Posted on 06/29/2019 6:35:37 PM PDT by marshmallow
A document released by the Fujian authorities requires parish priests and religious personnel to ban minors from church and education; to refuse relations with foreign Catholics; to curb any momentum of evangelization. Meanwhile, the "Global Times" celebrates the Vatican Museums Exhibition and some lectures on "Pope Francis" and "friendship" between China and the Vatican. For Beijing, agreements with the Holy See go hand in hand with the suffocation of the Church.
Rome (AsiaNews) - While enthusiastic news is spreading about the "first ever" Vatican Museums exhibition in Beijing (until July 7), or on the "first ever" University of Beijing conference on Pope Francis, to AsiaNews is receiving reports of a slow and inexorable suffocation of the Chinese Church, both official and underground. The driving force behind this suffocation is the term "independence" to which official bishops and priests must bow and to which even the underground must adhere if they wish to exercise their ministry.
The Chinese government sees "independence" as the rejection of the influence of "foreign powers", including the Holy See (or as they say: the Vatican) and the submission to state regulations on religious activities, even if these give orders contrary to the Gospel. In this way, priests and bishops, official or underground, are being isolated from the universal Catholic Church and chained to the party wagon, which, though bestowing a minimum freedom of worship (controlled!), strips them of all momentum of evangelization.
One startling example is seen in a document sent to us from Fujian, entitled "Letter of commitment for those responsible for places of worship and for consecrated persons". The priest can be pastor and exercise his ministry, within the limits provided, only if he signs the document otherwise he will remain unemployed and can be sent back to his home. The same for the religious.......
(Excerpt) Read more at asianews.it ...
Ping
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.