Pope Francis, Show Your Jesuit Backbone - Meet with the Dalai Lama

Sometimes good news has to be put in context with bad news. ~~~~~ The good news -- the latest Pew survey shows that overall, 60% of the world has a favorable view of Pope Francis, compared to 11% who have an unfavorable view and 28% who have no opinion about the pontiff. The largest support comes from Europe, where 84% rated Francis favorably, followed by the United States at 78% and Latin America - his home continent - at 72%. In Africa and Asia, many seem to be unfamiliar with Pope Francis, but 44% of Africans and 41% of Asians view him favorably. The lowest favorable ratings for Pope Francis came from the Middle East, where 25% view him favorably, 25% view him unfavorably and 41% have no opinion about Francis. These favorability ratings are comparable to those of Pope-Saint John Paul II in the 1990s. ~~~~~ The bad news -- the world learned yesterday that Pope Francis won't meet with the Dalai Lama during his visit to Rome, apparently to avoid irritating China. Instead, Francis will send a greeting to all the past Nobel Peace Prize laureates gathering in Rome for their annual summit. The Dalai Lama said on TV Thursday that Vatican authorities had refusd to permit a meeting between the Pope and him. Vatican spokesman the Reverend Federico Lombardi said he couldn't confirm that an audience had been refused. But he said a papal greeting would be sent. Francis has followed the initiative of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI in trying to improve relations with Beijing, which were severed in 1949 after Mao and the Marxist Communists took over China and forced the President of the until-then free China, Chiang Kai-shek, and his Kuomintang nationalists to flee to Taiwan. Chiang Kai-shek was a lifelong Christian. But, Francis seems focused on the Vatican's relations with Communist China. The very fact that Beijing allowed the pontiff to use its airspace in August was seen as a thaw in relations. But, it should be noted that the Dalai Lama did meet Pope Benedict XVI in 2006. ~~~~~ The Vatican appears to be calling the shots concerning a Francis-Dalai Lama meeting. Vatican spokesman, the Reverend Lombardi, said today that Pope Francis won't meet privately with the Dalai Lama because of a "delicate situation," apparently referrng to the Holy See's attempt to re-establish relations with China. The Dalai Lama, in Rome for a meeting of Nobel Peace Prize winners, had requested a private meeting with the pontiff, but said Thursday that the request had been rejected, saying : "The Vatican administration says it is not possible because it could cause problems." On Friday, the Vatican spokesman said the Pope won't meet Tibet's spiritual leader "for obvious reasons concerning the delicate situation." Lombardi said the Pope "holds the Dalai Lama in very high regard," adding Francis wouldn't meet any of the Nobel Peace Laureates. Communist China views the Dalai Lama as a troublemaker. He fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against China, which has since then engaged in a ruthless campaign to eliminate Tibetan culture, language and Buddhist religion from Tibet. China has even named a false Dalai Lama who resides in Beijing and is subject to Chinese Communist orders. The current Dalai Lama has said that he may be the last Dalai Lama because the situation in Tibet makes the traditional process of finding his successor impossible. We can sympathize with the Vatican. China has 12 million Catholics. But, as an indication of their position in Chinese life, many attend underground churches and are hounded by officials. There is a branch of the Catholic Church that is recognized by the Chinese Communist government, called the Patriotic Association. But, it answers to the Communist Party, not the Vatican, and Beijing appoints its bishops. ~~~~~ Dear readers, I really want to say "Dear Pope Francis" today. Holy Father, we love you and admire your courageous efforts to bring the Catholic Church into meaningful contact with Christians and people of faith everywhere. We support and applaud your determination to reduce the bling-bling of the Curia that governs the Church and to point them toward the people they are meant to serve. Bur, dear Pope Francis, please do not be co-opted by the Vatican insiders when the issue is Communist China vs the Dalai Lama. Five minutes with this gentle, peaceful man - who is also admired and loved worldwide for his message of brotherhood and love - will say more about your soul-felt commitment to people than days talking to and about the godless Communists who rule China with an iron will. Political correctness has its limits -- we reach them when expediency demands that one leave heart and soul behind in the name of appeasement. That is not you, Francis. Rise to the occasion. Show us your Jesuit backbone. Meet the Dalia Lama. Communist Chinese leaders and their controlled media will shout and hurl insults at you and the Church. But, secretly, they will respect and fear your faith and your values.