Sino-Vatican Relations: Problems in Conflicting Authority, 1976-1986

by Beatrice Leung

Overview

How can the government of the People's Republic of China with its claim to absolute sovereignty be reconciled with the spiritual authority of the Catholic Church? This question has been at the center of recent relations between the Roman Catholic Church and China. In this first book-length study of the subject, Dr. Beatrice Leung analyzes the interactions between China and the Holy See from 1976 to 1986. She examines the historic relationship between the Catholic Church and China both prior to 1949 and from 1949 to 1976. Using a wide range of Chinese language sources as well as interviews, she then analyzes the major problems between these two institutions as they tried to establish a dialogue for future reconciliation. These include the need for the Vatican to transfer its recognition of China from Taiwan to Beijing; the role of the Pope with his spiritual leadership of the Chinese; and the handling of the Chinese Patriotic Association.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521381734
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/26/1992
Series:	LSE Monographs in International Studies
Pages:	438
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 1.14(d)

Table of Contents

Foreword; Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. The cultural encounter of China and Catholicism (1552–1949); 3. The Vatican's Ostpolitik; 4. The CCP and the Catholic Church before and after 1949; 5. The religious policy of China in the modernisation era; 6. Constraints on the freedom of the Catholic religion; 7. Sino-Vatican relations in the modern era; 8. Negotiations and concerns; 9. Conclusion; 10. Postscript; Abbreviations; Appendices; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"...[a] thoroughly researched study of Sino-Vatican relations....I recommend this book for research collections and those interested in twentieth-century Chinese-Western religious history." Church History

"This is a very important book because Beatrice Leung here provides the only comprehensive account of Sino-Vatican relatons in the English language." John Pollard, Times Higher Education Supplement

"This is a valuable study that combines detailed research with careful analysis. Dr. Leung's thoughtful discussion of the various models that could serve as a possible basis for Sino-Vatican negotiations is particularly stimulating. Her book is an important contribution to our understanding of Sino-Vatican relations and the broader issues of church and state in China." The Catholic Historical Review

"[Leung] makes many contributions to academic understanding in her explication of the China-and-Catholicism case....Leung's book also provides a new angle of interpretation on the Vatican's diplomatic strategy of Ostpolitik...." Michael L. Budde, Critical Review

From the Publisher