ROME (UCAN) -- Pope Benedict XVI marked the third anniversary of his election as pope on April 19 by celebrating a solemn Mass in famous St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City, on the penultimate day of his remarkably successful visit to the United States and the United Nations.

As he enters the fourth year of his pontificate, how has Pope Benedict related to or impacted the Church and countries in Asia thus far?

It would require a detailed country-by-country analysis, not possible here, to evaluate his choice of new bishops or assess the impact his writings have had on the Church and Catholics in Asia.

Those writings include two encyclicals -- Deus Caritas Est (God is love) and Spe Salvi (in hope we were saved); an apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist; the book Jesus of Nazareth; and a motu proprio reinstating the Tridentine liturgy as 'an extraordinary form' of the Roman rite.

There is little doubt that Asian Catholics especially welcomed his decrees approving the canonization of Sister Alphonsa of Kerala, India, and the beatification of the Japanese martyrs, which will take place later this year.

When, however, one reviews his three-year reign from a specifically Asian perspective, one discovers how many times he has actually drawn the world's attention to the Church situation or sociopolitical reality in one or another Asian country.

When he received heads of state or government from the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste and Vietnam, he commented on both the political and ecclesial situation in their respective countries.

He has also spoken on such matters when he welcomed new ambassadors to the Holy See from India, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Timor Leste.

Pope Benedict has been quite forceful in appealing to Asian governments to find peaceful solutions to acute political, social or humanitarian problems, or to encourage them to promote dialogue, democracy and reconciliation in their territories. In this context he focused attention on Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China and Tibet, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Timor Leste. Sometimes he also called on the international community to help countries deal with these matters.

He has repeatedly encouraged efforts at reconciliation on the Korean peninsula, and advocated the elimination of nuclear arms from the region.

Even so, one thing stands out: China and the Church in China have been and continue to be among his top priorities.

No other Church or country in Asia has received as much of his attention. This focus has been evident from the morning after his election. Addressing the cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on April 20, 2005, the new pope expressed his wish that countries which did not yet have diplomatic relations with the Holy See would soon agree to establish these. Though he did not name any country, Vatican sources confirmed that China was at the top of his list, with Vietnam not far behind.

During the German pope's first consistory, in March 2006, he gave a red hat to Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, the outspoken and courageous bishop of Hong Kong, and concern for the Church in China surely informed this decision.

That same concern led him to convene a summit of top Holy See officials and Chinese bishops from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau in January 2007. That summit at the Vatican reviewed the Holy See's strategy to help the Church and Catholics in mainland China, and considered how to work for an understanding with the authorities in Beijing that would resolve existing problems and open the door to diplomatic ties.

Taking up recommendations from that summit, Pope Benedict wrote a letter to Catholics in mainland China and set up a permanent Commission for the Church in China. The commission brings together Vatican officials, Chinese bishops from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, and China experts from Religious orders with links to the mainland Church. It met for the first time in March 2008 to review reactions to the pope's letter, released on Juen 30, 2007, and to reflect on ways to move ahead.

In his letter, the Holy Father also invited Catholics worldwide to join in a Day of Prayer for the Church in China on May 24, the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, who "is venerated with great devotion at the Marian Shrine of Sheshan in Shanghai."

Significantly, in that letter and on other occasions, he has expressed the Holy See's desire and willingness for "constructive dialogue" with China. Delegations from both sides have met on several occasions these past three years, and talks continue, though perhaps not as "constructively" as the Holy See would wish.

Seeking to keep international attention on the Church in China, and reassure Chinese Catholics they have a permanent place in his heart, he asked Cardinal Zen to write the reflections for the Way of the Cross ceremony at Rome's Coliseum this Good Friday.

Vatican sources confirm that Pope Benedict maintains a direct, personal interest in the whole China question and is fully briefed on developments.

A second area of great interest to the pope has been the situation of the Church in Vietnam and the improving relations between the Holy See and Ha Noi.

A milestone came on January 25, 2007, when Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung visited Pope Benedict in Vatican City and also talked with Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. Both sides agreed to explore the path to the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Since becoming pope, Benedict XVI has spoken individually to many Asian cardinals and bishops, and addressed the bishops' conferences of Japan, Mongolia, Cambodia and Laos, gaining in-depth knowledge of those Churches. He will meet the bishops of Myanmar in May, and over the next two years will welcome bishops from elsewhere.

The 1998 Synod for Asia recommended greater internationalization of the Roman Curia, and asked that more Asians be appointed. The late Cardinal Stephen Fumio Hamao of Japan, who also wanted more Asian cardinals, championed the proposal. To date, however, Pope Benedict has not substantially changed the situation he inherited from Pope John Paul II.

In April 2005 only two Asians held senior positions in the Vatican, the same number as today. Cardinal Hamao then headed the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Itinerants, while Indian Monsignor Felix Machado (now an archbishop heading Nashik diocese in India) served as undersecretary to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Today, Indian Cardinal Ivan Dias is prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, while Sri Lankan Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith is Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

Furthermore, although Benedict XVI has created 38 new cardinals including five from Asia (Hong Kong, Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Syria), he has not significantly changed the geographical balance among cardinal-electors, those under 80 with the right to vote in a papal conclave.

The 117 cardinal electors at the 2005 conclave comprised 58 Europeans, 35 from the Americas, 11 Africans, 11 Asians and 2 from Oceania. Today there are 118 electors: 60 Europeans, 36 from the Americas, 8 Africans, 12 Asians and 2 from Oceania.

Since the College of Electors has almost its full complement of 120, Pope Benedict is unlikely to call another consistory before the end of 2009.

As regards foreign trips, the 81-year old pontiff has made eight so far to seven countries, but only three outside Europe -- to Brazil, Turkey and the United States. In July he will go to Sydney, Australia, for the World Youth Day celebration, and in September to France for the 150th anniversary of the Marian apparitions in Lourdes.

Sources said that while no trip to Asia is planned, this could change over the next two years since possibilities could open up and he has received invitations.

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Gerard O'Connell covers the Vatican as a correspondent for UCA News and other news organizations.