail on the situation of the Catholic Church in China and on the steps in the dialogue in progress between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China, which he follows with special attention.
«It is therefore surprising and regrettable that the contrary is affirmed by people in the Church, thus fostering confusion and controversy,” he lamented.
Below is the full Vatican-provided text of Greg Burke’s statement:
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With reference to widespread news on a presumed difference of thought and action between the Holy Father and his collaborators in the Roman Curia on issues relating to China, I am able to state the following:
“The Pope is in constant contact with his collaborators, in particular in the Secretariat of State, on Chinese issues, and is informed by them faithfully and in detail on the situation of the Catholic Church in China and on the steps in the dialogue in progress between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China, which he follows with special attention. It is therefore surprising and regrettable that the contrary is affirmed by people in the Church, thus fostering confusion and controversy”.
[Original text: English]
[Vatican-provided text]
