a grim prediction
By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Sep 30, 2005
The 5th plenary meeting of the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee will be held in Beijing October 8- 11, the AsiaNews service reports.
Why do I mention this?
Because very often, right before an important meeting of Communist Party officials, there is a round-up of dissidents, including religious leaders, who do not acknowledge the Party's authority. And in preparation for this meeting, AsiaNews notes:
In the announcement, the Politburo and the State Council urged cadres and officials to “do their best when handling conflicts with the masses"-- a veiled reference to the growing number of mass protests which have rocked China in recent times.
So right before the Central Committee meeting, zealous Communist officials in the provinces will be looking to please their superiors by cracking down on movements regarded as dangerous to the Party line.
This might be a good time to pray for our Chinese brothers in the underground Church.
Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.
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