Rome, Italy, Sep 12, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Secretary Qin Gang confirmed that his government has not granted permission to four bishops to travel to Rome, to participate to the Synod of Bishops, and subsequently worded three conditions in order to reestablish formal relations with the Holy See.
“Three premises have to be honored. The Vatican has to suspend diplomatic relations with Taiwan, recognize China as a State with legitimate sovereignty, and not intervene in Chinese domestic affairs” Gang said.
The Holy Father invited three bishops, members of the Patriotic Catholic Association controlled by the government and one from the underground Church, loyal to the Vatican. The numbers were disclosed last week, published along the other members from around the world.
According to the official news agency Xinhua, the government had already said it wouldn’t let the bishops travel, prior to the Vatican invitation.