As discretas negociações entre a China e o Vaticano criteriosamente analisadas pelo australiano “The Diplomat”.
China Could Get a Lot More Than We Think from a Deal
with the Vatican
A possible deal between the Holy See and
Beijing could have wide-ranging consequences.
By Gabriel
Alvarado and Greg Levesque
The ongoing negotiations between the Holy See and Beijing on the selection of Catholic bishops in China is problematic for reasons beyond the fact that it is occurring as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is signaling it is tightening control over the management of religious affairs in general.
Negotiations were troubled from the
outset, as both sides entered into talks with different mindsets. The Vatican
appears to be negotiating with a focus on its ecclesiastical objectives, while
Beijing almost certainly considers a deal as a means to help meet China’s key
political objectives, including legitimizing the CCP’s handling of religious
affairs and setting the conditions for reestablishing formal diplomatic
relations with the Vatican at Taiwan’s expense.
Behind-the-scenes discussions are
customary for the Vatican but doing so could put it at a disadvantage in this
case. Beijing is adamant about negotiating bilaterally, particularly around
sensitive issues, because it believes, usually correctly, that it gains greater
leverage. The South China Sea serves as a case in point — China has avoided
settling territorial disputes multilaterally, time and again insisting on bilateral
negotiations.
The deal being
discussed between China and the Vatican would allow Beijing to propose
candidates for bishop in China and the Vatican to select candidates from the
list presented by the Chinese. This, on paper, would appear to effectively give
the Holy See veto power, but any bishop that is put forward by Beijing will
almost certainly be thoroughly vetted to ensure that no matter who is selected
their allegiance will be first and foremost to the CCP. This is similar to how
Hong Kong’s chief executive is elected — through an electoral committee that is
stacked with members that typically vote in line with Beijing’s interests.
There is, therefore, little hope that an
agreement will accord the Holy See substantially more access to Catholics or a
say in the management of its religious affairs in China. Further, recent
reshuffling in China’s bureaucracy also does not bode well for a positive
outcome. The incorporation of
China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs into the United Front Work
Department (UFWD) signals the CCP’s intention to consolidate issues of religion
under its purview. The recent issuance of a policy document —
Religious Affairs Ordinance, No. 686 (宗 教 事 务 条 例, 国令第686号) — and a white paper titled
“China’s Policy and Practice of Guaranteeing Freedom of Religious Belief” (中国保障宗教信仰自由的政策和实践) confirms the CCP still approaches its management of
religious affairs from the perspective that religion is a potential conduit for
foreign forces to undermine its rule, making it highly unlikely the Vatican
could secure any substantial concessions.
There are additional consequences of
empowering the UFWD to manage religious affairs. This agency is best known for
its work abroad,
where it seeks to promote a positive narrative of China. These activities
typically translate into ensuring overseas Chinese communities tow the CCP line
and entails recruiting them to advocate for pro-Chinese policies in their
countries of residence. This is why the UFWD has popped up in
recent discussions on Chinese influence operations overseas. The CCP, through
the UFWD, might very well strike a deal with the Vatican and broadcast it as
legitimizing its management of religious affairs.
The CCP also is likely to use an
agreement with the Holy See to pressure it and Taiwan’s other allies to drop
diplomatic ties with Taipei in favor of establishing official relations with
Beijing. It is not impossible to imagine a situation where, after striking a
deal on the appointment of bishops, the discussion eventually turns to how the
Vatican must consider dropping ties with Taiwan if it wants to expand
activities or else lose its gains in China. Most countries maintaining official
diplomatic ties with Taiwan are in Latin America and the Caribbean, an area
that is also home to significant Catholic populations.
Other faiths also should take note of
these developments as the structure of an agreement may serve as a benchmark
for future potential ecclesiastical accords. This could be particularly
problematic for organizations such as the Church of.....
Continuar a ler aqui: https://thediplomat.com/2018/05/china-could-get-a-lot-more-than-we-think-from-a-deal-with-the-vatican/
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário