Saturday, December 13, 2014

Pope declines Dalai Lama meeting in Rome

Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly; BBC.com/news/world-Europe
I'm the "pope" and former king of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism, Vajrayana (seattlepi.com).
Pope Francis. 10 Dec 2014
Heya, Dali, a'dont come over cuz my Chinees'a friendz don'ta recommenda, capiche? The Vatican and Chinese gov't are at odds over control of the Catholic Church in China (AFP).
The Dalai Lama (file image)
Yes, Your Holiness, I don't want to cause any inconvenience. The current and widely beloved Dalai Lama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, is completely banned in China (AFP).
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Tibetan pope (phayul.com)
Pope declines Dalai Lama meeting in Rome 
Pope Francis will not meet the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama because of the "delicate situation" with China, the Vatican says. The Dalai Lama, who is visiting Rome, had requested a meeting.

A Vatican spokesman said that although the Pope held him "in very high regard," the request had been declined "for obvious reasons." Correspondents say the Vatican does not want to jeopardize efforts to improve relations with China.

China describes the Dalai Lama as a separatist and reacts angrily when foreign dignitaries meet him. The Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 after Chinese troops crushed an attempted uprising in Tibet.
 
Nuremberg-style Catholic rallies (Getty)
He now advocates a "middle way" with China, seeking autonomy but not independence for Tibet. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.
 
"Pope Francis obviously holds the Dalai Lama in very high regard but he will not be meeting any of the Nobel laureates," a Vatican spokesman said. He added that the Pope would send a video message to the conference.
 
A spokesman for [His Holiness the 14th] Dalai Lama said he was "disappointed at not being able to call on His Holiness the Pope but he does not want to cause any inconvenience."
 
Catholicism in China
  • There are more Catholics in China than members of the Communist Party (about 100 million Catholics to 87.6 million party members).
  • [The tyrannical Chinese dictatorship loves the idea of Roman Catholic control, much as Adolf Hitler loved his Catholic upbringing and visions of worldwide rulership, Vatican style.]
  • Analysts say that by 2030 there may be more Catholics in China than any other country in the world.
  • Christianity in China goes back to [as early as] the 7th Century -- but many have been forced to practice in underground, illegal churches.
  • There are many restrictions for the official Church [in China], such as the requirement to register all church buildings with the government and being unable to recognize the authority of the Vatican.
Analysts say the Vatican and China are at odds over control of the Catholic Church in China.

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