Vatican City - Pope John Paul II yesterday asked China to forgive "errors" committed by the Roman Catholic Church and called for a normalisation of relations between the Vatican and Beijing.
"I feel deep sadness for these errors and limits of the past, and I regret that in many people these failings may have given the impression of a lack of respect and esteem for the Chinese people on the part of the Catholic Church, making them feel that the Church was motivated by feelings of hostility towards China."
The Pope's statement was addressed to participants of a congress held in the Vatican commemorating the fourth centenary of the arrival in Beijing of the Church missionary Matteo Ricci.