ASIA : CHINA : BISHOP SENDS MESSAGE TO ROME ON SYNOD

UCAN REPORT

Message to Rome comes amid absence of bishops from China
Alessandro Speciale, Rome
International
October 18, 2012
Catholic Church News Image of Chinese bishop sends message to Synod
Bishop Li (center) at a meeting in 2011
A 90-year-old Chinese bishop Bishop Lucas Li Jingfeng has sent a special message to the Synod of Bishops in Rome. The 90-year-old Bishop of  Fengxiang in Shaanxi province, along with other prelates from China, has not been able to attend the Synod personally.
His message was received by  the gathering of 200 bishops from across the world in Rome on Tuesday and read aloud by Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary-general of the Synod.
It stated that waning strongholds of Catholicism like Europe and North America should look to China to rekindle their faith, despite the persecution clergy suffer there from the Communist Party.
“I want to say that our Church in China, in particular the laity, has always maintained the piety, faithfulness, sincerity and devotion of the first Christians, even while undergoing 50 years of persecution,” the message said.
Stressing that he would not talk about politics because they are “transient,” Bishop Li said he believed that “our faith as Chinese can console the Pope” as he described the “tepidness” of other faithful when compared to the lay people of China more pious.
“I am very sad that you could not listen to any of the voices of the Chinese Church,” he added.
Bishop Li’s message was received amid a long-running disagreement between the Vatican and the government in Beijing over jurisdiction of the Church in China.
The Holy See invited two mainland bishops to the Asian Synod in 1998 and four others – including Bishop Li – to the World Synod in 2005.
None attended either event as the Chinese government would not allow them to leave the country. For the World Synod in 2008, both sides disagreed over the selection of five Chinese bishops.
A Church source said the Holy See had considered inviting a Chinese bishop to Rome this week but later decided against the idea as it would be “meaningless” amid the ongoing impasse.
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