Pope Francis intends to reestablish ties with China. (Photo : Getty Images)
China declared separation from the Catholic Church in the 1950s when the Communist Party deemed that the Catholic religion suppresses the revolutionary beliefs of the people.
Last Sunday, Vatican's representative and Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin expressed excitement over the potential meeting of the two countries.
"There is much hope and expectation that there will be new developments and a new season in relations between the Holy See and China," he said in a speech in the northern Italian city of Pordenone.
He added, "(This) will benefit not just Catholics in the land of Confucius, but the whole country, which boasts one of the greatest civilisations on the planet. Dare I say, it would also be of benefit to an ordered, peaceful and fruitful cohabitation of peoples of all nations in a world, such as ours, which is lacerated by so many tensions and so many conflicts."
The Vatican is hoping that talks between China and the Catholic Church will lead to the stopping of persecution of Catholics in China.
Parolin is hoping that the two countries try to establish diplomatic relations for the sake of world peace.
He said, "The new and hoped-for good relations with China, including diplomatic relations, God willing, are not an end in themselves."
Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesperson said, "The aim of the contacts between the Holy See and Chinese representatives is not primarily that of establishing diplomatic relations, but that of facilitating the life of the Church and contributing to making relations in ecclesial life normal and serene."
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said, "We are willing, on the basis of the relevant principles, to continue having a constructive dialogue with the Vatican side, to meet each other halfway and jointly promote the continued forward development of the process of improving bilateral ties."
The ministry added, "(We) hope the Vatican can likewise take a flexible and pragmatic attitude and create beneficial conditions for improving bilateral relations."
