SCMP/Comment/editorial :Banning the Pope

[bich dao <daotb@yahoo.com>]

                      Monday, August 9, 1999
                                
             EDITORIAL

               Banning the Pope


             If Beijing intends to suggest that its
             promise of a high degree of autonomy for
             Hong Kong holds good for only two years
             rather than 50, it could not have chosen a
             more effective way to do it than to bar the
             Pope from SAR soil. 

             The decision to ban US military aircraft
             from landing here is entirely a matter for
             the mainland, touching as it does - very
             tenuously - on defence and security
             interests, as well as foreign affairs. But a
             minor hiccup in the troubled Sino-US
             relationship is of no great concern to the
             outside world. 

             But the question of whether the Pope is
             able to visit Hong Kong should be a matter
             for the SAR Government, and is of far
             wider interest to the one billion faithful
             spread around the globe. For them, the
             spiritual authority of the Holy Father in the
             SAR is a litmus test of the "one country,
             two systems" pledge. Mainland Catholics
             are not allowed to acknowledge the Pope
             as head of the church; but the hope here
             was that believers could demonstrate to
             Beijing that adherence to Roman
             Catholicism in all its aspects is not at odds
             with patriotism or political allegiance. 

             But none of that seems to matter. The Pope
             has been refused entry because the Vatican
             has diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
             That the ties are based on religious and not
             political considerations does not appear to
             be relevant to Beijing. Anyone of stature
             with contacts to the renegade province
             interferes with the mainland policy of
             making Taipei an international pariah.
             That cannot be tolerated, even though the
             Vatican's contacts are focused solely on its
             Taiwanese flock. 

             Even in this, Rome is willing to
             compromise. It has offered to end formal
             ties with Taiwan if Beijing will allow it to
             do what is permitted in dictatorships such
             as Cuba, and by totalitarian governments
             such as Vietnam, and appoint its own
             bishops. After months of negotiations, no
             progress was made, so the visit to Hong
             Kong is off. 

             Disquiet has been growing among Hong
             Kong Catholics about what they feel is
             increasing religious repression on the
             mainland. They are worried that this could
             spill over the border and where
             previously the promise of SAR autonomy
             was their guarantee, they are no longer so
             confident. 

             The Pope's visit would have laid those
             fears to rest. Religious freedom still
             flourishes here, but as this incident shows,
             it has its limits. 

                                                       

                                                            
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