Cardinal Parolin: If there was an opening, Pope Francis would go to China

By Salvatore Cernuzio

The moment seems premature at the moment, but “if there was an opening on the part of the Chinese, the Pope would also go immediately” to China, a land for which he has always shown great appreciation and esteem for its people, its history and its inhabitants. culture.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, reiterated Pope Francis' never-hidden desire to one day visit the great and “noble” Asian country.

The Cardinal's remarks were delivered Thursday afternoon, June 20, at the Pontifical Urban University of Rome, during the presentation of the book “Cardinal Celso Costantini and China – Builder of a 'bridge' between the Orient and the West.

The volume was edited by Mgr. Bruno Fabio Pighin, Italian historian and episcopal delegate in the postulation of the cause of beatification and canonization of Cardinal Celso Costantini (1876-1958), first apostolic delegate to China, and published in Italian by Marcianum Press.

Once again, a month after the conference organized at the Urbaniana for the 100th anniversary of Concilium Sinense, which Cardinal Costantini inspired, promoted and organized, Cardinal Parolin found himself evoking the figure of the First Apostolic Delegate in China who laid the foundations of a dialogue of which one of the fruits, after decades, can be considered as the signing of the Agreement with the Holy See on the appointment of bishops. This agreement was signed for the first time in 2018 and then renewed twice in 2020 and 2022.

The Agreement on the appointment of bishops will be renewed at the end of the year

Cardinal Parolin recalled this agreement during his brief conversation with journalists on the sidelines of the presentation.

“With China, we are in dialogue as we have been doing for some time. We are trying to find the best procedures also for the application of the agreement signed at the time and which will be renewed at the end of this year,” he said. he declared. answering questions from journalists.

The Pope's esteem for the Chinese people

The Pope's thoughts returned once again to China yesterday, at the end of his weekly general audience. Greeting the association “Friends of Cardinal Celso Costantini”, he took the opportunity to send a greeting “to the dear Chinese people”.

“We always pray for this noble people, so courageous, who have such a beautiful culture,” Pope Francis said.

“The Pope”, commented Cardinal Parolin, “indeed has great appreciation and does not miss an opportunity to express it towards the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. Perhaps this is because he is a Jesuit and that it therefore possesses all the heritage of the past… Certainly, these are all steps which help us to understand each other more and more, to come ever closer together. Let us hope that this path can lead to a positive conclusion.

A possible trip by the pope to China

Asked about the possibility of a papal visit to China, which would mark the first-ever apostolic trip to the Asian nation, the cardinal responded cautiously.

“It is certain that the Pope is ready to go to China, he even wishes to go to China,” he declared, emphasizing: “It does not seem to me that, until now, the conditions are met for this wish of the Pope comes to China”. realization.”

“China is close to our hearts”

Cardinal Parolin then reiterated his love for China in his speech at the University Hall. Aula Magna.

“We love and admire China, its people, its culture, its traditions, the efforts it is currently making…” he said. “Really, China is close to our hearts, it is close to the heart of Pope Francis and his collaborators.”

Costantini's method

At this event, the Vatican Secretary of State recalled Cardinal Costantini.

Specifically, he recounted anecdotes, such as when the Apostolic Delegate went to Pope Pius XII in 1946 to request that the name of a Chinese bishop be included in the Consistory of 32 new cardinals, which also included his name, and praised the efforts, works and sacrifices to “spread the light of the Gospel in China” and, above all, to promote an inculturated Church.

After all, it was Cardinal Costantini who insisted that Concilium Sinense in Shanghai in 1924, which was a prophetic inspiration for the Second Vatican Council and which laid the foundations of a Chinese Church which would grow to include 23 bishops in 1963, despite the opposition of many missionary institutes in China.

“They traced the line of apostolic succession for the current bishops,” Cardinal Parolin said.

Chinese bishops in communion with the Church of Peter

The “Constantini method” in relations between the Holy See and Asia’s largest state is today “the direction also followed by Pope Francis,” the secretary of state said. This also dates back to Benedict XVI's 2007 “Letter to Chinese Catholics” and is reflected in the “provisional” agreement signed in Beijing in 2018 for the appointment of bishops.

Where “the qualification of provisional”, underlined the Cardinal, “indicates that it is a starting point”.

Confirmed twice in recent years, it has found significant implementation in concrete cases. »

Hope remains

“The positive developments recorded so far,” he observed, “give us hope that other, more important, developments will follow.”

“Thanks to the Agreement, all the bishops of the country of Confucius are in full communion with the Church of Peter.”

There therefore remains the hope that “the dialogue and the process initiated by Chinese Catholics to promote greater harmony under the direction of their pastors, in full communion with the Pope who has given so much proof of his love for these great people.”