Vatican Agrees to Open Full Relations With South Africa

The Vatican announced Saturday that it will open full diplomatic relations with South Africa, clearing the way for an official papal visit to a country that far-traveled John Paul II has so far only glimpsed by mistake.

The accord to formalize ties at the ambassadorial level with Pretoria adds to a string of recent initiatives that has extended the Vatican’s diplomatic presence in some of the world’s most contentious regions: It opened relations with Israel in December and with Jordan last week.

As a result of Saturday’s accord, John Paul II intends to add a South Africa stop to a long-planned trip following a synod of African bishops at the Vatican. The trip is tentatively scheduled for early November, Vatican sources say, but could be delayed until January because of the pressures of the Pope’s schedule.

The agreement demonstrates the Vatican’s confidence in ongoing reforms “to lay the base for a pluralistic and democratic” society, said papal spokesman Joaquin Navarro, praising the “growing maturity of the consciousness of all of South Africa.”

Formal establishment of relations had been expected after South African President Frederik W. de Klerk visited the Vatican in December and invited the Pope to his country.

During the apartheid years, when churches rallied opponents of enforced segregation, bishops representing South Africa’s 3 million Catholics were divided over the advisability of a papal visit.

Despite repeated trips to neighboring countries, John Paul, who inveighs against racism at every opportunity, decided to stay away from South Africa while it was ruled by force of the white minority.

Nature intervened, though, and in 1988 John Paul saw five hours of South African countryside from the back of a white sedan.

Prevented by bad weather from landing as scheduled in the kingdom of Lesotho after a flight from Botswana, the pontiff’s plane diverted to Johannesburg.

After considerable tarmac consternation and confusion that seemed to amuse John Paul, Vatican and South African officials agreed to pretend he was not in South Africa. No official welcome, no ceremonies, no kiss of the ground, just handshakes and a quick goodby.

A car was quickly found for the Pope and Navarro, and three buses for the papal retinue and accompanying reporters. They sped nonstop to Lesotho with police escort, finally arriving after dark.

Elections next month will likely produce South Africa’s first black-dominated government.