Appeasement everywhere???

It's not like me to be critical (Ehhm yes). But I have got to wonder about some of the statements that are issued by the Vatican Press Office.

Now it is a short article and the situation of the Church in China is obviously a very touchy, delicate and complicated situation that cannot be summed up in a few words. But isn't that all the more reason to choose very carefully the wording, timing and content of any message that comes from the Vatican about China?

The spirit of 'mutual dialogue' that has such a stranglehold on Vatican diplomacy at the moment, is something like a child's attempt at appeasing a school bully- we allow the Chinese to fire bullets at us and we respond by throwing a target up into the air, praying to God that the target will somehow hit the bullet preferably before the bullet hits us.

Now God works in mysterious ways, and none more so than in curial diplomacy. But such an attitude of "let's hope they call and ask for our permission (the target) for a bishop they have actually 'elected', confirmed and probably ordained (the bullet) without even dropping us an email (the throw)" seems to be taking the idea of accommodation, dialogue or whatever other ideas are floating around St. Peter's square a little too far.

Such diplomatic patience seems to belie a fundamental ignorance on the part of the curia about the nature of communist China- they really don't like us!