The Vatican Information Service sent this cryptic one-line message earlier today:
VATICAN CITY, JUN 27, 2006 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls released the following declaration at midday today: "I have no comments to make on news that has appeared in various organs of the press concerning ongoing contacts between a Holy See delegation and the Chinese authorities."
The Catholic News Agency has the background:
Several news services are reporting that two senior Vatican officials were in Beijing Tuesday for talks on re-establishing diplomatic relations with China. . . . Talks between the Holy See and China have been rumored for two weeks. The Sunday Times reported last week that Chinese representatives were in Rome. The week prior, reports had surfaced that envoys from the Vatican were in China.
Get the full story here.
