The first political move of new Pope Benedict XVI is quite disconcerting. More than canonize Wojtyla in five minuts, his memory would be better honoured if Church didn't give in to CCP blackmails. But:

The Vatican is moving quickly to improve relations with Communist China, which has not recognised the Holy See since Chairman Mao drove out the papal nuncio more than half a century ago. A former senior Vatican diplomat suggested ties could be renewed. "If they give us the possibility, we're ready tomorrow," Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran said. But the price of rapprochement would be the cutting off formal ties with Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a non-negotiable condition for any country. Cardinal Tauran's weekend comments were apparent confirmation that Benedict XVI was referring to China last Thursday when he invited countries that did not have representatives in the Vatican to reconsider.

As if John Paul II, instead of supporting Solidarnosc, had backed Jaruzelski in exchange for some advantage.