NEWS ABOUT BENEDICT

ONE YEAR AGO TODAY -
BENEDICT XVI'S HISTORIC
LETTER TO CHINESE CATHOLICS
Translated from



VATICAN CITY, June 30 (Fides News Agency) - One year after the publication of the Holy Father's letter to the Catholics of China, it seems impossible to evaluate any outcome so far in terms of listing concrete results.

For a document that is widely considered to be historic, it requires a sufficient time period before one may judge its impact on the life of the Chinese Catholics.

Moreover, the best 'fruits' expected from a Pope's pastoral letter are spiritual in nature and therefore do not lend themselves to the usual reportage.

The publication of the letter was greeted by an initial burst of enthusiasm and of gratitude to the Holy Father, but not without apprehension especially at the political level.

The letter was welcomed for being clear, balanced, affectionate, paternal, etc. Now, the interest is to examine the pontifical message closer - What is the Pope asking of the Chinese Catholics, and of the universal Church with respect to the Catholics of China?

The first message that everyone seemed to get right away was that 'things are different, we cannot go on as before'. The Pope indicated a radical change of attitude that must be taken not only within the Catholic community in China (still split between an underground Church and the 'official' one) but also in relation to the government of China itself and the role of Catholics as citizens.

After the Holy Father's clear affirmation that there is only one Church in China - and that the internal split is the result of external pressures - Chinese Catholics are starting to consider each other as 'brothers together'.

The Church in China is one because now almost all the bishops are in full communion with Rome, even if the internal structure remains anomalous. The unity is far from concretely realized but the direction indicated by Benedict XVI is clear to all.

It would be too long to list the small steps that have been happening at various levels that have been reported to us which indicate that a movement towards reconciliation and full unity is gaining ground.

The Pope's letter clearly had an effect on relations between 'underground' and 'official' Catholics, even in places where the divergence was strongest.

One can cite, in general, the increasing participation, often in significant numbers, in each other's liturgies; catechism lessons for 'underground' Catholics entrusted to 'official' Catholics; spiritual retreats undertaken together; and joint study sessions, generally undertaken in 'a climate of prayer', to discuss the Holy Father's letter and how best to act on it.

Funerals and birthdays within parishes have become occasions for reconciliation. Underground Chinese have gone to Confession and attended Mass in 'official' Churches.

Regular contacts between bishops and priests belonging to the 'two' communities have taken place on matters like planning joint celebrations of Catholic feast days like Easter. Priests or nuns of one group lead spiritual retreats for the other.

None of these initiatives ever took place before the Pope's letter.

More important, there are no longer accusations that sacraments administered by one side are not valid for the other. Prayer groups with members from both sides have become popular. In some dioceses, reconciliation has become the basis for pastoral work.

Of course, there still remain isolated instances of resistance to the Pope's recommendations, and requests for clarification on several points continue to be received by the Vatican.

Still, it is quite clear that the Pope's letter marked a turning point in the history of the Catholic community in China.

Two important events - the great earthquake in Sichuan province and the first Day of Prayer for China on May 24 as decreed by the Pope - showed the general unity among Chinese Catholics despite difficulties put up by the government.

Recently, 500 Chinese from both 'parties' joined Chinese from Taiwan and Hongkong for a Mass in Rome presided by Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

In taking note of these facts and rereading the Holy Father's letter, one is reminded of St. Augustine's commentary on Psalm 126 ["If God does not build the house, then the builders will toil in vain"]: "We speak externally, God builds interiorly. I know that he listens to me - what he thinks about it, only he knows who can read all our thoughts. He builds, he admonishes, he inspires awe, he opens up our mind, he will make us sensitive to the faith."