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? In this study of the subject, Dr Beatrice Leung analyses the interactions between China and the Holy See from 1976 to 1986. Dr Leung 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 analyses 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 Catholic Patriotic Association.
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
