TNAG-1872-FCO40-2660-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1989 — Page 124

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CONFIDENTIAL

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CONFIDENTIAL

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TO TELELETTER FCO

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TELELETTER FILE REF NONE

OF 1816OOZ APRIL 89

PEKING

AND TO TELELETTER HONG KONG, PEK

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MDIIAN 7321

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TELELETTER TO:

FROM:

COPY TO:

CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CHINA

д

W MCCLEARY ESQ, FAR EASTERN DEPT -FCO JKE BROADLEY HOLY SEE

R D CLIFT, HONG KONG

CHANCERY PEKING

MISS R MARSDEN, HONG KONG DEPT FCO MS A PRINGLE, WED FCO

1. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTER OF 29 MARCH. I WAS ABLE TO HAVE A BRIEF COVERSATION WITH CARDINAL WU AT A RECEPTION AT OUR HOUSE LAST WEEK. HE WAS SURPRISINGLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE PROSPECTS FOR THE CATHOLIC AND OTHER CHRISTIAN CHURCHES IN CHINA. HE SAID THAT THE UNDERGROUND CHURCH ON THE CATHOLIC SIDE WAS NOW COMING OUT INTO THE OPEN MORE AND MORE: THIS WAS NOT SURPRISINGLY AROUSING OPPOSITION FROM THE PATRIOTIC CHURCH AND CAUSING CONSIDERABLE CONTROVERSY. HE HELD, HOWEVER, THAT THIS WAS A HEALTHY SIGN, AND ANY RESURGENCE OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES WAS BOUND TO HAVE A DISTURBING EFFECT.

2. CARDINAL WU WAS RATHER DISTURBED AT THE NEWS WHICH HAD JUST APPEARED IN THE ITALIAN PRESS THAT THE POPE HAD BEEN INVITED TO VISIT MACAO ON HIS FAR EASTERN TOUR NEXT AUTUMN. I TOLD HIM THAT I DOUBTED VERY MUCH THAT THE POPE WOULD CALL AT MACAO. (IF THE POPE DID SO, HE WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY FEEL IT NECESSARY TO STOP AT HONG KONG AND THAT WOULD IMMEDIATELY RAISE THE POSSIBILITY OF A VISIT TO TAIWAN, WHICH THE VATICAN WANTS TO AVOID.)

3.

CARDINAL WU SAID THAT HE WOULD BE MEETING MONS GOBEL, WHO IS THE VATICAN DIPLOMAT WHO HAS BEEN CHOSEN FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE CARDINAL'S STAFF. HE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT

ARCHBISHOP CASSIDY HAS CONFIRMED TO ME THAT MONS GOBEL HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED TO TAKE A VERY LOW PROFILE: HIS ATTACHMENT WILL BE IN ANY CASE REVIEWED AFTER A FEW MONTHS.

THIS.

4. AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, A CHINESE ECCLESIASTICAL DELEGATION HAS

1

PAGE CONFIDENTIAL

D1244

Miss Mapoin

RM2014 Mr Hasyrell &

Misz 151.5

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