Beijing is willing to talk with the Vatican, says Wang Zuo'an, head of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, but Catholics should "hold up high the flag of patriotism" and adapt Catholicism to Chinese society.
Wang made the remarks at a meeting of China's official Catholic Church involving bishops, priests and laity.
Beijing insists the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association can appoint bishops - a right the Vatican says is the pope's alone. It is the main barrier to re- establishing diplomatic relations.
China cut links with the Holy See in 1951, shut churches and imprisoned priests. Worship is now allowed only in state-authorized churches, though many of 12 million Chinese Catholics are thought to attend underground churches.
In May last year President Xi Jinping called for the "sinicization of religion." And Wang has now stressed the importance of patriotism within religion and "pushing ahead with the sinicization of Catholicism."
Pope Francis said this year he was "optimistic" an pact would be struck. But last week the Vatican was "saddened" the ordination of two Chinese bishops was marred by the presence of a bishop ordained without the pope's consent.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
