Catholic World News News Feature

Papal documents on China, Latin Mass due soon June 05, 2007

Two long-awaited documents from Pope Benedict XVI-- a message to the Church in China and a motu proprio on the traditional Latin Mass-- are complete and will soon be published, the Vatican Secretary of State has revealed.

In an interview with the Italian daily Avvenire, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said that the Pope's message to the Chinese Church is complete, has been "definitely approved by the Holy Father," and is now being translated and readied for release. The cardinal did not predict the actual publication date for the letter. Some Vatican insiders have suggested that the Pope would give Chinese officials an opportunity to read the letter before its public release.

In January, Pope Benedict convened a special meeting at the Vatican to discuss the situation facing the Church in China. It was during that meeting that the Vatican announced plans for the Pope's plan to write a letter addressing the Catholic people of that country. The papal message is expected to address the conflict between the government-sponsored Catholic Patriotic Association and the Holy See, explaining the Vatican's insistence on Chinese recognition of religious freedom for Catholics, and the right of the Pope to name bishops for the Chinese Church.

In May an Associated Press story, citing anonymous Vatican sources, said that the Pope's letter would be released at around the time of Pentecost. That feast fell on May 27.

The motu proprio allowing broader use of the pre-conciliar Latin liturgy has been the subject of keen anticipation for several months. Cardinal Bertone told Avvenire: "I think we won't hae to wait much longer to see it published." Again the cardinal did not offer a date for the release of the document.

The Secretary of State did confirm that the motu proprio will be accompanied by a letter in which Pope Benedict will explain his reasons for encouraging the use of the 1962 Missal. Cardinal Bertone emphasized that the Pope has taken a direct personal interest in this initiative, and hopes for a "serene reception" of the document.

During the same interview with Avvenire the Secretary of State spoke about the Pope's scheduled meeting with US President George W. Bush, saying that the war in Iraq would be on the agenda, along with issues involving the dignity of human life, such as abortion and stem-cell research.