In its 1/31/08 issue, L'Osservatore Romano features this lengthy article by a Chinese bishop commenting on the Pope's Letter to the Catholics of China last June 30, 2007. Here is a translation:
Impressions of Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi
commenting on Pope Benedict's letter
to the Catholics of China
n his address to the Roman Curia last December 22, Pope Benedict XVI recalled, among other highlights of 2007, the Letter which he addressed to the bishops, priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful of the Catholic Church in the People's Republic of China. We are presenting here the 'impressions' written by Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, the Jesuit emeritus Bishop of Kaohsiung.
A TESTIMONY OF AFFECTION
FOR THE CHURCH IN CHINA
By Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, SJ
Emeritus Bishop of Kaohsiung
Pope Benedict XVI, the day after his election as the Successor to Peter, Prince of Apostles, when he received the greetings from every single cardinal, told me: "My heart feels sincere affection adn a great closeness for the Church in China,"
Because of his interest and love for the Church in China, the Pope, since he was elected, has continually committed himself to finding a way to resolve the numerous difficulties of the Church in China.
In January 2007, he convoked a conference with the participation of important prelates of the Holy See, representatives of the Chinese bishops, experts in theology and canon law, etc., to discuss these difficulties.
The Pope took part in the final session and announced that he would write a letter to the Catholics of the People's Republic of China [which will be referred to in the rest of this text as the Pope's Letter].
This Letter was dated May 27, 2007, Solemnity of Pentecost, and was officially made public on June 30. After having red it , I wish to convey my impressions.
Explaining the truth
and insisting on the truth
The first impression that I had was the clear explanation that the Pope offers about the truth, and his insistence on the truth. The Pope explains very clearly the truth of the Catholic faith on the nature, the mission and structure of the Church, as the universal Church declares it to be.
For two thousand years, the universal Church, both the clergy and the faithful in the local churches, has believed that the Church was instituted by Jesus as a community: : it is one, holy, catholic and apostolic (as the Creed says and No. 5 in the Pope's Letter).
In this Letter, the Pope particularly highlights 'unity' and the apostolic succession through the Catholic hierarchy. Other particulars on this aspect will be explained here later.
The Pope explains that the Catholic Church is 'one'. The roots of this unity are not only the faith itself and Baptism, but above all, the Eucharist and the Episcopate (cfr No. 5 of the Pope's Letter; also, see the Vatican-II dogmatic Constitution
Lumen gentium on the Church, No. 26), and the unity of the Episcopate, of which, "the Roman Pontiff, as Successor of Peter, is its perpetual and visible principle and foundation," continues throughout the centuries through the apostolic succession (ivi, No. 23).
Precisely for this reason, the Pope cites
Lumen gentium from Vatican-II to underscore that "the bishop is the visible principle and foundation of unity in the local Church that is entrusted to his pastoral ministry."
But in every local Church, so that it can be fully a Church, the supreme authority of the Church must be present, that is, the episcopal college together with its head, the Roman Pontiff, and never without him.
That is why the ministry of the Successor of Peter belongs to the essence of every local Church 'from within' (Pope's Letter, No. 5).
The Holy Father explains the common faith of the universal Church and every local church: it is the faith transmitted by the apostles. If this faith is denied or an element of it is lacking - for instance, communion, unity, the bishops' authority, the Supreme Pontiff ans his universal ministry in the Church, etc - then it cannot e called the true Catholic Church.
From this, we see quite clearly that a structure and organization of the Church, joined with an external force, especially a structure and an organization that is placed above that of the hierarchy, are in opposition to the fundamental faith of the Catholic Church.
Forgiveness, communion and unity
The Pope understands well the history of the Church in China, especially the tribulations of the last fifty years, during which many bishops, priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful, in order to maintain the correct religious faith, suffered hard persecution, which came to bloodshed and martyrdom: they are admirable.
But the members of the Church are human beings with human weakness: of course, there are those who have persevered in their faith, and with the grace of God, underwent martyrdom in a heroic way, but there are also those who yielded to human weakness, because "there is always the danger, in world events and even in the weaknesses of the Church itself, of losing the faith" (Pope's Letter, No. 6).
These 'lapses' of the faith happen during persecutions in all ages. When the persecution becomes less serious, or even when there is no longer any persecution, the Christian faithful within a local Church have to face the question: How shall we treat them - the 'lapsed' ones?
Naturally, there is a tension between the 'faithful' and the 'lapsed': they suspect and despise each other, they exchange accusations and they hide divisions among them (cfr Pope's Letter, No. 6); humanly speaking, it is demandingly laborious to overcome this difficulty.
The persecuted Church of Rome in the early years, gave a =n excellent example to all local Churches: beyond eliminating the extreme attitudes of the Novazioni and the Donatists, it encouraged the faithful to have a Christian heart full of indulgence to forgive and accept the 'lapsed ones' who repented and wished to return to the Church, the merciful Mother.
The Holy Father knows that 'forgiveness and acceptance' are the pre-conditions to communion: "An authentic communion cannot be expressed without anguished efforts for reconciliation" (Pope's Letter, No. 6).
For this reason, the Holy Father encourages the 'loyal faithful' of the Continent, emphasizing that "the purification of memory, forgiveness of those who have done wrong, forgetting the wrongs undergone, and re-pacifying hearts in love - all to be done in the name of Jesus who was crucified and resurrected, can lead to overcoming personal positions or visions born from painful and difficult experiences (Pope's Letter, No. 6).
Those who purposely want to destroy the Church use the 'divide and conquer' strategy of the old Roman Empire in all times and places. What they want to see is tension, conflict, disharmony, division, with each one treating each other as enemies within the Church itself.
Now it is time that everyone gets rid of past motives and wrongs, to live in the present moment and cooperate harmoniously to propel the ship of the Church forward, helping it to take to the open sea and cast the nets for fishing (cfr Lk, 5,4): "Now the fields are ripe for harvest" (Jn 4,35).
We must reap, uniting our efforts: many dioceses in the mainland are cooperating well enough in evangelization and i pastoral care; and in such a way they have produced many fruits in recent years. It is good news for the Pope and the universal Church.
Consultation and respect
The Church as well as the Government wish to serve the people" the very existence of these two units are intended for the well-being of the people. The field of service for the Church encompasses the religious, ethical and moral affairs of men; that of the Government has to do with the social order, security, the means of living, health care, etc.
The Pope respects the right of the government of a State; at the same time, he protects the rights of God and of his Church, citing Jesus's words: "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and to God that which is God's" (Mt 22,21).
The greater part of the world's democratic countries adn the great religions all accept the 'policy of separation between political and religious realities". Although the rights and duties of both parties are very clear, nevertheless there are areas of overlap which are not clear. In this case, both parties should consult each other sincerely, as, for example, on the question of dividing some provinces or dioceses according to administrative circumscription.
However, there are some questions regarding the nature of the Church, as, for instance, "the principles of independence and autonomy, of self-government and democratic administration of the Church" (Art. 3, "Statues of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association"), which plainly destroy the nature of the Church, which is 'one' and 'communion'. The Holy Father says this is "irreconcilable with Catholic doctrine" (Pope's Letter, No. 7).
Regarding the well known issue of the nomination of Chinese bishops, No. 9 of the Pope's Letter explains with precision: "The Pope, when he granted the apostolic mandate for the ordination of a bishop, exercises his supreme spiritual authority: authority and intervention, which remain in the strictly religious field. It does not involve any political authority, which would interfere unduly in the internal affairs of a State and violate its sovereignty."
The Pope recalls that "the nomination of pastors for a specific religious community is intended - even in international documents - a constitutive element of the full exercise of the right to religious freedom. The Holy See would like to be completely free in nominating bishops" (ivi).
The Holy Father also expresses a wish: "I hope that an agreement can be found with the Government to resolve some questions regarding the choice of candidates for the episcopate, the publication of such nominations, as well as the recognition - with its civilian effects where necessary - of the new bishop by the civil authorities" (ivi).
The Holy See, in the light of the principle of mutual respect, wishes to consult the Government on some practical problems without destroying the fullness of the Catholic faith.
Wish and benediction
In this letter, Pope Benedict XVI expresses his own great admiration and gratitude for those who have been 'loyal' to the Church "without yielding to compromises, at times even at the price of great suffering"; at the same time, he sees in them a luminous hope for the Church in China (Pope's Letter, Note 1).
Benedict XVI understand well and shares , together with these 'faithful', some thoughts and attitudes which took shape during a long period of persecution. But these things have passed. He presents them with a request: "The purification of memory, forgiveness for those who did wrong, forgetting the wrongs undergone adn the re-pacification of hearts in love, to be realized in the name of Christ who was crucified and resurrected, can lead to overcoming personal positions or visions, born of painful or difficult experiences, but they are urgent steps to be taken in order to increase and manifest the bonds of communion among the faithful and the Pastors of the Church in China (Pope's Letter, No. 6).
It must be noted that the Pop0e uses the pronoun 'we' in a special way in this Letter, to show his identification with and great love for the persecuted 'faithful'.
As for the 'lapsed' ones who fell out during the persecution, Benedict XVI loves them equally with the heart of a father and wishes that they may return to the Church, the merciful mother. He hopes that the 'faithful' may help them to return soon, pardon and accept them, so that they may be 'one flock and one shepherd' (Jn 10,16).
"Other Pastors, instead, under the impulse of particular circumstances, have agreed to receive episcopal ordination without the pontifical mandate, but, afterwards, have asked to be welcomed in communion with the Successor of Peter and with their other brothers in the Episcopate. The late Pope, considering the sincerity of their sentiments and the complexity of the situation ... granted them full and legitimate exercise of episcopal jurisdiction" (Pope's Letter, No. 8).
With sincerity, the Holy Father also highlights one thing in this Letter: It is a pity that some bishops, who have already been legitimized by the Pope, have not dared to officially declare their legitimate identity to their priests and consecrated persons . This has created a great problem of conscience in the affected dioceses: they do not trust each other, and division results among them.
In the Letter, the Pope encourages these bishops to declare themselves and reveal to their priests and faithful their identity as pastors legitimized by the Holy See, asnd he hopes that their clergy and their faithful may accept and obey them (cfr Pope's Letter, No.8).
In the Letter, the Pontiff expresses his own interest, love, encouragement, comfort, concern, expectation adn hope about the Church - namely, the bishops, priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful - of the Chinese mainland. He also imparts his heartfelt Apostolic Blessing to the Church in China.
This Letter by the Pope is a purely pastoral letter. Benedict XVI, not only with the identity and authority of a great theologian, but also as the Supreme Pastor of the Universal Church, explains the nature, the structure, the doctrine, the mission - in short, the important 'ecclesiastical dogma' that has been believed and professed by the Church in 2000 years.
I hope that this Letter may clarify many misunderstandings and let people know that the Church can absolutely not descend to compromises in matters of the faith and religious doctrine; but the Church and some of its members or other interested persons can discuss the technical aspects that do not involve doctrine.
The aim of this letter was principally to provide some directional principles on doctrinal, pastoral, evangelical and spiritual aspects of the Church in China.
I hope that the readers can read this Letter of the Universal Pastor of the Church with good will and sincerity, and with a devout heart, meditate on it attentively and put it into practice.
At the end of this Letter, the Pope offered a beautiful gift to the people of China: the date of May 24, feast of Our Lady Help Of Christians, has been declared a day on which all Catholics throughout the entire world may be united in prayer for the Church in China.