Why China Was Quietly One Of Francis’ Greatest Disappointments

-Analysis-

PARIS — After the death of Pope Francis, tributes from most countries went out immediately. It took the Chinese government 24 hours to issue a polite statement. This distinction, even in mourning, would have seriously upset the Pope, who dreamed of seeing the doors of the Middle Kingdom opening up for him.

Over the course of his pontificate, Francis repeatedly expressed his desire to visit China, where 10 to 12 million Catholics live. But this was never possible, despite his diplomatic efforts that have earned him criticism.

The international climate makes it unlikely that China will relax its restrictions in the near future, whatever the personality of his successor.

Let’s look back in history. In the garden of the Chinese Communist Party‘s Central School in Beijing lies the grave of Europe’s most renowned Catholic in the eyes of the Chinese: Matteo Ricci, an Italian Jesuit missionary who died in 1610, after being admitted to the court of the Ming emperor, Wanli.

Son of heaven

Four centuries later, another Jesuit, Pope Francis, tried in vain to repeat the feat.

The reasons for this failure are manifold, but first and foremost stem from the fierce determination of China’s leader Xi Jinping to keep a tight rein on religions, upholding a long-standing tradition.

In an account published in the mid-19th century, a French missionary, Father Evariste Huc, relates a conversation with a Chinese mandarin. The mandarin explained to him the unshared authority of the emperor, who is “son of heaven” upon his subjects.

He wanted to end the schism

This is why, he said, the emperor cannot allow his subjects to obey another “emperor” such as the Pope of the Vatican. Replace emperor with General Secretary of the Communist Party, and you end up with the same logic, two centuries later.

There is actually a Catholic Church in China, but it’s called the Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics, founded in 1957, and it obeys only the power of Beijing, not that of the Vatican. There is also an underground church, faithful to the Vatican, which has survived the vicissitudes of history.

Pope Francis wanted to put an end to this de facto schism. After years of negotiations, the Vatican reached an agreement with Beijing in 2018. But it was denounced as a “betrayal” by some Catholics in China, and not the least.

Taiwan question

That word was used by Monsignor Joseph Zen, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, who accused the Pope of “understanding nothing” about China and the Communists! He criticized France for having agreed to involve Beijing in the appointment of Chinese Catholic bishops, at the risk of sacrificing members of the underground church who had resisted for decades.

The Pope’s position would have been more favorable if the bridge-building had continued. But even though the 2018 agreement was renewed, there has been no new move — and above all no papal visit to China. Quite the opposite: the Communist Party is taking a harder line with all religions, which Xi Jinping wants to “nationalize.” No way will foreign influences be allowed to weaken the Party’s hold.

The difficulty for the Vatican also lies in the fact that it has recognized Taiwan. In order to normalize relations with Beijing, it would have to let go of Taipei and its 300,000 Catholics. This is ultimately why China remained sealed off from Pope Francis, and is not about to open up to any successor at the Vatican.