Jesuit magazine says prospects for religious freedom in China improve

Published: 2005-10-13

ROME (CNS) -- Prospects are improving in China for religious freedom and reunification of the Catholic community, said a leading Jesuit magazine. Already there are "signs of a future understanding" between China and the Vatican, in particular the current pragmatic arrangement on the nomination of bishops, said the Oct. 15 issue of La Civilta Cattolica. The magazine said the government-approved and clandestine wings of the Chinese church are increasingly operating in harmony. While full normalization of the church's activities may take a long time, there is reason for optimism, it said. The assessment came in a long article titled "China is Opening Up," by Jesuit Father Hans Waldenfels, who lectured and traveled in China last June. The magazine's articles carry special weight because they are reviewed by top Vatican officials prior to publication. Father Waldenfels said he saw signs of Catholic growth in China, even in Hebei province, where earlier this year there had been news of anti-Catholic persecution and subsequent civil disorders.

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