A reader at Amy Welborn’s blog asks whether she and where she should go to Mass when she visits China next year. She understands that there is an “underground” Church loyal to Rome and the state-sanctioned “Catholic church” loyal to the Communist Party and doesn’t know which is which. Bishop Joseph Zen of Hong Kong addressed the status of the Church in China in an article we’re running in the February issue of Catholic World Report. Here is the relevant excerpt:
“Despite many years of forced separation in China, the Catholic Church remains a single institution,” which includes “anyone wishing to be united with the Pope.” One major obstacle remains to establishment of full unity between the “underground” Church loyal to Rome and the “official” Church recognized by the government: “the control exercised by the [Communist] Party.”
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? And I’ve never been to China.
Great question and thanks for the clarification as I have wondered about this during my business trips to China.
“She understands that there is an “underground” Church loyal to Rome and the state-sanctioned “Catholic church” loyal to the Communist Party and doesn’t know which is which”
She understands very little. There is a USCCB that is very loyal to the state sanctioned commie “Catholic Church” and there are a Vaticanisti who makes more overtures to the commie “Catholics” than to Catholics who prefer the Old Mass.
But, ah, we saw this during the days of the Iron Curtain, didn’t we?
Best to read up on Cardinal Kung and Cardinal Jozsef Mindszenty.
Tom:
Best for you to stop the “Novus Ordo bashing” that gives devotees of the Old Latin Mass a bad name. I should know; I’m one of those devotees. (By the way, where does your analysis leave the current Holy Father, who uses the dreaded “Novus Ordo” regularly?)
This is a great question, especially for those who have to travel to China on business.
My solution? I just wouldn’t go, if I could get out of it.