Pope Francis Sends Message to China in Telegram From Papal Plane

By

Deborah Ball

This time, Beijing allowed Pope Francis to fly over China. The gesture is significant, particularly in light of the especially poor state of relations, which have hit a low in recent years after Chinese authorities placed a Catholic bishop under house arrest.

The Vatican has long been anxious to repair relations with Beijing. In its quest to spread the faith in Asia, where Catholicism today represents a tiny slice of the population, China is the big kahuna. Its huge population and the spiritual vacuum left by eroding Communist ideology are a dream for Vatican evangelists.

As a result, the dog-whistle message sent from the papal plane will surely perk up the antennae of Vatican- and China-watchers alike.

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