VATICAN CITY (AFP) — Pope Benedict XVI's observance of the traditional Good Friday procession at Rome's Colosseum will have distinctly Chinese overtones at a time of delicate relations between the Vatican and Beijing.
While the situation of China's Roman Catholics will be at the heart of a meditation to be offered by Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-Kiun of Hong Kong, the unrest in Tibet has taken the spotlight in bilateral relations.
The pope broke his silence on Tibet during his weekly general audience on Wednesday when he advocated dialogue, saying: "Violence does not resolve problems, it only aggravates them."
Meanwhile on Thursday, the religious affairs news agency I.Media reported that a Chinese government delegation had a secret meeting at the Vatican on Tuesday.
The unconfirmed talks were planned long before the outbreak of violence in Tibet, the agency said.
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi refused all comment on the meeting, not even confirming or denying it took place.
Any such meeting would be highly unusual, as China and the Vatican have not had diplomatic relations for more than half a century.
Cardinal Zen, who is to lead the long-planned Way of the Cross procession which is to begin at 9:15 pm (2015 GMT) at Rome's Colosseum on Friday, is a key figure for Asian Catholics including those in China who are split between the official and clandestine Catholic churches.
According to an advance text released by the Vatican, Zen will refer to "living martyrs of the 21st century."
"The pope wanted me to speak for our brothers and sisters" in Asia, Zen will say at the start of his meditation.
The observance is held every year at the Colosseum where, according to legend, early Christians were thrown to the lions.
Zen will also say that Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Jerusalem who approved the death sentence for Jesus, was the "symbol of all those who use authority as an instrument of power and don't concern themselves with justice."
A brochure published by the Vatican to accompany the event is illustrated with Chinese artworks representing each of the 14 Stations of the Cross.
According to the programme of the Way of the Cross procession released by the Vatican, a Chinese woman will pass the cross to the pope at the 12th station, and he will carry it for the final three legs.
During the Easter vigil on Saturday, one of the six adults Benedict is to baptise is Chinese.
The Vatican has not had official diplomatic relations with China since 1951, but is working towards a reconciliation with Beijing in order to win greater freedom of worship for the Catholic faithful, and allow the pope to appoint bishops in China.
Between eight and 12 million "underground" Catholics are loyal to the pope in China, worshipping in makeshift churches, while another five million belong to the government-led church.
Last week Vatican diplomats met for three days with bishops from Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong.
The Vatican says it will abandon ties with Taiwan in favour of Beijing if China guarantees religious freedom and allows the pope to name Chinese bishops.
Beijing has imposed two conditions on the restoration of ties -- the Vatican's recognition of the one-China policy that precludes independence for Taiwan and its acceptance that religious affairs are an internal Chinese matter.
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