The Pope and China

Last month Pope Benedict XVI made Hong Kong bishop Joseph Zen a cardinal.

This infuriated the Chinese, who sense that Benedict may be trying to 'Pull a Poland' and support efforts to topple the chicom government.

Liu Bainian, vice chairman of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association, noted that the Roman Catholic Church was active in toppling communism in Poland in 1989. Liu suggested that Hong Kong Bishop Joseph Zen, whose appointment to cardinal was announced last month, would be part of a similar strategy in China.

"Why would you appoint someone who doesn't support communism as a cardinal?" Liu said in an interview in Beijing with Hong Kong Cable TV.

"Is it like Poland? Didn't the church play a big role in Poland?" Liu asked.

Um, yes.