The Pope on China’s ‘Patience’
Vatican City – “We must persevere in China,” said Pope Francis, citing continued dialogue with Beijing as guiding principles to protect his flock, which is a minority in that Asian country. I regard it as
The Associated Press asked what comes next in diplomatic talks between the two countries in an exclusive interview with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Tuesday.
“We are taking measures,” Francis replied. “Each case (of bishop’s nominations) is viewed through a magnifying lens.”
As for the Chinese authorities, “sometimes they’re a little more closed, other times they’re not,” Francis said.
The Pope avoided questions about how Vatican-Taiwan relations would affect dialogue.
Francis has been criticized by more conservative factions of the Catholic Church over his 2018 agreement with Beijing on the appointment of bishops in China, given that Chinese Communist Party authorities have sometimes imprisoned priests. Among the harshest critics is Cardinal Joseph Zeng, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong.
In an interview, Francis called 91-year-old Zeng a “charming old man” and a “gentle soul.” Invited him to a hotel in the Vatican.When the Cardinal saw it, “he started crying like a child.”
Zeng was arrested last year after clashing with Hong Kong authorities over his participation in the now-silenced pro-democracy movement.
Other points
About Homosexuality:
Pope Francis is his Criticism of discrimination against members of the LGBTQ communityIn an interview with the Associated Press on Tuesday, Francis denounced the country where homosexuality is a crime, but reiterated the Catholic Church, which teaches that homosexuality is a sin.
“Being gay is not a crime.
On the pope’s health and retirement:
The 86-year-old pope asked to assess his health.
“I am healthy. For my age, I am normal. I may die tomorrow, but I am under control. I always seek the grace of the Lord to give me a sense of humor.” I have.”
After the death of Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned in 2013 as the first pope in 600 years, the Pope was also asked about the need for rules regarding future retirements.
“With a little more experience, it could be more normalized or regulated,” he said. “But so far it hasn’t occurred to me.”
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https://www.local10.com/news/world/2023/01/25/the-ap-interview-takeaways-the-pope-on-patience-in-china/ The Pope on China’s ‘Patience’