Posted on 04/08/2005 9:56:40 AM PDT by the_gospel_of_thomas
SHANGHAI, China - Flower-bedecked portraits of Pope John Paul II decorate the St. Ignatius Cathedral — Shanghai's main Roman Catholic church, but one run by a state-sanctioned body that rejects ties with Rome.
On Saturday, thousands of mourners were expected at a government-approved memorial Mass, even though Beijing avoided sending an envoy to John Paul's funeral in a spat over the Vatican's relations with rival Taiwan.
John Paul's death united China's Catholics in mourning, at least temporarily blurring the line between official and underground churches and fueling hopes that Beijing might ease its rejection of any ties between believers and Rome.
The two sides have "come together in prayer and mourning," said one Catholic in Shanghai who asked to be identified only as Mary. "We hope the Chinese government will now be even more open."
Communist leaders ordered China's Catholics to cut ties with the Vatican in 1951. Churches run by the official China Patriotic Catholic Association claim 4 million followers; experts say as many as 12 million more worship in unofficial churches.
Despite the lack of official ties, the division between the Chinese church and the Vatican isn't clear cut. The Chinese church closely follows Vatican doctrine and regards the pope as a spiritual leader. Bishops named by China routinely ask Rome for confirmation — a status the Vatican has granted to all but 10 of the 72 official bishops.
Still, religion is a touchy subject, and parishioners who spoke to a reporter Friday asked not to identified by their Chinese names or even to have their church identified in case their comments angered communist officials. It's not an unfounded worry: China has arrested priests and harassed worshippers in crackdowns on the underground church.
State media promptly reported John Paul's death on April 2. But his funeral Friday wasn't shown on Chinese television and received only a one-sentence mention on the national evening news.
Parishioners in Shanghai said that at services after John Paul's death, they were permitted to sing a hymn praising him for the first time.
"There was no way (the government) could keep us from knowing and now they can't stop us commemorating," said a woman who asked to be identified only as Isabel, and who said her family's Catholic roots go back 14 generations.
Critics say Beijing might have missed an opportunity to forge better relations under a pope for whom reconciliation with Beijing was a cherished goal. The next pope, they say, is likely to be preoccupied with other matters.
A change in China's attitude might be spurred by the realization that poor ties with Rome have opened an avenue for Taiwan — Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian attended the pope's funeral.
"This may push Beijing to moderate its handling of Catholic issues," said Anthony Lam of the Holy Spirit Study Center, which is affiliated with the Roman Catholic diocese of Hong Kong. "I'm overall quite optimistic for the church in China."
Beijing says it will discuss official ties with the Vatican only if it cuts links with Taiwan and refrains from interfering in China's affairs. Vatican representatives have repeatedly indicated they were willing to switch diplomatic recognition if agreement can be reached on other issues — such as control of the church.
"The Vatican has just about met all of Beijing's demands," said Lam. "Maybe the Chinese government has to change their mind-set."
"We loved our pope dearly and he loved and cared for his people in China," said Mary, the Shanghai Catholic. "We want to be one with Rome."
I highly recommend a book titled "Jesus in Beijing" by David Aikman.
It gives an in-depth look at what's going on above and below the surface with Chinese Christianity.
Chen-Ma heard the angry students chanting their hatred from blocks away. There was no escape now. She prayed for grace to face them. To show the same love Stephan and Jesus Christ had when they forgave their tormentors.
She still couldn't believe it. How could some of her own students - children she had taught and tutored - now be coming to loot her house?
What would she say? Would she be strong enough to show Christ's love? She met the teenagers calmly at the gate.
A youthful leader, bullhorn in hand, led several hundred students in chants against her:
"Criticize religion! Promote atheism!" he cried.
"Down with the imperialists!" replied the mob.
The chanting picked up cadence.
"Criticize religion!"
"Down with the capitalist running dog!"
"Promote atheism!"
"Long live our Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution!"
"Criticize religion!"
"Long live our great leader Chairman Mao!"
"Promote atheism!"
"Down with superstition!"
"Criticize religion! Promote atheism!"
Finally the eyes of the Red Guards were filled with enough self-righteous anger and indignation that they could go on with the next step. "We are the Red Guards!" they announced triumphantly. "We have come to take revolutionary action against you. Stand aside!"
What exactly is a Roman catholic church that rejects ties with Rome?
A Protestant Church perhaps? LOL.
(Beijing says it will discuss official ties with the Vatican only if it cuts links with Taiwan and refrains from interfering in China's affairs.)
Communists never cease to amaze me. They always want us to give everything they want before they agree to negotiate! Who's dumb enough to do that?
The Communist government "took over" the Catholic Church in China, calling it the Patriotic Catholic Church or something, and it does not recognize the papacy. However there is an underground real Roman Catholic Church in China. The bishops, priests and faithful of this true Catholic Church are regularly hunted down, imprisoned, tortured and martyred by the government.
The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (officially ??????????????, China Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee; colloquially ????, the Three-Self Church) and the China Christian Council (???????) are two pro-government (patriotic) Christian organizations in the People's Republic of China. These together form the only government-sanctioned (registered) Protestant church in mainland China. They are usually referred to as the 'two associations' (??). There are large numbers of house churches in China which are outside of the registered organizations.
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