Some years ago I was invited by the Maryknoll Sisters to Macao to offer reflections on the Theology of the Holy Spirit. On our way there, by ocean ferry from Hong Kong, we passed the island off the coast of China where Saint Francis Xavier died without being able to fulfill his dream of bringing the Gospel to China.Sandro Magister has an important post today in which he recounts some of the challenges confronting the Catholic Church in China, and the different approaches advocated by two Cardinals, both Salesians, and both fervent in their devotion to Christ and his Church.Here is how Magister begins:

In a matter of two days, the Catholics living in China have been hammered by two very different expectations, written by two of the highest authorities of the Church worldwide: Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, and Cardinal Joseph Zen Zekiun.Both Bertone and Zen are fully entitled to be involved with China. The former is secretary of state, and therefore responsible for Church geopolitics as a whole, the latter is bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, and part of the commission set up by the Vatican to follow the implementation of the normative letter written by Benedict XVI to Chinese Catholics in June of 2007.Cardinals Bertone and Zen are both Salesians, and have known each other for much of their lives. But this does not change the fact that they are often in disagreement concerning China. The former appears more "realistic," the latter more combative. Each claims that he is the one interpreting the pope's letter correctly.In recent weeks, a situation involving a Chinese bishop has again revealed the glaring divergence between the two.

The rest of the post is here.

Robert P. Imbelli, a priest of the Archdiocese of New York, is a longtime Commonweal contributor.

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