Posted on 06/23/2007 3:44:59 PM PDT by NYer
Several points of discussion this week.
First, the Chinese government to destroy a shrine:
Next July 16th pilgrims and faithful from Henan will not be allowed to go on pilgrimage to the sanctuary in Tianjiajing. The government from the province of Henan has in fact decreed that the historic sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel will be blown up with dynamite; a complete ban on Catholics organizing their annual pilgrimage; a complete ban on any religious gathering or function being celebrated in the area. A statue of the Virgin, over one hundred years old, is destined to be destroyed along with 14 stations of The Way of the Cross which punctuate the entrance to the shrine.
The sanctuary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel lies in Tianjiajing (Linxian district), in the diocese of Anyang, in the reaches of a mountain which dominates majestic scenery. It was ordered built by PIME missionary Msgr. Stefano Scarsella, then apostolic vicar to northern Henan, to thank the Virgin for preserving them from the dangers of the Boxers persecution in 1900. The shrine was built in1903-1905.
The elegantly styled neo-roman Church was almost completely destroyed first by the Japanese in the Second World War, then by the Red Guard in the 60’s. Since 1979, the faithful returned to celebrating their faith with solemn liturgies and pilgrimages, travelling many kilometres on foot to the sanctuary ruins and representation of the Lourdes Grotto, where still today the original Marian statue can be seen.
According to AsiaNews sources, May 12th last, on the feast of Our Lady of China, the diocese of Anyang distributed leaflets on the upcoming annual pilgrimage to Tianjiajing on July 16th feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Usually the pilgrimage gathers 45-50 thousand people. Since then the Department for Religious Affairs has kept strict surveillance of all priests, forcing them to hold “discussions” to convince them not to go ahead with the pilgrimage.
May 11th last the secretary general of Henan province gave a personal order to cancel the pilgrimage and spread the order to the neighbouring provinces of Hebei and Shanxi.
To occupy the site and prevent any form of sit-in, the provincial government began holding military exercises in the area of the shrine on May 12, mobilizing over 700 soldiers. Still today all roads leading to the sanctuary are closed. All cars and pedestrians who pass by are stopped and searched.
The provincial governor’s decision has shocked the faithful of the diocese because just this year they began rebuilding the sanctuary, offering money and hours of work, repairing the road and the stations of the Way of the Cross which lie along it.
In answer on May 14th the government of Anyang city revoked the sanctuary’s permit and the permit for the pilgrimage, defining them as “illegal religious activity” and May 16th he issued a resolution which denies access to the land to Anyang Church, requisitioning the sanctuary site.
At his own blog, Adam posts reaction to a WSJ editorial:
Finally, a personal point. Over the last week some critics of my reporting on Shanghai’s Catholics have suggested that I am blind to the plight of China’s Underground Christians. Let me assure you: I am not. At the same time, I feel that the Western media has suffered from a dearth of reporting on the lives of “open” Church Catholics in China, and that dearth has contributed to a biased and distorted view of religious life in China. It is my very modest hope that my reporting on the open Church Catholics in Shanghai will play a positive role in a more robust understanding of China’s religious situation. The Cultural Revolution ended in 1976; since then, something new has emerged. It serves nobody - neither China’s Christians nor interested parties in the West - to believe otherwise.
Cardinal Zen of Hong Kong apparently met with President Bush at the White House a couple of weeks ago. Jen Ambrose notes this and what Cardinal Zen told the South China Post about whether the meeting occurred or not:
Last night Cardinal Zen did not deny a report by EWTN - a US Catholic media network - that the meeting took place on May 31 in Mr Bush's private White House residence.
"I am not confirming it, but if he wanted to see me, why shouldn't I? Has Bush got leprosy?" Cardinal Zen said. "I am feeling that this is not something I should talk about."
The worldwide persecution of Catholics continues unabated.
The Taliban would be proud.
http://www.persecution.org/suffering/index.php
The link to the page on China was too long. There was an article about China considering excluding Catholics from the Olympics.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1855258/posts?page=6
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Jesus please come soon!
Another reason to boycott Made in China products when possible, and another reason for me to support Duncan Hunter who is the strongest presidential candidate to come out against Red China (and maybe the only candidate).
Contact your reps and tell them that we need to gradually reduce trade with Red China, and at least cut off the approximately $275 BILLION trade imbalance EACH year.
Guess we can’t cut off China cold turkey, because too many of our dim-witted politicians got us in with China trade too deeply by voting for the Most Favored Status trade with China.
Ping to my Post #9.
I think there has always been barbarism in the world. The difference now is the net, where the news about everything going on is no longer under total control of the information gatekeepers. I don't think I've ever heard or read about Christian persecution from a "mainline" news source.
Jesus please come soon!
Until He comes, the least we can do is pray for our brothers & sisters in Christ who are worshiping our Lord in the most impossible situations imaginable.
Its not like the USA is a moral country either.
We allow abortion and are leading the way in sin as well
Prayer in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament is what is needed.
We’ll just rebuild it one day. They never learn.
And it's backed not only by the commies, but by our very own liberals, secularists, athiests and Christ-haters.
There ARE 2 billion Christians in the world, half of them Catholic...and Christianity started out the same as it is now--unabated persecution.
Does anyone know where Mgr Yao Liang is? He was arrested last July 30 after arranging a pilgrimage. the latest article I found was from Feb. and it said he was still missing, along with others.
>Guess we can’t cut off China cold turkey, because too many of our dim-witted got us in too deeply with China trade by voting for the Most Favored Nation with China.<
With all the globalists embedded in government, I don’t know how “dim-witted” it was, but either how naive or deliberate it was. Too bad the lemmings have no eyes.
Thanks for the ping! :) Duncan Hunter is the only one willing to stand up to the chicoms. We need this man as our next President!
“Duncan Hunter is the only one willing to stand up to the chicoms. We need this man as our next President!”
Absolutely!
The human spirit is indomitable. I read the autobiography of Fr. Walter Ciszek and it is amazing that after 25 years of Communism (late 40s), ordinary folk still sought out a Catholic priest and wanted him to hear their confessions or to say Mass.
And this was in Siberia! May God grant him the honors of the altar!
Gratzie!
Ciao bella!
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