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Catholic World News News Feature

Pope's letter to China due for Pentecost release? May 21, 2007

A message from Pope Benedict XVI to the Catholic Church in China will be released around the feast of Pentecost, according to a report from the Associated Press in Italy.

The Vatican has not confirmed the timing of the release. The Pope’s intention to write a letter to the Catholics of China was announced by the Vatican on January 20, at the conclusion of a special 2-day meeting on the Church in China.

The Pope's letter is a lengthy message, which will be released simultaneously in Chinese, Italian, French, and English, according to AP. In it the Holy Father will reportedly provide a detailed explanation of the Vatican position on Chinese government attempts to exert control over the Church, and especially the episcopal ordinations that have been staged by the government-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association without approval from the Holy See.

While firmly committed to the principle that the Church must be independent of government control, Pope Benedict hopes to avoid unnecessary conflict with the Beijing regime, Vatican sources indicate. There have been reports-- again unconfirmed by Church spokesmen-- that the Vatican will give government leaders in Beijing an opportunity to read the Pope's letter before its official release.