Bishop Stephen Lee
Pope Francis received the bishop of Macau, Stephen Lee, in the Vatican. The visit also included the bishops of Hong Kong, Michael Yeung and Joseph Ha, according to media reports.
The topics discussed during the meeting included the assessment of relations of the Holy See with Chinese central government authorities as well as the current relationship between the Catholic Church, the young generations in the Special Administrative Regions and China in general.
Held last Saturday, the meeting marked the first time in 10 years that the local bishops met the Pope in Rome.
According to the same news source, the bishops’ delegation also met with Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on the previous day where they discussed the progress of the ongoing dialogue with the Chinese government.
“There is a need to continue dialogue with China, despite issues about which we do not agree,” Cardinal Parolin said, adding that it was also important to continue to “Pray for the Pope, the Church in China and for all those who have sacrificed their lives for their faith.”
The Cardinal noted “the impatience of young people, frustrated by the lack of perspectives and freedom.”
On that topic, Yeung said, “Regarding China, the Vatican position is clear. The Vatican does not want to irritate anyone; it does not want to make any wrong moves [for the Church], but at the same time it must do something for the good of the Church and of Chinese society.” He further added, “For the religious question, it is a bit like in commercial matters. The United States and China agree on something, disagree on other things, but they continue to talk. It’s the same for us too: we need to keep talking, as diplomatic relations are not established overnight.”
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