Églises d'Asie, “Did President Xi Jinping really send a gift to Pope Francis?"
Paris (AsiaNews/ÉDA) – Despite good intentions from both China and the Vatican, who show a "sincere desire" to improve relations, the latter have always seemed to be "sensitive”, this according to an article published by Églises d'Asie, titled ‘Did President Xi Jinping really send a gift to Pope Francis?’
The question stems from the answer the pontiff gave a journalist on Vatican relations with China on the plane that brought him back to Rome from Baku on 2 October.
“We have good relations,” the pope said on that occasion, “we study and we talk, there are working commissions… I am optimistic. Now I believe that the Vatican Museum has organized an exhibit in China, the Chinese will do another at the Vatican…
“There are many professors who go to teach in Chinese universities, many nuns, many priests who can work well there. The relations between the Vatican and the Chinese… We have to establish a relationship, and for this we are having discussions, slowly…
“Slow things go well, always. Things done in a hurry do not go well. I have great esteem for the Chinese people. The day before yesterday, for example, there was a two-day conference, I believe, at the [Pontifical] Academy of Sciences on Laudato Si’, and there was a Chinese delegation representing the President. And the President of China sent me a gift. There are good relations.”
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/%C3%89glises-dAsie,-%E2%80%9CDid-President-Xi-Jinping-really-send-a-gift-to-Pope-Francis-38829.html
Gift in 2016.
Concordat in 2018.
Renewal of Concordat in 2020.
Daily Reminder that the pope reigning through WWII signed Concordats with both Hitler and Mussolini prior to the advent of WWII.
Sure wouldn't want to be an Anon giving my money to this effort.