The pontiff recalled a Polish martyr of communism and clearly made it clear that Chinese Catholics cross “tests”. Religious freedom is returning central
The foreign policy of the Holy See is probably changing. Today, after the Regina CaeliLeone XIV recalled the beatification of Stanislao Kostka Stall. “Yesterday in Poznań (Poland) Stanislao Kostka Staich, diocesan priest killed in hate to faith in 1938, was blessed, so that his work in favor of the poor and workers annoyed the followers of communist ideology. His example may stimulate the priests in particular to spend generously for the Gospel and the brothers,” Added: “Also yesterday, liturgical memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Christians, the day of prayer for the Church in China was celebrated, established by Pope Benedict XVI. In churches and sanctuaries of China and all over the world prayers have been elevated to God as a sign of concern and affection for Chinese Catholics and their communion with the universal Church. Grace of being strong and joyful witnesses of the Gospel, even in the midst of the tests, to always promote peace and harmony “.
It is very significant that the reference to Chinese Catholics took place immediately after the memory of the beatification of a victim of communist ideology. Just as it is indicative that, speaking to the Chinese faithful, the Pontiff invoked the intercession of the Madonna, so that we can be “strong and joyful witnesses of the Gospel, also in the middle of the tests”. Recall that, in 2018, Pope Francis and Pietro Parolin had signed the controversial agreement Sino-Vatican on the appointment of the bishops: an agreement that has so far been renewed three times (the last, last October, for four years). The point is that this relaxation towards the People’s Republic has shown strong limits. Not only does the Chinese communist regime repeatedly violated the terms of the intended on the appointment of bishops. But, in China, non -aligned prelates continue to be arrested. It is also since 2018 that Xi Jinping has been carrying out the so -called “synicization”: a process of indoctrination of the Catholic faithful, according to the principles of socialism. Well, in front of these abuses, the Holy See, in recent years, has unfortunately often bent over the head. And there were minimizations of the difficult conditions in which Chinese Catholics are poured.
Not surprisingly, the Sino-Vaticano agreement was one of the central dossiers to the general congregations and inside the Sistine. Over the years, various purple had in fact criticized the agreement: especially Raymond Burke, Timothy Dolan, Gerhard Müller and Joseph Zen. Above all Zen, Emeritus Bishop of Hong Kong, was one of the hardest opponents of the agreement, so much so that he arrives at a real clash with Parolin in 2020. It is true that the purple elderly did not take part in the conclave for reached age limits. And it is also true that, during the congregations, at least officially, he could not speak of the Sino-Vatican intended for possible retaliation at home by the regime. However, it should be emphasized that his only presence at the congregations has released a strong symbolism in the eyes of the purple. A presence that has probably contributed to decisively weakening Parolin’s candidacy.
On the other hand, the election of an American as Prevost to the Pontifical Soglio represented an indication of discontinuity with respect to the foreign policy of Francesco and Cardinal Secretary of State himself: a line, theirs, who, in addition to the relaxation against Beijing, had also led to a cooling in the relations of the Holy See with the United States (understood both as a government and as a episcopal conference). In short, the election of Prevost has the center of gravity of Vatican foreign policy brought to the West. This does not mean that Leone will be an “westernist” pontiff: the new Pope has in fact confirmed attention to the global South. However, it means that, probably, the Holy See will abandon the surrender shown in recent years against Beijing, returning to the approach that was from Benedict XVI, who sought, yes, a dialogue with China, but interrupted him when he understood that the regime violated the prerogatives and dignity of the Church.
The words spoken today by the pontiff seem to go exactly in this direction. Leone recalled the martyrs of communism and has, neppur too implicitly, underlined the “evidence” to which Chinese Catholics are subjected. And be careful. The fact that Prevost is US has to do with it to a certain point. The question is much deeper. And he calls into question the Augustinian spirituality that characterizes Leone. Sant’Agostino helped to elaborate the principle of Libertas Ecclesia: that is, the freedom of the Church with the interference and persecutions of worldly powers. Moreover, it is not a coincidence that, recently, the current pontiff has spoken of a connection between diplomacy and truth. In international issues, pragmatism is sometimes necessary, of course. But the Church is a spiritual and moral authority. And in front of the regimes that systematically trample it cannot pretend anything. We will see how the Pope will move in the coming months. And what will be his relations with Beijing, especially starting from the agreement on the bishops. However, the words pronounced today bode well. For this Pope, religious freedom is a fundamental principle: well rooted in Augustinian theology. Leone, we can say, is not afraid of the Chinese Communist Party.
