BEIJING (AP) — Chinese Catholics on Friday cheered Pope Francis’ visit to neighboring South Korea, saying they hoped his trip to their region would help end the estrangement between Beijing and the Vatican. But in a sign that the decades-long China-Vatican drama still has its glitches, the Vatican acknowledged that a telegram of greetings sent by Francis to the Chinese leadership apparently never arrived.

The Vatican sent the telegram from Francis’ chartered Alitalia plane as it entered Chinese airspace early Thursday, following Vatican protocol that calls for the pope to send such greetings whenever he flies over a foreign country.