In an interview with the online daily newspaper of the Trentino region, the Holy See’s Secretary of State Card Palolin talked about several current issues: relations with China, recovery from the Pope’s surgery, and respect for Italian President Mattarella.
(Vatican News Network) Cardinal Palolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, recently took a break in the Trentino region of northern Italy, during which he was interviewed by the local online daily newspaper “Voice of the Northeast”. The cardinal talked about several important issues, including the relationship between the Holy See and China. He said, “We are still talking.” He also talked about the historic agreement reached with Beijing in 2018 and another two-year extension in 2020.
Cardinal Palolin pointed out that the epidemic “has also affected this field”, making it more difficult to exchange views, “but we hope to resume contact as soon as possible and negotiate on many other issues on the table and the life of the Catholic Church in China.” To the Catholics of this big Asian country, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, apart from being close in prayer, also praised them. He said, “We are proud of their testimony, and wish them always good citizens and good Catholics,” and “this double dimension is also reflected in their actual lives.”
Soon after signing the provisional agreement with China, Cardinal Palolin mentioned in an interview that Pope Francis was criticized for opening up to the East. He said: “The West should stop accusing Pope Francis.” Now when the cardinal was asked about the meaning of this sentence, he explained that “the pope’s evangelistic preaching reverberating in his words” may make “his The proposal and his message are not easily accepted.”
However, “The Pope is indeed showing a way, especially through the encyclical “Brothers” published after the outbreak. This can indeed help us out of the predicament of our society and move towards construction A new world and a better world move forward”.
Pope Francis underwent a surgical operation at Gemelli Hospital on July 4 last month. Talking about the Pope’s health, the cardinal informed that the Pope “is gradually recovering, and he also needs proper time”, but ” I think he is recovering well and he has a strong physique.” This can be confirmed by the Pope’s resumption of work, reception activities, and even plans to visit Hungary and Slovakia in September.
Then, the cardinal expressed “thank you” and “love” to Italian President Mattarella, who is about to end his term. He said, “Meeting with him is always a joy for me. This is precisely because of his moral and spiritual nobility and the mission he has fulfilled in the past few years.” Especially in the recent difficult times, “he did show Show the best in Italy and give very, very appropriate instructions for the solution of the problem”.
Finally, Cardinal Palolin talked about his work to be completed in the near future, including his upcoming trip to Lithuania to preside over the ordination of bishops for the new ambassador of the Holy See in Ukraine.
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