Just as you thought they were cleaning up their act, with a nicer pope who seems to actually display some of the virtues that Christianity claims propriety over.
They go and allow pragmatism to win them over again
(or perhaps its because of the shocking oppressive way the violent and hateful Tibetans have treated china?)

The Pope will not meet with the Dalai Lama, because they don't want to upset the Chinese government.
So basically, "fuck you Mr Lama, you are small beer, Lamaism only accounts for a few million and only really works with societies that do not have lazy consumerism, few of you in china, Mongolia, and india, but there are many more Chinese that could be catholicy, we'll catch you later OK? we have to meet the lovely spiritual Chinese leaders right now.....you do understand don't you?"
Luckily for them the Dalai Lama is cool about it.

SO....I understand the pragmatism....the figures speak for themselves......and the catholic church feels it is its duty to increase its flocks population by whatever means
(either by reproduction (no contracption) or by currying favour with nastier govs/dictators, so that you are allowed to convert some of their population)
BUT if it means that the catholic church is going to do such things, that they would do otherwise, just to court favour with the authoritarian Chinese gov, then does this mean that they would also not upset the Chinese gov, by not speaking out when the Chinese gov does things that causes great unfairness and suffering upon their own people (e.g. currently great social upheaval is resulting in lots of displacements and losses and suffering to many rural populations where they are in the way of industrialisation/urban commercialisation.......or where the Chinese gov might crack down further on more indigeonous populations in its remoter western and northern terratories)?