The Vatican said Thursday that
Secretary of Stat Cardinal Pietro Parolin had had "cordial"
talks with US counterpart Mike Pompeo on China, where the US
secretary of state has criticised the expected renewal of a deal
on Chinese bishops next month and urged the Holy See to take the
lead against abuse of religious freedom.
The head of the Vatican press office, Matteo Bryuni, said
Parolin and Pompeo "presented their respective positions
regarding relations with (China), in a climate of respect,
relaxed and cordial".
Bruni said the 45 minute talks also touched on conflict hotspots
including the Caucasus, the Middle East and the eastern
Mediterranean.
Pope Francis did not meet with Pompeo because of Vatican policy
of avoiding papal audiences with high-ranking US officials
during US election periods.
A top Vatican official on Wednesday accused US President Donald
Trump's administration of using Pope Francis with an event
staged during Pompeo's visit to Rome.
Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican's Secretary for Relations
with States, answered in the affirmative when asked by ANSA if
the US unilaterally organizing a symposium on religious freedom
at its embassy to the Holy See amounted to exploitation of the
pope in the final stages of the US presidential campaign.
"Yes, that is precisely why the pope will not meet American
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo," Gallagher said.
Pompeo and Parolin discussed the Vatican's relations with China,
after Pompeo accused the Holy See of being too soft on Beijing
and was critical of the likelihood that a historic agreement
with the Chinese authorities on the nomination of bishops will
be renewed.
Pompeo called on "every faith leader to find the courage to
confront religious persecution against their own communities,
and those of other faith" during a speech in Rome on Wednesday.
Parolin, who attended the symposium along with Gallagher, was
asked if the Holy See was irked by Pompeo's recent criticism of
its China policy in the conservative Catholic journal First
Things.
"I should not say irritation, but rather surprise for this
statement that we did not expect even though we have known for
some time the position of Trump and Secretary Pompeo in
particular," the cardinal replied.
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