Warning Signal: PRC-Vatican Détente May Foretell a Diplomatic Avalanche

  Warning Signal: PRC-Vatican Détente May Foretell a Diplomatic Avalanche

China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

January 28, 2018

 Translation of an Excerpt

From many indicators, the Holy See and Mainland China have been getting increasingly closer. Although no consensus has yet been reached on some crucial issues, the Vatican's desire to return to Mainland China is rather strong. Once it makes important concessions to China’s terms, there will no longer be any obstacles in the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Holy See. This is a great warning signal for Taiwan, and will the Holy See be the only case that we face?

The obstacle for establishing diplomatic ties between the Holy See and the PRC has never been Taiwan, when the ROC withdrew from the United Nations in 1971, the Holy See recalled its pronuncio to China (Taipei), sending a Monsignor as a chargé d'affaires to China (Taipei) till now. In the event the PRC and the Holy See should establish diplomatic ties in the future, here in Taiwan, all the Holy See had to do would be change its plaque from diplomatic relations to private sector religious relations. What truly blocks the establishment of diplomatic relations between the PRC and the Holy See is whose leadership is higher in status over the territory of China, between the supreme leadership of the Catholic faithful in the entire world and a political regime that rules the Chinese Mainland?

In fact, the Holy See has always been thinking of including Mainland China; the current Pope Francis is especially proactive in this respect and has twice expressed his willingness to visit the Mainland. The Holy See has already reached an agreement with Vietnam on the "Vietnamese model" over the appointment of bishops by the Holy See, giving Vietnam the substance and the Holy See the face, showing mutual respect and leaving both parties happy. If the PRC and the Holy See can reach the same arrangement, then the question of the appointment of bishops can largely be settled. If the news story that the Holy See forced bishops to abdicate in favor of China’s government appointed bishops was true, then this was all the more a great concession by the Holy See.

PRC-Vatican relations is a wrestling match between theocracy and a political regime; if Taiwan, with dwindling bargaining chips, changes the status quo, it will only be forgotten by the Holy See and be squeezed to a marginal and fragile status on the international stage.

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