Cardinal Zen told an Italian newspaper that this is the message he would give the Pope.

Improving relations between Beijing and the Vatican has resulted in speculation that the Pope could reach out to China, possibly alongside a visit to Korea next month.

But Cardinal Zen claimed the Chinese Communist Party would only show the Pope illegitimate bishops, including three who are excommunicated.

Beijing would prevent the Pope meeting Chinese Catholics loyal to Rome, the cardinal continued.

China has an estimated 12 million Catholics, divided between members of the state-sanctioned Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and the "'technically" illegal Catholics who recognise Pope Francis's pontificate.

In an interview in March, Pope Francis said: "We are close to China".

"I sent a letter to President Xi Jinping when he was elected, three days after me. And he replied," the Pope reportedly said.

The Vatican and China have not had formal talks since Beijing severed ties 63 years ago over allegations of espionage.

Informal talks were last known to be held in 2010.

Beijing's unsanctioned ordination of bishops in 2010 and the house arrest of Thaddeus Ma Daqin, the outspoken auxiliary bishop of Shanghai, two years later have soured ties.

In his interview, Cardinal Zen said he did not see signs of dialogue happening between the Catholic Church and China.

"Even if under these conditions Beijing was to extend a hand, it would be a trick under these circumstances," he said.

"Our poor bishops are slaves, the Communist Party denies them respect, tries to take away their dignity."

A close Western observer of the Vatican's ties with China said he was convinced Pope Francis was eager to visit China.

For many years, the Vatican has wanted to move its nunciature from Taiwan to the mainland, the Jesuit scholar said, speaking to the South China Morning Post on condition of anonymity.

He cautioned, however, that Beijing might be hesitant to receive the current Pope.

"Given that Francis has also been outspoken on issues of corruption and the treatment of the poor, one could see China being very wary of allowing him a microphone," he said.

Sources

• South China Morning Post
• China Topix
• Image: Conggiao

Bishop Ma has been under house arrest since he publicly resigned from the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association at his ordination in July and said he would devote himself full-time to his pastoral ministry.

At a two-day meeting in Beijing, the patriotic association and the Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church in China — neither of which are recognised by the Vatican — decided to revoke their original approval of Bishop Ma.

They called on Shanghai diocese to "deal with Ma in a serious manner".

Among the six "charges" laid against the bishop, they accused him of deliberately preventing an illegitimate bishop and two other participating bishops from laying hands on his head and forbidding them from receiving Communion.

They also charged him with not publicly distinguishing whether he is coadjutor or auxiliary bishop, a title given by the Pope, and that the oath was incomplete as a result of deliberate damage to the sound system, sources told UCA News.

In addition, they blamed him for the absence of many diocesan priests and nuns at the ordination and determined the declaration he made in his thanksgiving speech would have a damaging influence on others.

The secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-fai, who is a native of Hong Kong, said: "This is a clear case of abuse of authority."

"This so-called bishops' conference has never been recognised by the Holy See. No conference in the world has the power to appoint or remove a bishop, least of all this so-called conference, which is not recognised by the Pope," he said.

"Anyone involved in this act will have to explain why they have decided to cause such harm to the Church and the communion of the Church, both in China and in the world."

Sources:

UCA News

AsiaNews

Image: UCA News