Pope Francis on Wednesday called for
China's Catholics to have the freedom to practice their faith
during his General Audience in St. Peter's Square.
Recalling that 24 May is the World Day of Prayer for the Church
in China, he called on Christians to "raise their prayers to
God, so that the Good News of Christ crucified and risen may be
proclaimed in its fullness, beauty and freedom, bearing fruit
for the good of the Catholic Church and all of Chinese society.
"I wish to assure my thoughts and closeness to our brothers and
sisters in China, and share in their joys and hopes," the
Argentine pontiff said.
"I offer a special thought to all those who suffer - pastors and
the faithful - so that in the communion and solidarity of the
universal Church they may experience consolation and
encouragement."
Beijing and the Vatican do not have diplomatic relations but
they reached a controversial secret agreement in 2018 on the
appointment of bishops in China.
The pact has since been renewed twice for two-year periods,
although the Vatican has accused the Chinese authorities of
breaching it, mostly recently by appointing a new bishop to
Shanghai earlier this year.
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