Scottish Catholic Observer

THIS is an unusual report because key facts and figures have to be omitted for fear of risking the lives of the people described—China’s ever-growing Christian community. Refusing to accept the Chinese’s authorities’ efforts to control the Church, many Christians live out their faith in secret—their true identity is hidden to all but a few. Therefore, it is impossible to give details of core projects on which they depend to survive, provided by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need.

ACN is doing everything it can to support China’s Christians—aid for seminarians, help for religious sisters, supporting parish centres, Christian education and catechesis. In this report, we are renewing calls to you to please pray for China’s Christians as they strive to live out their faith.

History

China became Communist when Mao Tse-Tung declared the Chinese People’s Republic on October 1, 1949. Although there are various other small parties present in Parliament, the constitution gives the Communist Party a monopoly of legislative, legal, executive and military power. The constitution theoretically grants freedom of religion, but the consequence of the absolute power of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) means that it requires the religions to conform to its policies.

There are no explicit laws governing religious activity, which is controlled instead by decrees and regulations, the most recent version of which was issued in 2005. These regulations outline:

1Only five religions are officially recognised— namely Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestant and Catholic Christianity. Other religions, including Judaism and Orthodox Christianity, are regarded as illegal.

2 The right to religious expression does not belong to the individual, but is bestowed by the state and may be expressed only by registered personnel, in places registered by the State. Any kind of religious expression outside of these restrictions is regarded as criminal. In practice, every religious group in China has its ‘official’ and its ‘unofficial’ side.

3The government controls the relations between the faithful of a given religion inside China and those outside the country, for example the Dalai Lama for the Tibetan Buddhists and the Pope for the Catholics.

In recent years, Christians—including members of the 12-million-strong Catholic community—have suffered arrests, what the regime calls ‘re-education,’ the demolition of churches, bans on religious activities and hefty fines.

Underground Church

Christians in China, totalling 66 million, now outnumber members of the ruling Communist Party—yet Christians struggle to practise their faith without fear, oppression and retribution. Demolition of churches, church-run buildings and persecution of the faithful is commonplace—forcing the clergy and Christians to worship in secret.

For the safety of the Christians the charity support in China, ACN is unable to publicise many of the projects we fund.

However in 2014, 42.5 per cent of our aid for China’s suffering Christians, more than £250,000, was devoted to the training of priests, religious and laity equipping them for their difficult and dangerous task. We speak about China’s ‘Underground’ Church—but some seminaries are quite literally underground. Students spend long periods unable to leave—or even pray aloud—for fear that they will be denounced to the authorities. ACN is helping with the training of seminarians living and studying in these dire circumstances.

Despite these problems, the country’s unyielding restriction on the number of children couples can have and the importance of the male child in the family system, young men are still coming forwards to be priests. They are prepared to give up everything for God. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, ACN is helping to provide formation, food and accommodation.

Witness to Christ

Since early 2014, the government in the Zhejiang Province, has carried out the whole or partial demolition of churches or church-run buildings—in most cases they remove the crosses on the roof tops, claiming that they violate building regulations.

On Good Friday 2016, a Christian woman protesting over plans to demolish her Church’s cross was hospitalised after armoured police carrying riot shields confronted the Christian protestors in Whengzou, Zhejiang Province. This is not the first such incident in the province.

In a recent interview with ACN, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, Bishop of Hong Kong said: “The Chinese government has intensified the persecution recently.

“We have seen demolished churches, crosses taken away from the buildings, therefore there’s not much we can hope for immediately.”

China is a land of saints and martyrs. Many members of the clergy have paid the price for their fidelity to Christ with persecution, torture, imprisonment and even death. These include:

1Bishop Cosma Shi Enxiang’s (above left) only crime was remaining faithful to Christ and staying in communion with his Church and the successor of Saint Peter.

He spent more than 50 years in and out of prison. Arrested again on Good Friday 2001, at the age of 78, his family was never told where he was being held. Despite reports in 2015 that he had died, Beijing refuses to confirm this—fuelling rumours he died from torture or starvation.

2Fr Wang Chengli was sentenced to two-and-a half years of re-education through labour in 2011 for ministering to the Underground Church. His family have not been allowed to visit him.

3Frs Zhang Jianlin and Cui Tai were both arrested in 2011 however no news has been heard of either of them since.

Aid to the Church in Need

China is a priority country for ACN and that is why the charity is responding to the growing oppression of the Catholic Faithful. One way in which you can help is by supporting priests living in China, and around the world, who celebrate Holy Mass and keep the Faith alive in their communities. Another way is by helping to train tomorrow’s priests ­ £50 can support a seminarian for one month.

Lorraine McMahon, Head of Operations in Scotland for ACN, said: “Thank you to all those who support our work in providing for the Church in need. Your prayers and help mean so much to those who suffer persecution, oppression and great hardship for witnessing to Christ today. The witness of persecuted Christians such as those in China is a challenge and inspiration to us all.”

To find out more about Aid to the Church in Need and the persecuted Church please consider calling us 01698 337 470 or following us on Twitter: @ACN_Scot land or www.acnuk.org