Vatican protests pressures on Church in China
April 02, 2009
A special Vatican commission on the Church in China concluded a 3-day meeting on April 1, and released a statement condemning the pressures placed upon faithful Catholics by the Beijing regime. The commission voiced its "profound anguish" over the news that Bishop Jia Zhiguo of Zhengding, the most prominent leader of the "underground" Church in China, had been re-arrested, and spoke more generally about the "undue pressures and limitations" placed upon other loyal Catholics.
The Vatican statement stressed that Pope Benedict XVI wants to engage in productive talks with Beijing officials, hoping to arrive at a more amicable arrangement that will protect religious freedom, but the heavy-handed repression of the Church inhibits any such progress. "Situations of this kind create obstacles to that constructive dialogue with the competent authorities," the commission said.
The commission encouraged faithful Catholics to maintain their hope. The statement quotes the letter that Pope Benedict sent to the Chinese Church in 2007: "Now it is your turn, Chinese disciples of the Lord, to be courageous apostles of that Kingdom. I am sure that your response will be most generous."
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