Pope rallies split Chinese flock

Pope Benedict has addressed a message of reconciliation to millions of his faithful in China, whose loyalties are divided between Rome and Beijing."No-one in the Church is a foreigner," the Pope says in his message.He is trying to put order among a small but growing community of often confused Christians in a vast country with its own ancient religious traditions.He is up against a state political ideology of atheism and half a century of sporadic persecution of Catholics.Chinese Catholics are at present split between the so-called Patriotic Church, tolerated by Beijing, and an underground Church which remains loyal to Rome.In an effort to bring order to this chaotic situation, and to improve the prospects of a return to normal diplomatic relations with Beijing which were broken off in 1951, the Pope goes out of his way in his message to praise the recent social and economic achievements of the Chinese people.He offers sincere dialogue with the civil authorities, in a spirit of friendship and peace.It remains to be seen, however, just how his message is going to be received in Beijing.

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