United with the Church which is in China
As is well-known, and has been tragically shown these past few weeks in the aftermath of the earthquake in Sichuan province, the sheer size and diversity of China makes it hard to provide statistics with any great certainty. Even so, it is estimated that there are between 12 and 15 million Catholics in the People's Republic of China. Last year, on the Feast of Pentecost, Pope Benedict XVI wrote a letter addressed to them all, purposefully avoiding the unhelpful and misleading distinctions between so-called patriotic or underground communities.
Quoting the letter of St Paul to the Christians in Colossae, Benedict's letter began "Dear Brother Bishops, dear priests, consecrated persons and all the faithful of the Catholic Church in China: "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven ... We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.""
Benedict's explicit mention of the endurance and patience of the Chinese Catholic communities, as well as his recognition of the growth they are experiencing and still yet hope to experience, is particularly apt. In the light of twentieth century Chinese history, this is especially so. Recent events have reminded those less familiar with China that, even though religious freedom is guaranteed by the Chinese constitution, the actual practicing of one's faith can be a challenging exercise. At certain periods in China's history, as for instance during the ten tragic years of the Cultural Revolution (1966 to 1976), the practicing of religion was not only challenging but downright difficult and dangerous as well. During these years countless priests, sisters, seminarians and the faithful were persecuted, often arrested and sometimes killed. Churches were closed, church property was confiscated and the right to religious freedom was severely curtailed by the madness unleashed by the Red Guards.
During the era of economic reform, which officially began in 1978, many of these abuses have been recognized by the national and local governments. According to Chinese law, properties owned by religious organizations are to be returned, lawful religious activities have been allowed to resume and prisoners were set free. Benedict refers to these situations in his letter, not only by likening the Chinese Catholics to their forebears in the faith - from Colossae to Corinth, from Shanghai to Shijiazhuang – but also by his recognition of the difficult situations that Chinese Catholics have faced.
Now is not the time to explore these occasions or this complex history at depth. Rather, it is more appropriate to recall a prevailing theme of Benedict's letter. In the penultimate section, number 19, Benedict suggests that "24 May could in the future become an occasion for the Catholics of the whole world to be united in prayer with the Church which is in China." Traditionally, May 24th is the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians. In China, and especially in Shanghai, it is the day when Catholics dedicate their lives and their church communities to the intercessory help of Mary. The popularity of Marian piety stretches back to at least the earliest days of Catholic history in China in the modern period, from the time of the arrival of Jesuit missionaries Matteo Ricci and Michele Ruggieri in the province of Guangdong in 1583. Marian sodalities were introduced and the saying of the rosary rapidly became a standard practice. In the nineteenth century pilgrimages to Marian shrines became popular and took place throughout the country.
One such pilgrimage occurred at Sheshan, outside of Shanghai, and the biggest pilgrimage day was the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, in recognition of the belief among Shanghai Catholics that Mary had interceded on their behalf during anti-Christian persecutions in 1870. In 1924, at the conclusion of the Plenary Council in Shanghai, the gathered church leaders made their own pilgrimage to Sheshan and dedicated all the Chinese Catholic communities to Mary's prayers, creating a devotion to Our Lady of China. These past eight decades Catholics from around China, and even overseas, have been making their own pilgrimage to Sheshan to pray for the needs of their communities and indeed for the whole world.
Mindful of Benedict's call for the international community to pray for and with the Chinese Catholic communities, Jesuit Mission invites all our supporters and friends to join us on May 24, and on other days too, in just such an act of "fraternal solicitude and solidarity." Given the devastating loss of life in China recently, such a call is both timely and pressing.
Jeremy Clarke SJ
In the photo above the Auxiliary Bishop of Shanghai, Xing Wenzhi is seen leading prayer at Sheshan in May 2006
Click here for Pope Benedict's Pentecost Letter, 2007, and an accompanying page of introductory notes.
