The Vatican and China

Link: The Vatican Is Said to Be Hacked From China Before Talks With Beijing (New York Times) by @SangerNYT @ewong and @jasondhorowitz

For some time, the Vatican has been trying to establish a modus operandi with the CCP. As part of these efforts, the CCP has a role in the appointment of bishops, and the Vatican remains silent on injustice within China itself. This seemingly dovish approach may be partly influenced by the gerontocratic governance of the Vatican — in the sense that for people in their seventies and eighties, they may still have an image of China as being a poor country that makes gimmicky toys, instead of the formidable technological and geopolitical force it is quickly becoming.

It’s worth noting however that the Holy See is only joined by 14 other countries in having diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Quote: “The revelations are certain to anger the Vatican as its relationship with the Chinese government has been enormously delicate, especially over China’s crackdown on Hong Kong. When the Vatican issued prepared remarks on July 5 for Pope Francis’s blessing at St. Peter’s Square, it included a message to the people of Hong Kong, saying the current standoff “requires courage, humility, nonviolence and respect for the dignity and rights of all. I hope that social and especially religious life may be expressed in full and true liberty, as indeed several international documents foresee. But in the end, the pope did not deliver those words when he spoke.” (my emphasis)