“Do Not Interfere”- China Warns Pope Francis

Pope Francis recently dropped clues that the Vatican would like to improve its relations with China and North Korea but some church officials in China are warning the Pope not to interfere.

The Washington Post reported that though the Vatican had not had diplomatic relations with China since 1951, the Pope sent out two "goodwill" telegrams to President Xi Jinping. The Pope reportedly received "warm responses" from the president. However, some officials were not as welcoming.

The "official" Catholic Church in China is said to be the Catholic Patriotic Association -- answerable to the Communist Party.

The vice president of the association said the Vatican should "respect China in terms of the personnel of a diocese."

He said "China will always safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and it never allows foreign forces to interfere with religion."

But the director of the Institute of World Religions at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, described the 77-year old Argentine pontiff as a "friend of developing economies."

On his trip to South Korea, the Pope spoke to an audience of some 70 bishops from 35 Asian countries and called for greater dialogue with "countries in Asia with whom the Holy See does not yet enjoy a full relationship."

On the return flight from his five-day tour of South Korea, the Pope was allowed to cross Chinese air space for the first time en route to Seoul.

The Pope told journalists on Monday that the Vatican respects the Chinese people, he said.