Vatican offers olive branch to China

The head of the Vatican department for missionary work has issued a message to millions of Catholics and the Communist government in China, expressing hope for a fruitful dialogue, reports Ucanews.

Published in Italian, English and Chinese and titled Five years after the publication of Benedict XVI’s Letter to the Church in China, the 2,500-word message by Prefect Cardinal Fernando Filoni (pictured) of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples carries a firm but cordial tone.

Its publication, last Friday, comes as the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party prepares to convene on November 8 and give birth to the fifth generation of its leadership.

Though “dialogue” seems to be the catchword, appearing 21 times in the Chinese version of the text, the cardinal’s message remains firm on the basis of the Pope’s letter, which he says is predominantly religious in nature, and does not avoid mentioning the persecution faced by Chinese Catholics. [more]

SOURCE

UCAN