China's head of religious affairs said on Tuesday that Beijing is willing to engage in dialogue with the Vatican but warned that the country's Catholics must be willing to be patriotic and adapt Catholicism to Chinese society.

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Wang Zuo'an made the remarks during a meeting of China's official Catholic Church. Wang, who is the director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, said that Beijing hopes that the Vatican will adopt a flexible and pragmatic attitude.

He added that the Holy See should take concrete decisions that will create an ideal environment for improved relations. Wang stressed that patriotism is important in religion, saying that it will help to push ahead the "Sinicization" of Catholicism.

Earlier this year, Pope Francis announced that China and the Vatican will resume working groups on the appointment of new bishops. 

China's government has always maintained that the Communist party-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association has the authority to appoint Chinese Catholic bishops. However, the Vatican said that the right belongs to the Pope alone.

China's government has always been fearful that dissent against its rule could be flamed by religious and other activist groups outside its oversight.

Last week, the Vatican voiced its dismay after the presence of a bishop ordained without the Pope's approval attended the ordination of two new Chinese bishops.

China broke ranks with the Vatican in 1951 after the Communists assumed power. The officially atheistic government ordered the closure of churches. Priests were put in detention, some for decades.

Catholics are only allowed to worship in state-authorized churches, which are outside the Pope's sphere of influence. However, a majority of China's approximately 12 million Catholics are believed to attend underground churches.

Tagschina, Vatican, Chinese Catholics, Pope Francis