The ongoing “drama” between Chinese Catholics and the nation’s communist leaders has three stages, said Chinese Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai, the Vatican’s nuncio to Greece.
The current stage in the drama, in effect since 2013, is one of “shrinking and getting confused,” Hon said.
“As a result of the drama, people feel so disoriented, disconnected,” Hon said in his recent keynote address to the 28th international conference of the U.S.-China Catholic Association, held at Jesuit-run Santa Clara University.
Hon cited three major players in each stage of the drama: the communist regime, the church in China and the Vatican. At this time, the Vatican was “trying to normalize the diplomatic relationship” with China, he noted. “The Holy See encouraged the Catholics to remain faithful, stating that an ‘independent church’ cannot be the ‘Catholic Church,’” Hon added.