Showing posts with label Underground Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Underground Church. Show all posts

Sunday, January 27, 2019

Catholic Priests in China Feel Betrayed by the Vatican -- Facial Recognition Tracks Chinese People on New Year's

(Beijing) The authorities of the People's Republic of China expect a record number of lunar new year human movements to be celebrated in China. Mass exodus is systematically monitored by the regime for the first time using facial recognition systems.The Catholic priests of the communist empire are also monitored.
About 1.5 billion Chinese will participate in the largest mass movement in the world. Whether by train, plane, car or even on foot, most Chinese are still on the move for the next 35 days to celebrate the Chinese New Year, which is all about the pig. This superlative human movement started on March 21st and will last until March 1st. The Chinese traditionally return to their family homes to celebrate New Year's celebrations with relatives and friends to celebrate the New Year. There are no lack of bottlenecks in the means of transport and on the transport routes to transport such crowds.
The official New Year's date in China is February 5, 2019. Authorities are officially expecting 2.99 billion people. Thousands of additional trains and aircraft are used to deal with this. According to the authorities estimate, air traffic alone is expected to increase by 12 percent over the previous year.
New high-speed lines are being put into operation for the New Year, including the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong line.
For the first time, the new social credit system will also be used. Human movements are monitored and controlled with the most systematic facial recognition possible. The system uses a gigantic database and new artificial intelligence technologies.

Underground priests feel "betrayed" by the Vatican

Catholic priests are also being monitored in the People's Republic of China. To officially serve as a priest, you must join the regime approved Patriotic Association. AsiaNews has released the news of such an "official" priest. He reports that underground priests with whom he is associated, feel betrayed by the Vatican, especially since the agreement between Beijing and the Holy See. Despite the agreement, the Patriotic Association continues to work for a Chinese national church independent of the Holy See and dependent on the communist regime.

Only the Patriotic Association is recognized by the state

The priest therefore calls on the Vatican to discuss the role of the Patriotic Association in future talks with Beijing.
The reason for this message is an alarming development for the priest. Several priests of the faithful underground church with whom he is friends are about to give up their priesthood. They feel betrayed by the Vatican. Pope Francis declared after the signing of the Episcopal Agreement "The last word is mine," but the role of the Patriotic Association has not been clarified. The Patriotic Association "is a controlling body of the Chinese Communist Party and wants to build a self-sufficient church independent of the Holy See."
Pope Benedict XVI, in his 2007 Letter to Chinese Catholics, declared the Patriotic Association "incompatible with Catholic doctrine," said the priest. Pope Francis repeatedly emphasized that the letter of his predecessor is "still valid".
But the reality gives a different impression, said the priest. Francis draws on bishops and priests of the Patriotic Association, as a kind of "lesser evil." Membership in the Patriotic Association is still a prerequisite for being recognized by the state as a priest. Benedict XVI. stated, however, that membership of organizations and bodies that deny the indispensable principles of the faith and the ecclesial community is not permitted.
The Patriotic Association is doing just that, as the 60th anniversary of its founding has once again proved.
The priest tells of various underground priests who are so disappointed by recent developments that they feel abandoned and betrayed by the Vatican. Several people know that they have returned to their hometowns or want to return. They are "victims of the Sino-Vatican Agreement," said the priest.
"I'm afraid there are many priests throughout China who are going through this now: they were faithful and defended the Catholic faith, but suddenly they were betrayed by Rome. They can not rape their consciences and even less can they act against their faith. "
The priest's concern is that his confreres may lose their "missionary vocation". If the secular power knows their priesthood and they do not even get hold of the Church, "are they really like the crucified Christ, and can only cry with all their might, 'Father, why have you forsaken us?'"

Text: Andreas Becker / Giuseppe Nardi
Picture: AsiaNews
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG

Monday, December 17, 2018

Cardinal Zen: "I must choose between rebellion against the Pope, and silence."

"Global Times on the Vatican delegation in the People's Republic of China. Cardinal Zen: "I have to decide".

(Rome / Beijing) Vatican spokesman Greg Burke indirectly confirmed the Vatican operation in the People's Republic of China to force legitimate, faithful bishops to resign, giving way to schismatic, bishops.
 

"Practical steps"

 

On Saturday, December 15, the Global Times, a regime friendly, English-language newspaper in the People's Republic of China, reported the presence of a Vatican delegation in China. This had taken place in the Communist empire because of "practical steps in the implementation of the agreement on the bishops".
 
Last September, for the first time since the Communist takeover in 1949, a bilateral agreement was signed between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China, but its contents are kept secret by both sides. As the Global Times confirmed, this is about episcopal appointments.
 
In 1958, the Communist regime established its own religiously dependent Catholic Church, independent from Rome, the so-called "Patriotic Association," and has since appointed its own bishops without the consent of Rome. These bishops were excommunicated from Rome.
 
Simultaneously with the signing of the secret agreement, Pope Francis lifted the excommunication of these bishops and recognized them as legitimate bishops. The agreement also appears to require that these bishops be appointed and recognized as diocesan bishops by Rome. Since autumn 2017, it is known that the Vatican is urging two faithful bishops to resign to make way for bishops excommunicated so far.
 
Last week, as the newspaper reported, a Vatican delegation was in the "Middle Kingdom" to hold "talks on the implementation of an agreement on the appointment of bishops."These," said a spokesman for the Holy See,  "talks were conducted with both government and church representatives."
 
The spokesperson, according to the article, was Vatican spokesman Greg Burke, who was contacted by the Chinese newspaper last Friday.
 
The newspaper also quoted Wang Meixiu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences as saying that the talks were about filling vacant episcopal chairs. 

The "new model"


The Global Times also confirmed that a bishop appointed by the regime is being used by the Vatican as a legitimate diocesan bishop. Underground Bishop Guo Xijin of Mindong accepted the papal call to resign last Friday. He is replaced by the regime's Bishop Zhan Silu.
 
Bishop Guo Xijin was a dialogue partner of the Vatican delegation. He will be, as the Vatican wishes, auxiliary bishop of Bishop Silu in his former diocese. He confirmed this to Global Times after the meeting with the delegation from the Vatican.
 
Global Times presented the unusual resignation and role reversal as a "normal castling," which goes back to "practical", ecclesiastical "necessities."
 
There is talk of a "new model" that, if accepted by both sides "with good will", could be established with regard to episcopal nominations. Should that translate to mean that the diocesan bishops in future come from the Patriotic Association and the auxiliary bishops from the Underground Church?
 
Global Times concludes:
"The Press Office of the Holy See did not respond to questions as to whether the delegation's mission also included discussions on the establishment of diplomatic relations or a possible visit by Pope Francis to China."

Cardinal Zen: "Unacceptable, so I'll be silent from now on"


Meanwhile, Cardinal Joseph Zen, emeritus bishop of Hong Kong and gray eminence of the Chinese Underground Church, commented on recent events. He was disappointed with the monthly Tempi that Rome forces legitimate and faithful bishops to resign to establish bishops who have been unfaithful and have turned away from Rome.
"I have told these two bishops that they should not resign voluntarily so as not to cooperate with evil. But I have also advised them to obey if the Pope orders it, because a pope's command must always be obeyed."
At the beginning of the year, Cardinal Zen experienced the great defeat when it became clear that Pope Francis is against all warnings, for the agreement with Beijing (see also "The problem is who sits in the cage" ). Because of this disappointment, the cardinal reasons, since it is impossible for him because of his office and as a Catholic, to criticize the Pope, he will at last to retire to a monastery and to keep silent.

He said to Tempi :
"There is the problem of the seven bishops excommunicated and pardoned by Francis. So far none of them has been placed at the head of a diocese. If this happens, I will be silent for ever, because that would be unacceptable and would force me to decide to rebel against the Pope or to remain silent. I will be silent."
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Global Times / Wikicommons (Screenshots)
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Underground Bishop Casimir Wang Dies --- 10 Years in Prison

Bishop Casimir Wang of Tianshui
(Beijing) In the early morning hours of the day, the Catholic underground bishop Casimir Wang Milu of Tianshui in Gansu Province died in the People's Republic of China. Msgr. Wang was 74 years old. He was not recognized by the Communist government as a bishop. His burial will take place on 18 February. There is currently no corresponding acknowledgment from the regime.

Bishop's chair of Tianshui vacant since 1955

Officially, the bishop's chair in Central China's Tianshui has only been vacant since 1972, but in fact it has been unoccupied since 1955. Tianshui was a mission area of ​​the German Capuchins. In 1946, Pope Pius XII. made the area into a diocese. The first diocesan bishop was the German Capuchin Peter Gratian Grimm. With the Communist takeover of power, the suffering period began for the Christians of the country. In 1955 all foreign bishops and priests of the country were expelled. Bishop Grimm also had to leave China and went to Indonesia in the mission area of ​​the Capuchins. With his death in 1972, the last official bishop of the Chinese diocese died.
In 1981, Mr. Casimir Wang was consecrated to be the underground bishop of Tianshui. The secret bishop gave him Bishop Peter Joseph Fan Xueyan of Baoding in Hebei, one of the charismatic leading figures of the underground Church. Bishop Fan spent 17 years in prisons and labor camps as well as the last five years of his life under house arrest and constant interrogation. China's underground Catholics are convinced that he did not die of "lung failure" in 1992, as it was officially called, but the consequences of torture. His beatification proceedings were initiated.

Ten years for Christ in prison

In 1983, Bishop Wang was also tracked and arrested by the regime. In Beijing he was sentenced to ten years in prison. Having been released after serving the punishment in the 1990s, he made use of the special powers the Pope had given to the Chinese underground bishops to consecrate other bishops without the direct consent of the Holy See. He had made use of it " excessively," which for him,  as Asianews says, he had been suspended by Rome, despite his ardent zeal for evangelization and his inviolable fidelity to the pope. He stayed in the province of Gansu and continued to work as a pastor.
In 2007 the special authority for the consecration of bishops was given by Pope Benedict XVI. in his letter to the Chinese Catholics in general.
Bishop Wang was born in 1942 as the son of a Catholic family. In 1979, he was ordained a priest. His younger brother, John Wang, also a priest, was consecrated to the underground bishop of Tianshui in 2011.
Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Photo: Asianews
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Diocese of Hong Kong: UN to Demand Religious Freedom of Beijing -- Four Underground Priests Arrested 17, November 2013

Diocese of Hong Kong: UN to demand religious freedom of Beijing - Four arrested underground priest 17th September 2013 10:07 | Note to editors (Hong Kong) Iustitia et Pax of the Diocese of Hong Kong, China appealed to the United Nations Commission, which periodically is concerned with the progress of religious freedom in the People's Republic of China. Iustitia et Pax called for the United Nations to urge Communist China to implement “religious liberty” in the letter of 18 July. The Diocese of Hong Kong gave the UN a number of new cases of serious violations of religious freedom. The specified include the illegal ordinations that the Beijing regime performs against the will of the Catholic Church. In the month of August alone, four underground Catholic priests were arrested. There is no information of where they are held or how they are doing. On the 2nd of September, a preparatory meeting of the UN Commission took place. A meeting is planned for the 22nd of October, in which the periodic report on religious freedom in China is to be presented and decided upon.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMGD Link to katholisches...

Thursday, October 18, 2012

China's Church is "true" and Prays For an End to "Infidelity" in Other Countries -- Letter to Bishops' Synod

(Vatican) The Church int he Peoples' Republic of China is "living, true and devoted despite 50 years of persecution."  The Bishops' Synod began with this witness by the Chinese Bishops on Monday.  Msgr. Nikola Eterovic, the General Secretary of the Synod introduced the opening of the congress to the writings of Msgr. Lucas Li Jingeng, the Bishop of Fengxiang, who was refused participation in the Synod by the Communist Regime.  The 90 year old Bishop has spent more than 20 years in the concentration camps of the CCP.  After the Communist grab for power he was imprisoned, he was first released in the 70s with severe restrictions.

"I greet you who are able to participate in the Synod and venerate the tomb of St. Peter," wrote Bishop Li Jingfeng in his message. "It pains me very much that your voice could not be heard in the Chinese Church."  The Peking regime is now allowing the participation of any Bishop in the Synod, neither those loyal to the regime, nor those who are true to Rome Bishops, of the underground Bishops are not to be discussed.  "I will tell you that our Church in China, especially the laity,  has shown the piety and uprightness of the early Christians since the beginning of 50 years of persecution."  The Bishop of Fengxiang continued with a view to the situation in the Church in other parts of the world: "I pray fervently and constantly to the almighty God, that our piety, our faithfulness, our persistence may heal the tepidity, the infidelity and worldliness, which is the situation of dissipating openness and freedom abroad.  In the year of faith you may be able to fathom why our faith in China has preserve red with such purity in your debates in the Synod.  It is as the great Chinese philosopher Lao Tse said:  "As disaster brings new flowering, thus disaster is hidden in tepidity.'  The Church outside of China is infected with inertia, infidelity and the secularization of the Faith even of many clergy.   In the Church in China, the laity are as pious as the clergy", said Bishop Li Jingfeng in his letter to the Synod.

Bishop Lucas Li Jinfeng has presided over the only Diocese in the Peoples' Republic of China for several years, which is the only Diocese associated to the underground Church loyal to Rome.  In 2004 Msgr. Li Jingfeng was officially recognized by the regime in a moment of relaxation of relations between Rome and Peking without signing the infamous act of submission and joining the regime's Bishops.  His Diocese has experienced several waves of persecution since then, in which priests were abducted, cloisters stormed and dissolved.  The last incarceration Bishop Li Jingfeng has suffered was in Autumn 2001.

Text: Asianews/Giuseppe Nardi
Bild: Asianews


Link to katholisches...






Monday, January 2, 2012

Accident or Assassination? Priest and Six Seminarians of Underground Church Killed

Edit: this occurred earlier this month. More recently, Beijing has confirmed the arrest of Christian dissident Gao Zhinsheng.

China's President Hu Jintao, has also been railing against the threats of Westernization in the country.


(Peking) In the Chinese province of Hebei six seminarians and a Catholic priest lost their lives in a traffic accident. On the 11th of December the vehicle with the seven was rammed head on by a truck, as was first reported.

Father Joseph Shi Liming 39 years old, Prefect of the Seminary of the the Underground Church of Baoding, drove the car, and six seminarians, who were found with him in the small bus, were all killed in the collision. They were Joseph Yang, Joseph Bai, John Gong, Paul Li, John Wang. One seminarian, Gabriel Gao is the only one surviving, as he was hurled from the vehicle. He is still wavering close to death, but should, according to reports on local blogs, awake from his coma where he is still in the hospital of Shijiazhuang.

In the underground Church there are suggestions that this was a hit by State Security Services. According to Asianews their collected information, however, points to a car accident.

The Diocese of Baoding is among the most oppressed by the Communist regime of the Peoples Republic of China.

The Catholic internet site Tianzhujiao zai xian (The Catholic Church in the Web) called for special prayers for the deceased members of the underground Church on the Feast of St. Silvester.


Link to Katholisches...

Text: Asianews/Giuseppe Nardi Bild: Asianews

There was also a prayer service for these men at a local Catholic Chinese site, translated from google thanks to a commenter on cathinfo.com:

Catholic News 31 December 2011
On the way to a mass to commemorate the Chinese church [the real one] and to mark the end of 2011, a priest and a religious were killed in a car accident.

We suggest the following:

1. We invite all priests and religious inside and outside of China to have a memorial service for the victims. Please invite the faithful to come to Holy Mass. (At Holy Mass, the priest can mention the stories of the religious and Fr. Joseph)

2. At the parishes of the deceased religious, please pray the Divine Mercy chaplet, and the Holy Rosary.

3. Attend Holy Mass in honor of their sacrifice.

4. Pray to God that He will comfort all their loved ones and families.

5. Do works of mercy, fast, charitable works, or any other mortification.

6. At 10:00 on the 31 of December, a minute of silence for them, and afterwards, prayers for the deceased.

Prayers for the departed

Lord God, we pray that out of your great compassion, have mercy on the souls of Joseph and all the religious  that have passed in peace and light into your house to enter into the ranks of host. Lord you have eternal love for us; you have allowed the shadow of death to blot out the spring of their lives. We pray to you amidst these bitter sufferings, that you will give them the strength to endure the sorrows of this life. At the same time, we pray that through the death of Jesus Christ who died and rose again, that we will ever follow him through this earthly pilgrimage that in the future we may be reunited with our brothers in heaven to partake in eternal felicity. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The names of the victims:

Joseph Shi, priest
Joseph Yang, religious
Joseph Han, religious
Joseph Bai, religious
John Gong, religious
Paul Li, religious
John Wang, religious

Friday, September 3, 2010

China-Holy See: the mirage and religious freedom for the official and underground church

Rome (AsiaNews) - In recent months, since April until today, the Church in China has celebrated the ordination of six new bishops, as well as the official installation of a previously ordained bishop who had not been recognised by the government. What has been surprising is that all candidates were approved by the Holy See and recognized by Beijing. But even more surprising is that this wave of new Episcopal ordinations comes in the wake of two lean years, i.e. during which there were no consecrations despite the fact that there were about 40 dioceses of the official Church with octogenarian pastors, who needed replacement, or indeed vacant sees.

The newly ordained (as well as the officially installed bishop) - of which AsiaNews gave immediate news - are the pastors of Bameng (Inner Mongolia), Hohhot (Inner Mongolia), Haimen (Jiangsu) Xiamen (Fujian); Sanyuan (Shaanxi), Taizhou ( Zhejiang), Yulin (Yanan, Shaanxi).

Bishops in communion with the Holy See attended all of the ordinations, with the exception of that of Bameng. Instead in Bameng, the patriotic bishop Ma Yinglin, illegally ordained in 2006, attended the celebration. He is considered the heir to Anthony Liu Bainian, vice chairman of the Patriotic Association, nicknamed the "Pope" of the official Church because of his power over the finance and bishops of the Church.

Read further...

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Official and underground priests in China ponder Card. Bertone’s letter

The document of the Vatican Secretary of State is "encouraging." Underground priests and nuns have begun to study the letter in groups. Others hope that the Vatican will give more precise information. A young bishop: We too need to be trained". Among the problems: priests too distracted by the Internet and a lack of educators in seminaries.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - The Letter of the card. Bertone to Chinese priests, published yesterday, was received and read carefully. Bishops and priests in China are convinced that the formation and spiritual growth of priests should be the first concern of the Church.

Marking the Year for the priesthood, the Vatican secretary of state, yesterday issued a letter to all priests in China, official and underground, calling for reconciliation and exhorting them to live out their vocation.

Read More...