Chinese Orchestra to Play for Pope, Suggesting Warmer Ties

The China Philharmonic Orchestra plans to perform this week for Pope Benedict XVI, state media reported Monday, the latest indication that the often-strained ties between Beijing and the Vatican are improving.

The performance at the Vatican on Wednesday, featuring Mozart's ''Requiem,'' was initiated by the Chinese and arranged rather quickly, conductor Yu Long told the state-run China Daily.

The concert was listed on the Vatican's public schedule.

''I certainly feel very excited. It is a historic visit. Although we played in Rome in 2004, this will be the orchestra's first appearance at the Vatican,'' Yu was quoted as saying.

China's officially atheist Communist Party forced Chinese Catholics to cut ties with the Vatican in 1951, and the two sides have not restored formal ties. Beijing sees the Vatican tradition of the pope naming his own bishops as interference in the country. China appoints bishops for its state-sanctioned Catholic church.

While China's most onerous restrictions on religious activity have been lifted, many of the country's estimated 12 million Catholics worship in congregations outside the state-approved church.

Benedict has made the improvement of relations with Beijing a priority of his papacy. He sent a special letter to Catholics in China last year, praising the underground church, but also urging the faithful to reconcile with followers of the official church.

Though China and the Vatican have no formal diplomatic ties, Chinese priests and seminarians routinely go to the Vatican for training.

Wang Jinfu, deputy director of the orchestra's business department, said in a telephone interview from the Vatican the concert was non-governmental and would ''link Chinese culture and the whole world.''

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said it hoped the concert will be a ''big success.''

''Music is a universal language that can bring together people from different countries, and from different religious and cultural backgrounds,'' China Daily quoted an unidentified ministry official as saying.

The ministry did not immediately respond Monday to a faxed request for comment from The Associated Press.

The Beijing-based orchestra arrived in Rome on Sunday for a tour of three European cities, the newspaper reported. Its first show is at the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall, accompanied by the Shanghai Opera House Chorus.

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On the Net:

China Philharmonic Orchestra (Chinese only): http://www.chinaphilharmonic.org