2009-05-24 14:27:02 -

CASSINO, Italy (AP) - Pope Benedict XVI urged Catholics in China on Sunday to renew their loyalty to the Holy See.
Benedict made the appeal on the Vatican's second annual day of prayers for the church in China. It represented his latest effort to bring China's estimated 12 million Catholics under his wing.
China forced its Roman Catholics to cut ties with the Vatican in 1951, shortly after the officially atheist Communist Party took power. Worship is allowed only in state-backed churches, which recognize the pope as a spiritual leader but appoint their own priests and bishops.
Millions of Chinese, however, belong to unofficial congregations that are loyal to Rome.
Benedict has made improving often-tense relations with Beijing a priority of his papacy and has sought to unify the country's faithful.
In 2007, Benedict sent a special letter to Catholics in China, praising the underground church but also urging the faithful to reconcile with followers of the official church.
During a visit to the southern Italian city of Cassino, Benedict said his thoughts were with all Chinese on Sunday.

«In particular, I greet with great love the Catholics in China and urge them to renew today their communion of faith in Christ and loyalty to the successor of Peter (the pope),» Benedict said.
The Vatican plans to publish a new document following up on the 2007 letter.
The document, in a question-and-answer format like the Catechism of the Catholic Church, will summarize and discuss the contents of the pope's letter to make it more accessible, the Vatican said Saturday. The Vatican plans to post it on its Web site in English and Chinese.