Rome, Italy, Mar 1, 2007 / 09:41 am
Chinese translations of the pope's speeches and writings are soon to be posted on the Vatican website.
Msgr. Claudio Maria Celli, head of the department in charge of the Vatican site, made the announcement this week.
The Vatican website, which gets over 10 million hits a day, typically provides documents in English, Italian, French, Spanish, German and Portuguese.
Msgr. Celli said the decision to make Chinese translations of the pope's words available was a recent one, noting that many of the people visiting the site are in China.
Msgr Celli said some progress had been made on issue of recent ordinations of bishops linked to the Patriotic Association but he stressed that "the Church's internal life is not free" in China.
"Persecution, in the form of violent acts, coercion and beatings, no longer exists. But there are certainly cases of bishops and priests who every now and then are forced to remain in their homes and are subjected to political indoctrination," he continued.
Benedict XVI has made it clear he wants to make progress in relations with China and prelates and church organizations throughout the Church are looking for ways to help resolve tensions with China and unite its faithful, said ANSA.
Fr. Peter Hans Kolvenbach, for example, superior general of the Society of Jesus, said in an interview with an Italian Catholic monthly that many young Jesuits want to go to work in China.