News In Brief

Vatican, Chinese Catholics seem far apart, Filipino says

There is no immediate prospect for reconciliation between the Roman Catholic Church and the Chinese government, Jaime Cardinal Sin said during a visit here. Cardinal Sin, the Archbishop of Manila, met with the Peking press this week after an official of the Nationalistic Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association gave a tough appraisal of relations between China and the Vatican.

''If we recognize the supremacy of the Vatican, the religious believers will follow the road of opposing the country and violating the law,'' said Tang Ludao , vice-president of the breakaway Chinese Catholic group.