HONG KONG — The Vatican, through a pastoral letter from Pope Benedict XVI to the 12 million Catholics in China, has called for reconciliation between the so-called patriotic church, which operates independently from the Holy See, and the underground church, which recognizes the supremacy of the pontiff. Much of the lengthy letter was devoted to the consecration of bishops, which is the biggest obstacle to diplomatic relations between China and the Vatican.

The Chinese government stipulates two conditions for the Vatican to abide by before diplomatic relations can be possible. They are that the Vatican must first sever relations with Taiwan and promise not to interfere in the affairs of the church in China.

The first condition is not a problem for the Vatican, which has made clear its willingness to abrogate ties with Taiwan. The primary obstacle is Beijing's insistence that the Holy See not "interfere" in the consecration of bishops in China. The Chinese government's position is that the church in China is independent and does not owe allegiance to Rome.