For China-Vatican relations, 2007 brought signs of hope amid tensions

Published: 2007-12-10

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In many ways, 2007 was a watershed year for relations between the Vatican and China, with signs of hope springing up amid chronic tensions. Pope Benedict XVI wrote a long letter to Chinese Catholics, new bishops were appointed with Chinese and papal approval, Vatican officials made fresh diplomatic overtures and the church joined others in looking ahead to next year's Olympics in Beijing. The pope set the stage for new developments in January when he convened a two-day meeting to discuss the problems of the church in China. There was a sense among many participants that after decades of harsh persecution of Catholics loyal to the Vatican, China's communist government was relaxing its stance. To make the most of that opportunity, the Vatican announced the pope was preparing a personal letter to the Chinese Catholic community. After much internal discussion and revision, the 55-page letter was published June 30, and it was immediately clear that this was a landmark document.

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