Did China ‘slap’ Francis in his coffin?

Apr 28, 2025

By Michel Chambon
As more than 1.4 billion Catholics around the world said farewell to Pope Francis — and millions of non-Catholics watched his funeral live — one country’s absence stood out: Xi Jinping’s China.

This absence was so conspicuous that even critics of both Pope Francis and China hardly dared to comment.

From the very beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis showed particular attention to China. Time and again, he expressed his love for the Chinese people and his desire to visit this vast country. He managed to revive the long-stalled Sino-Vatican dialogue and, in 2018, secured an agreement on the appointment of bishops in China.

Despite harsh criticism both within and outside the Church, Francis persisted, believing in the potential of this agreement and China’s leadership. He never gave up on China — even when its leaders remained distant and unpredictable. And this commitment wasn’t only for the benefit of Chinese Catholics; for Francis, it was also about acknowledging China’s role and contributions to the world.

This attention to China remained strong until the very end — even at his funeral. After the sermon, the last universal prayer was read in Chinese — the only Asian language represented.

And yet, despite 12 years of persistent, personal efforts to build trust and dialogue —  often in the face of opposition — China chose not to send a single delegation to Francis’s funeral. Not even a small group.

It may take time to fully understand what led to such a striking lack of tact and dignity. True, official condolences were issued the day after the pope’s passing. Sober and professional, they reflected a certain normalization of relations between China and the Holy See. But words alone can never replace a human, fraternal presence. No one expected China’s top officials to attend, but surely a modest delegation — or at least one or two Chinese bishops — would have been appropriate.

Yet none came.

According to informal sources, China requested that the Vatican exclude the Taiwanese delegation. When the Vatican diplomatically refused, China reportedly decided to boycott the event. It seems the diplomatic mishaps of John Paul II’s funeral still cast a shadow.

But this absence goes beyond the question of Taiwan. At a time when China positions itself as an alternative to American imperialism and a champion of multilateralism, it’s hard to understand why it found it necessary to snub one of multilateralism’s most compassionate voices: Pope Francis.

By staying away, China turned its back on a loyal friend and a demanding partner.

After this, it will be harder to dismiss those who claim that China, at heart, seeks not partners or friends — but vassals.

While China denounces American greed and condemns hegemonic tariffs, it failed to honor a servant of the common good. Its absence from Francis’s funeral only deepens skepticism among its neighbors and the wider world: is China truly different from the hegemons it criticizes?

One doesn’t need to reread Confucius to remember that, in the face of death, a universal ethical code applies. Equal in death, are we not capable of setting aside our momentary interests, if only briefly?

Beyond geopolitics, this absence will also have consequences within the conclave itself. Though it is too soon to gauge their full extent, it is clear that the cardinals advocating constructive dialogue with China will find it harder to be heard. China's absence does not help the process of discernment and consensus-building within the conclave.

In a world growing ever more polarized, that is not good news. Believer or not, the world needs figures like Francis — people who can rise above national differences, economic greed, and ideological divisions.

When China delivers something like a slap to Pope Francis as he rests peacefully in his coffin, it is, in truth, a slap to the rest of the world.--ucanews.com