Informed observers of the Catholic Church are speculating that Pope Francis may pay Beijing a visit as part of the pontiff's scheduled trip to Asia next month.

People familiar with the matter said that the famous pope may take the opportunity to mend Vatican's relations with China that has gone sour during the last 60 years.

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The two countries have not had any official communications for the past six decades. In 2010, Beijing nominated and arranged for the ordination of a bishop without Benedict XVI's approval that resulted in the first excommunication since the 1950s. Reports circulated that several bishops were forced to participate in the ceremony.

In 2012, a bishop was held under house arrest after declaring he would not be part of the Catholic Patriotic Association, a group established by the Communist Party in 1957. The group does not recognize the Vatican as its head.

Signs of Improving Relations?
Although there is still no official confirmation about Pope Francis' trip to China, the Vatican, under the current pope's leadership, is showing signs that it is eager to mend its relations with Beijing.

In March this year, Pope Francis told the Catholic Free Press in an interview that he wrote President Xi Jinping a congratulatory message three days after the Chinese leader's election. The pope said that Xi responded and told him that China and the Catholic Church has some relations. The first sign it is possible for the pontiff and Xi to begin formal dialogue.

The second sign observers noticed was Francis' appointment of Cardinal Pietro Parolin to be his secretary of state in Beijing. Parolin has been working behind the scenes and spent years re-establishing relations with China.

The third sign is attributed to Pope Francis' popularity, which has created widespread interest in China. The pope's speeches and diplomatic outreaches have been allowed coverage in the highly-controlled state-media.

In an interview with Catholic News, Beijing-based Italian academic and journalist Francesco Sisci said that many Chinese commentators have interpreted Francis' May message as an echo of former Chinese leader Hu Jintao's 'socialist harmonious society' concept. Francis' message said that Chinese Catholics should be a "leaven of harmonious co-existence among their fellow citizens."

Implications: The Complexities of a Beijing Visit
The speculated stop-over of Pope Francis in Beijing is a complex issue of state relations, if not outright controversial.

Former Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, an influential Hong Kong-based Catholic leader, said it would be unwise to visit mainland China.

The former cardinal told Corriere della Sera, an Italian newspaper, that he will advise against Pope Francis' visiting China.

"Don't come [to China], you will be manipulated," Cardinal Joseph Zen said.

He believes that Beijing will only introduce to Pope Francis the bishops the Communist Party tried to appoint in the past. The former cardinal also said Beijing will prevent the pope from visiting Chinese Catholics who are loyal to the Vatican.

As of current estimates, mainland China has 12 million Catholics. However, they are divided between members of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and the 'technically' illegal Catholics who recognize Pope Francis' pontificate.

Finally, and amidst high hopes of Pope Francis' visit may once again put Beijing's international reputation in a bad light about religious freedom and human rights. The country has been a consistent subject of human rights abuse for its intolerance toward to various religious communities. These include the Uighur Moslems in Xinjiang and the followers of the Dalai Lama in Tibet.

Next month, Pope Francis will visit South Korea.

TagsPope Francis, China-Vatican relations, Catholic Patriotic Association, Chinese Catholics