|
News Archive Wednesday, March 22, 2000 9:29 AM Subject: Cardinal Kung's First Miracle The heroic Chinese Catholic Shepherd and witness for the Faith under Communist persecution, Cardinal Ignatius Kung (Gong) Pinmei died on March 12 in Stamford, CT at 98 years of age. The great Cardinal suffered a life sentence in China and was imprisoned by Communist authorities in 1955 for his refusal to renounce God and the Catholic Church. Months after his arrest, he was taken to the dog racing stadium of Shanghai to publicly confess his "crimes." Thousands were present in the stadium as he was pushed to a microphone, hands bound behind his back, and wearing only Chinese pijamas. Instead of a confession, though, the authorities heard, "Long live Christ the King! Long live the pope!" The assembled croud responded, "Long live Christ the King! Long live Bishop Kung!" The authorities quickly removed the Bishop from the scene. In 1960, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. The night before his trial, the Chief Prosecutor offered him his freedom in exchange for his cooperation in setting up the Chinese Catholics' Patriotic Association. He responded resolutely, "I am a Roman Catholic Bishop. If I denounce the Holy Father, not only would I not be a Bishop, I would not even be a Catholic. You can cut off my head, but you can never take away my duties." He eventually spent 30 years in prison, much of it in solitary confinement. He was not permitted to receive visitors, letters, or money to buy essentials. In 1985, he was released from prison to serve another ten years under house arrest. After two and a half years of house arrest, he was officially relased, though he was never fully exonerated. In 1988, his nephew, Joseph Kung (president of the Cardinal Kung Foundation), obtained permission to escort him to the U.S. for medical care.* Upon the death of this great Cardinal, it was learned that he requested the celebration of the Tridentine Latin Mass for his funeral. A short time after this, the following news was received via the Cardinal's nephew Mr. Joseph Kung: "The tridentine Mass for Cardinal Kung's funeral Mass in San Jose will be offered by His Eminence Paul Cardinal Shan of Taiwan. However, the Bishop of San Jose gave the permission with one condition. Cardinal Shan must offer this Tridentine Mass facing the congregation. - Joseph Kung" Then, perhaps as evidence of the first miracle by the heroic Cardinal Kung, Fr. Raymond Dunn posted the following report: March 20, 2000 A Pontifical Traditional Latin Mass will be offered by Cardinal Shan at 11:00 a.m. at Five Wounds Church, 1375 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose, CA. Interment will take place at Mission Santa Clara Cemetery, Santa Clara, CA beside the body of Most Rev. Domininc Tang, S.J., Archbishop of Canton, China who died in June 1995. Archbishop Tang, S;J. also suffered imprisonment by the communist government of China and was a close friend of Cardinal Kung. Undoubtedly due to the intercession of Cardinal Kung, the Most Reverend Bishop of San Jose has given his consent that the Tradtional Latin Pontifical Mass will take place facing the high altar as is appropriate for a Traditional Latin Mass. Special thanks is to be given to the Pastor of Five Wounds Church, Rev. Lionel Noia for his kind hospitality and respect for the wishes of Cardinal Kung Pin-Mei. Gregorian Chant will be sung by the excellent St. Ann's Choir of Palto Alto, CA directed by Dr. William Mahrt. Blessed be God in his angels and in his saints!! - Fr. Raymond Dunn, S.J. INTERNATIONAL FIDES SERVICE – March 17th 2000 - No 4188 – NE 147 PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA - Cardinal Ignatius Gong Pinmei dies Stanford (Fides) – Exiled Chinese Cardinal Ignatius Gong (Kung) Pin-mei died at the age of 98 on Sunday March 12 at 3.05 in the morning in Stanford, USA.. For the last twelve years, in fact, the Cardinal, Archbishop of Shanghai, after being expelled from China had lived in the United States. On February 23 he was found to be suffering from cancer of the stomach and was being cared for by relatives at whose home in Stanford, Connecticut, he died. Despite his advanced age the Cardinal was a reference point for the underground Catholic Church in China. Priests in particular would contact him from China asking for advice and help. Even when confined to a wheelchair and visibly weak, the elderly Chinese prelate never refused to receive to the many callers in Stanford. On June 19th 1999 he received a message from the Pope congratulating him on the 50th anniversary of his episcopate and the 20th as a cardinal. In his reply the Cardinal asked the Pope to "Bless the Conference of Catholic Bishops in China and all your spiritual sons and daughters. We pray not for a miracle, but for the grace and courage to live our faith to the full imitating the glorious example of the many martyrs who shared our experience and went before us. We pray that there may be one Shepherd and one flock and that we will soon be able to welcome you, the Supreme Pontiff, to the land of China". (see Fides 16 June 1999). Because of his constant witness in favour of the freedom of the Church, he was hated by the Patriotic Association and the Religious Affairs Bureau. In 1997, during a visit of Chinese president Jiang Zemin to the United States, the Cardinal made a personal appeal for the release of Bishop Su Zhimin and other bishops and priests in prison. In February 1998, Ye Xiaowen, Head of the Religious Affairs Bureau, visiting the United States accused Cardinal Gong Pinmei of "committing the serious crime of diving the nation (China) and causing the suffering of his people". Following this, in March 1998, when the Cardinal requested the renewal of his passport, the authorities confiscated the document declaring the Prelate officially exiled. In an interview with Fides on January 1998 (probably the last he gave) drawing a picture of the 20th century, Cardinal Gong Pinmei described religious persecution in China as "the worst event of the century" [For the text of the interview and biographical note on the late Cardinal, see Fides 9 January 1999] (17/3/2000) CHINA/VATICAN - Cardinal Gong’s death finds official and underground Church closer Rome (Fides) – The death of Cardinal Gong could mark the unification of the official Church and underground Church in China. Fides was told this by a priest of the official Church in northern China. The priest said he intends to celebrate Mass for the deceased Cardinal, who was "our spiritual guide". The late Archbishop of Shanghai, persecuted by the Communists, was held in high esteem by both branches of the Chinese Church, although for the government he was a "criminal". The priest told us that the sacrifice of Cardinal Gong and the news of the canonization of the 120 Chinese martyrs, "are an occasion for the reconciliation of the Church in China". After the unauthorized ordination of 5 bishops in Beijing on January 6, 2000, (see Fides January 14th 2000) many bishops and priest of the official Church began to have doubts about remaining members of the Patriotic Association. The Chinese government and the Patriotic Association, confronted with malcontent and criticism from within, are responding with stricter control. Fides sources say even the six new bishops are "regretting" having accepted the ‘ordination’. Bishop Su Changshan of Baoding – who like all the candidates was isolated for a week before the ordination – confessed he was "misled: and told that the ordination was legitimate"; Lu Xinping of Nanjing has "cried since of his ordination"; Fag Jianping of Tangshan, the most difficult to convince is now "paying for his resistance". The bishop of Mingdong, Shan Silu, is rejected by his community: "no one attends his Mass". The government has clamped down in particular on the 114 seminarians at Beijing’s national seminary who, although ordered to attend the January 6 ordination ceremony, decided the evening before not go and handed the rector a signed statement. The authorities are investigating all those who signed the paper. Before the Lunar New Year holidays, the authorities warned the students that if they wanted to return to the seminary they would have to "accept the government religious’ policies and obey the Patriotic association". One of the seminarians, from Shasi (Hubei), who delivered the letter to the Rector, has been practically expelled. The seminarians’ gesture surprised and touched many, at various levels in the official Church. The seminary is the see of Anthony Liu Bainian, Secretary General of the P. A. who in all these years has sought to carry forward an "autonomous Church", detached from Rome. But the unauthorized ordinations had the opposite effect. Catholics of the official Church were dismayed, and many have begun to question the Patriotic Association. Since 1994 Beijing has sought to destroy the underground Church, ordering priests and bishops to join the official Church, even eliminating some of the most rebellious. Recently a group of underground bishops about to join the official Church "changed their mind". The Patriotic Association, which had hoped to ordain 15 new bishops, was checked in its tracks: the candidates wanted to wait for Papal approval. Observers in Beijing say that with the January 6 ordinations, the government lost credibility for the bishops, priests and the faithful of the official Church. (17/3/2000) BEIJING
OPPOSES CANONIZATION OF CHINESE MARTYRS CARDINAL
KUNG DIES AT AGE 98 BISHOPS AND CLERGY ABDUCTED, CHILDREN BANNED FROM SCHOOL, CHURCHES DEMOLISHED Hong Kong (Fides) - February 4th 2000– Dozens of priests belonging to the underground Catholic Church have been abducted by the police in the last few months. At least 6 bishops not recognised by the government have ‘disappeared", some for more than three years, others for several months: all were pressured to accept the control of the Patriotic Association. The same pressure is being put on underground Christian families: their children are banned from school, their churches are destroyed. According to Catholic Church personnel in Hong Kong, the Chinese government is mplementing orders given in a secret document issued in August last year, aimed at either absorbing the underground Church into the Patriotic Association or suppressing it. (see Fides November 12th 1999). We give here a map of persecutions in recent months. Shandong Fides’ sources confirm that Rev. John Gao Kexian, aged 72, of Yantai diocese was taken away by police last October. Yantai diocese was been in the care of Franciscans before 1949 and it had over 12,000 Catholics. Now there are more than 30,000. Zhejiang Wenzhou diocese suffers pressure and violence. Last November 23rd Rev. Jiang Sunian was arrested and since December 23rd it is not known where he is detained. According to UCA News, Fr Jiang’s arrest brings to six the number of priests taken away by the police in Wenzhou. The diocese’s underground Bishop James David Lin Xili, aged 80, was also arrested on September 8th in Shanghai. Catholics of his diocese say that the series of arrests are the result of a campaign launched by the local Patriotic Association (PA) to force clergy and the Bishop to join the Association. The campaign includes arrests, threats, violence and blackmail. At the beginning of January 2000 a number of Catholics were forced to sign and/or put their finger prints on a membership form, after a few days of detention. Some of them managed to escape but the police said if they do not return and join the PA their children will be banned from school. Church buildings belonging to underground communities, built without government permission, are demolished or burned. In mid-December 2 churches were blown up at Wenzhou, after three others had been demolished earlier in April. Fujian In 1999, in the Fuzhou diocese alone, where there is a strong underground community, 13 church buildings have been destroyed. Last October unofficial Bishop Xie Shiguang of Mindong, aged 85, was "called in for a chat", with government representatives and then taken away to an unknown place. Bishop Xie has always refused the government’s demand that he register officially the underground Church of Mindong. The Bishop later returned home, "free, but under control" Hebei Bishop John Han Dingxiang, aged 63, was arrested at the end of November in Shijiazhuang, while giving a retreat. Since then his whereabouts and the reason for the arrest are unknown. Bishop Han is the unofficial Bishop of Yongnian, he has been arrested and released several times in the past, and has spent about 20 years in prison. The Kung Foundation released the news of the arrest, just before Christmas, of layman Wang Chengqun, still in Hebei’s Gaoyanxian labour camp for "re-education". This is his seventh arrest in the past 20 years and he has spent at least ten years in prison. In 1997, last time he was detained, he suffered an attack of paralysis, but was given no medical attention. In 1999 three priests were also arrested: Rev. Guo Yibao, Rev. Wang Zhenghe, and Rev. Xie Guolin. In Hebei there are still three "disappeared" Bishops, abducted by the police: James Su Zhimin, 68, unofficial Bishop of Baoding, his auxiliary Bishop Francis An Shuxin, 51 and Bishop Julius Jia Zhiguo, 66, of Zhengding. The first two disappeared in 1996, the third was taken away on August 15th 1999. From March 20th to April 28th this year, the United Nations Commission for Human Rights will hold a meeting in Geneva. The United States are preparing a resolution to condemn China, and the European Union is expected to join the move. (4/02/2000) INTERNATIONAL FIDES SERVICE – February 4th 2000 - No 4182 – NE 60 Pope
John Paul II’s message to Catholics in People’s Republic of China Vatican City (Fides) – Pope John Paul II addressed a Christmas letter to the "Dear brothers and sisters of the Catholic Church in China" in which he assures them that all Catholics of Chinese origin are close to his heart as Shepherd of the Universal Church. He says in the message, dated December 8th, that he speaks in a special way to "the Bishops and faithful of mainland China who cannot, as yet , show in a full and visible way their communion with this Apostolic See". Like Catholics all over the world, the Church in China is also preparing to celebrate the Great Jubilee and the beginning of a new millennium. But the Pope says, "For very many Catholics around the world it will not be possible to pass through the Holy Doors in Rome to venerate the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul. Nevertheless, wherever they live, all are invited to realise that <to pass through the door means to confess that Jesus is Lord; it is to strengthen faith in him in order to live the new life which he has given us>. (IM 8)" The Holy Father recalls that the birth of Jesus took place in a province of Palestine, an Asian land at the crossroads of the great cultural exchanges of East and West, a point where Asia, Europe and Africa meet.. That birth was and still is today, a source of joy for all people". "In accordance with the mysterious plans of divine Providence the Gospel of salvation soon reached your own country" the Holy Father writes, recalling the first evangelisation in China in the 5th and 6th centuries, by Syrian monks. "The Gospel message proclaimed in those distant beginnings, has lost none of its relevance and it invites and impels you to make it known to those who have not yet received it…for this reason all of you, dear brothers and sisters are called to proclaim the Gospel of salvation to the Chinese people of today with new vigour…led by your bishops and in communion with them, you dear priests, religious men and women and lay people will develop updated pastoral plans, placing primary emphasis on all that relates to the proclamation of Jesus and his word of life and giving special attention to young people". "In this context – the message continues – the celebration of the Jubilee will be an occasion for remembering the apostolic labours, the sufferings, the tears and the shedding of blood which have been part of the Church’s journey among the people of every time. In your midst too, the blood of your martyrs has become the seed of a multitude of authentic disciples of Jesus. My heart overflows with wonder and gratitude to God for the generous witness given by a host of Bishops, priests, men and women religious and lay people. And it seems that the time of trial, on some places, has not yet come to an end!". The Pope recalls that in biblical Jubilee tradition the jubilee is a time to forgive one another’s debts, to make satisfaction for injustices committed, to be reconciled with one’s neighbour. In this context of breaking down barriers and overcoming division, the Pope writes: "I rejoiced when I learned that you intend your most precious gift on the occasion of the Great Jubilee to be unity among yourselves and unity with the Successor of Peter. This intention can only be a fruit of the Spirit who guides the Church along the arduous paths of reconciliation and unity." "United among yourselves in the truth and charity of Christ, in communion with the universal Church and with him who has been called by Jesus to be the Successor of Peter and the pledge of unity, cross the threshold of the new Millennium, confident that the one God and Father of the whole human race will continue to bless your steps and those of all your people. Be leaven of goof for your people despite your small numbers!" The Pope concludes by saying that his "vision broadens to embrace all Chinese Catholics living outside mainland China" hoping that they may be "light and leaven wherever Providence has placed them" fostering "union of spirit with all their brothers and sisters of the great Chinese family". (17/12/1999) PEOPLE’S
REPUBLIC OF CHINA Beijing (Fides) – A Jubilee gift of a white hand-embroidered chasuble has been delivered to Fides: it was made especially for Pope John Paul II by a group of women in Northern China. On the front of the vestment the women embroidered the Jubilee emblem and on the back a scene showing the Great Wall of China. The person who delivered the gift to Fides confided: "The chasuble is a sign of how much Chinese Catholics want to live the Jubilee event together with the whole Church". As they prepare for the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ, both official and underground Catholics are encouraged by a Letter, dated December 8th, which Holy Father addressed to Chinese Christians in view of the Jubilee. Jubilee preparations in China have not been easy. The Bishops of the official Church held a synod meeting in October to discuss what instructions should be given on how to celebrate the Year 2000. But since then there has been hesitation and confusion: in Beijing and in other dioceses the laity asked for some indications, but the Bishops appeared uneasy and had nothing to say. It was only a few days ago that the diocese of Beijing, of which the official Bishop is Patriotic Association member Fu Tieshan, issued information about the places to visit in order to gain the indulgence: all four of the city’s largest churches: Beitang, Nantang, Xitang, Dongtang. The others dioceses have already published a booklet on the Jubilee, indicating where the plenary indulgence can be obtained and how the faithful should make their spiritual preparation This was a very courageous gesture of the bishops: they practically recognise the Pope as their Shepherd and valid for the Church in China, the indications he gives for the universal Church. The jubilee booklets, printed in thousands of copies, are a sign of re-discovered unity and courage among Catholics in China. Some are even planning a pilgrimage to Rome. Only a month ago Christians in the capital were afraid of asking for a passport and travel permit because the destination Rome might be rejected by the authorities. However, so far, none of the would-be pilgrims have received a reply from the government. Xian is the diocese which began preparations first. In October Bishop Anthony Liduan issued a Pastoral Letter indicating the cathedral as the place in which to gain the indulgence, encouraging all his faithful to live reciprocal forgiveness as a sign of the Good News brought by Christ. Mutual forgiveness is in fact fundamental if official and underground Christians are to be reconciled and healed in their division, often exacerbated by pressure from government and police. Here are some other new steps taken in China in view of the Jubilee: a) Nantang Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Beijing has opened an Internet site sapientia.netfirms.com with information about the Church, the year 2000, Christian art, and Catholic publications which can be purchased by post; b) There are plans for a Pastoral and Catechetical Centre for Lay Catholics on the campus of Beijing’s diocesan seminary. c) All over China there will be a full programme of meetings to explain the meaning of the Jubilee and the essential elements of the Christian faith. d) The official Jubilee emblem has been affixed on the front of all the Churches. (17/12/1999)
INTERNATIONAL
FIDES SERVICE Macao’s peaceful pass-over to China On December 20th, the first European colony on the coast of China, governed by Portugal for the past 440 years, will return under Chinese sovereignty. Jesuit missionary in Macao, Fr Luis Sequeria, says "the beginning of the Chinese era provides the Church with a great opportunity for evangelization". Macao has the highest percentage of Catholics on Chinese soil (6.5%) and the Catholic Church here runs fifty percent of the territory’s schools. "The spiritual void left by Communism in China will be a fertile terrain in which the Church may sow the Gospel" continues Fr Luis. But, Macao is also Asia’s gambling capital and nearly 40% of the National Gross Product comes from taxes on gambling-hall gains. In a similar economy crime and prostitution flourish, with the support of domestic Mafia. With both these aspects in mind the Pope, in a message to Bishop Domingos Lam, on the occasion of the hand over, encourages Catholics in Macao to strengthen their missionary vocation and become a point of reference for people there and on the mainland. Macao’s Catholic Church: courage and gentleness as we return to China Interview with Bishop Domingos Lam Ka-tseung Macao (Fides) – The head of Macao’s Catholic diocese pledges to continue to give formation to the people of the Portuguese territory after China takes over to enable them to speak up for themselves. Bishop Domingos Lam Ka-tseung says it is important for Catholics to be equipped with both sciences and virtues – the motto of the 423-year-old diocese – to meet the challenges ahead. "I always encourage people, and I think in future it will be much more necessary for Catholics who have good formation, to stand up and speak up on what they feel," Bishop Lam said in an interview with Fides. "We form young people with the Christian spirit to enable them to fulfil their duty to the people and join in action to say, if necessary, something against China, against the local government in future,’’ the 71-year-old prelate said. "But the Church is not a traffic policeman telling people to turn left or turn right. We never make use of any human being as an instrument." he added. Regarding religious freedom in Macao after its political changeover, Bishop Lam said many people, including himself, do have some concern for the future of the Church. "But I myself trust my own people. It is up to them to defend their rights and, of course, their faith," he said. Macao, also referred to as the City of God’s Holy Name and Rome of the East, will return to Chinese rule at the midnight of December 19 after being under 442 years of Portuguese administration. The enclave was a significant Portuguese trading outpost and a propulsion centre for Catholic missionaries to spread the Christian faith in the Far East in the 16th century. At present, the territory has a population of 435,000, of which 30,000 are Catholics. The Church in Macao currently runs 39 schools and educational institutes, educating about 42,300 students, or about 50 percent of the total number of students up to 12th grade. It also provides social services including care for children, elderly, the sick, the mentally handicapped and unmarried mothers in 27 institutions. Bishop Lam said the Church will never deny assistance to people in need during an emergency, but it should also help them stand up so they can work for their own future. As the Church does not use people as instruments, Bishop Lam said it would not allow others to make use of the Church as an instrument. The Chinese bishop stresses in a soft-spoken but firm approach that demands and changes in society must be met. "We will politely tell them that it is not our role," Bishop Lam said, in case the authorities in future ask the Church to do something beyond its capacity. Yet he believes that the Church should co-operate with all people, including the government and political parties, for the welfare of the people. The Church and the clergy should continue to engage themselves in society and actively take part in matters whenever they are allowed to, Bishop Lam said. By showing their presence and participation, the Church and the clergy will be believed and respected by the people, he added. ‘When you ask me to do it, if I’m allowed to do it, I will be there and say what I feel I should say. Definitely, I’ll speak up, sometimes gently, sometimes loudly. But inside, not outside,’’ Bishop Lam said. ’If we do not take part, definitely we fail in our duty because no one will protect the rights of the voiceless. We should stand there and argue,’’ Lam said. The outspoken prelate feels Church leaders should speak only from a general point of view, rather than dwell on details of particular issues, a job that should be left to individual Catholics. The diocese also should not promote its views in a high profile manner, such as through the media, he said. "Don’t make yourself a symbol of opposition to the government," Bishop Lam added. Regarding the local Church’s relationship with China, which severed ties with the Holy See in the 1950s, the Macao Catholic leader said the most important thing is to understand each other. "The Macao Church has never had a big clash with China in the past 450 years. Macao is part of the universal Church. We will stand by the universal Church, but at the same time we have good relationships with many countries, including China,’’ Bishop Lam said. "That’s why Macao can link Europe with the Far East. It is a bridge linking relations peacefully,’’ he said. Macao, being a small city, cannot afford to offend anybody and in fact the territory places no threat to any country, he added. But maintaining good relationships with others does not mean the Church has to respond in parrot fashion, Bishop Lam explained. On December 3, the Holy Father sent a message to Bishop Lam on Macao’s hand-over, asking the diocese to strengthen its evangelisation in China. "The function of gateway of the Church towards China, assigned by Divine Providence to the Diocese of Macao and fulfilled during four centuries with alternation vicissitudes, will assume new forms now that the diocesan community will be part of the Church in China by full right," Pope John Paul II said. "In particular, it must strengthen its missionary vocation in the midst of the Chinese world, so as to become a point of reference and spiritual support also the numerous brothers and sisters in the faith who live dispersed in the vast reaches of China," the Pope added. He also urged the Macao Church to maintain its full communion with the universal Church. (17/12/1999) Macao, gateway of evangelisation, reference point for the Church in China Holy Father’s Message to mark the occasion of Macao’s return under Chinese sovereignty Vatican City (Fides) - "After almost 424 years from the day on which my predecessor Pope Gregory XIII created the diocese of Macao, the diocesan community entrusted to the care of your Excellency prepares itself to live an important event in its multi-secular history when, on December 20th next, the Territory will return under Chinese sovereignty". This is how Pope John Paul II begins his message to Bishop Domingos Lam Ka Tseung of Macao, dated December 3rd, Feast of St Francis Xavier patron of the missions. Tracing the history of the diocese of Macao, the Pope writes, "created to provide for the pastoral needs which were emerging with the spread of Christianity in the Asian Far East its history was intertwined with the history of the evangelisation of the whole surrounding geographical area, in particular with that of China". The function of gateway of the Church towards China, carried out for four centuries with alternate vicissitudes, must now assume new forms: in particular: "it must strengthen its missionary vocation in the midst of the Chinese world, so as to become a point of reference and spiritual support also for the numerous brothers and sisters in the faith who live dispersed in the vast reaches of China". Macao was also "an advance post of Christian culture and a meeting point with the cultures of the Far East" as we see by the founding of the St. Paul’s College, the first University of Studies in the Far East established in 1594, only 39 years from the moment when Portuguese navigators disembarked for the first time in Macao. The presence of Catholics was notable in social work as is shown, among others by the Santa Casa da Misericordia, established in 1569 and which has played a great part in the human history of the local population." "At this important moment when the Territory returns to be an integral part of China, the Church that is in Macao, rich in tradition and dignity, is called to continue its commitment to spiritual, cultural and social service. At the vigil of a new century and in the context of the Holy Year, now imminent, may it know how to give impetus to its evangelic commitment renewing with generosity and audacity the methods and forms both of the religious witness and the valuable service which it provides in the sectors of education and assistance. May it be a prophetic Church which announces to man, seduced by avidity for material goods and disorientated in his aims, the high and inspiring reason of the moral life, the dignity and freedom of every human person, the beauty of the Gospel, the joy of following Christ". Lastly the Pope encourages Macao to be faithful to the significance of its name (Macao City of the Name of God) to hold high its tradition, remain in full communion with the universal Church, as in the past, and "always cherish its communion with the Church of all of China, to which it is now bound by a special civil link". (17/12/1999) Notes Chronology 1513 – The first Portuguese navigators land at the mouth of the River Pearl on the southern coast of China, setting up a trading post which was to control commerce between China and Japan for almost a century (1543 – 1639). The Jesuits arrived with them and began evangelisation. 1557 – The Portuguese settle permanently in Macao. So do missionaries who made it their base for missionary activity in Japan and China. 1576 – Macao diocese is established as a suffragan of Goa, India. 17th century – Portuguese, Dutch and British merchants compete in Chinese silk and silver and for trade and European trading of South East Asian products. 1603-1622 – Macao resists the Dutch who make a series of unsuccessful invasion attempts, the most violent on June 24th 1622, today commemorated with a public holiday. 1841 – Britain takes possession of Hong Kong, near Macao, which begins to decline as Hong Kong offers new possibilities for work and trading. 1844 – Macao becomes officially a Portuguese overseas territory. 1885 – Under the jurisdiction of Macao diocese missions in East Timor and parishes in Singapore and Malacca are opened. 1887-1888 – China and Portugal sign a Lisbon Agreement and Trade and Friendship pact which recognise Portuguese sovereignty over Macao. But the second pact was never ratified by China. 1949-1953 – Foreign missionaries expelled from China. Macao loses contact with its missionaries in mainland China. 1966-1967 – With the Cultural revolution in China, violent disorder rages in Macao and Hong Kong. The Portuguese government grants legal status to resident Chinese in Macao. Many Catholics leave the territory. 1974 – The Portuguese revolution leads Lisbon to renounce its sovereignty over Macao and declares its readiness to re-establish diplomatic relations with China. 1976 Society and Church in Macao acquire new vitality; rapid economic growth. Arrival of thousands of Chinese immigrants. 1979 – China and Portugal establish diplomatic relations April 1987 – signing of China-Portuguese agreement establishing Macao’s return to China on December 19th 1999. 1987 - Mgr Domingos Lam Ka Tseung is appointed coadjutor to Bishop Arquiminio da Costa. 1990 – 50 thousand illegal Chinese immigrants obtain residence permits, this pouts and end to the hardship of these clandestine people 1990 – Bishop Domingos Lam Ka-Tseung becomes the first Chinese bishop of Macao. He is a member of the drafting committee for the Basic Law which will serve as a Constitution in the territory in 1999 1997 – The diocese of Macao and the Catholic University of Portugal open a Catholic University in Macao, to foster East-West relations. May 1999 – Banker Edmund Ho, head of the Commission of 200 set up by Beijing, is appointed governor of the enclave after the hand-over. He will take the place of governor Vasco Rocha Vieria. From the political point of view Ho declares himself an ‘independent’. 20th December 1999 – Macao becomes a SAR Special Administrative region under China. The territory maintains its own government, law and life style for the next fifty year. Population and economy Area 21 sq km; population 459,000; urban population 98.8%; population growth 3.8%; life expectance 76.8; languages Chinese, Portuguese, English; ethnic origin 93% Chinese, 5% Macanese (Euro Asians); 2% Portuguese. Religion 17% Buddhist, 7% Catholic, 7% Protestant. Capital Macao; government former Portuguese colony; since December 20th 1999 SAR under China. Economy nation product 7.5 billion; per head US$ 17.5; annual growth 3.8% 1995, -0.3% 1998; inflation 1998 3.3%; unemployment 6.4%. Main trading partners Hong Kong, China, UE, USA. The Catholic Church Christianity was introduced by the Jesuits in 1557 Diocese established in 1576. Macao served as a base for missionary work in Japan and China. Today there are 22,000 Catholics, gathered in 9 parishes, cared for by 69 priests (31 diocesan, 38 religious), assisted by 158 Sisters and 9 Brothers. Challenges: first and new evangelization after the return to China. (17/12/1999) |