CHINA: CONSECRATION OF THE NEW BISHOP OF SHAOWU – POPE FRANCIS: “WRATH, A PARTICULARLY DARK VICE”

More on the Sunday killing of a man in a Catholic Church in Istanbul on Sunday, January 28:  https://english.katholisch.de/artikel/50727-victim-in-catholic-church-in-istanbul-was-not-a-christian?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

There seems to be a bit of positive news from China as we have read in recent days, including today, with the appointment and installation of 3 new Catholic bishops. There has been a lot of criticism since the September 22, 2018 agreement signed between the Holy See and China about the appointment of bishops (and renewed in 2020 and 2022).

Basically, the communist Chinese government (PCC) was allowed to name the men they wanted as bishops but the Pope does have the right to disagree with the choice. Full disclosure, I have been one of the main critics of this agreement for reasons I have explained many times in this column and on Facebook.

I assume there was a quid pro quo in each of these recent cases. Is there room to feel positive that three new bishops will minister well to the Catholics in China and also be (allowed to be) active evangelizers?

Acts of the Apostles (at the Ascension): “But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

I am hopeful but also a realist.

Following is the news about today’s consecration of the new bishop of Shaowu. After that are links to the two stories about the other new Chinese bishops.

I think Pope Francis’ general audience catechesis on wrath is so important today. Wrath, ire, anger, rage, outrage, indignation, call it what you will but there is so much wrath in the world today. Look at social discourse. Look at political parties. Look at some posts on the Internet.  Let’s listen to and reflect on what Francis said.

CHINA: CONSECRATION OF THE NEW BISHOP OF SHAOWU

Fr. Pietro Wu Yishun has been consecrated as the new Bishop of Shaowu (Minbei) in the Chinese province of Fujian, taking place according to the framework of the Provisional Agreement.

By Vatican News

On Wednesday, 31 January, the new bishop of Shaowu (Minbei) in the Chinese province of Fujian was consecrated.

Father Pietro Wu Yishun was appointed by Pope Francis on 16 December 2023.

The appointment was announced on Wednesday by the Holy See Press Office following his episcopal consecration, as set out in the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China.

Bishop Pietro Wu Yishun was born on 7 December 1964. He was ordained a priest on 15 August, 1992, for the Diocese of Xiamen.

Later sent to Minbei, he served there as a pastor, holding various roles, including being the parish priest of Nanping and responsible for the Apostolic Prefectures of Shaowu and Jian’ou.

Catholic community in Fujian province
The consecration liturgy of the new bishop, reported by the Vatican’s Fides news agency, took place in the Chengguan parish of the Jianyang district, dedicated to the Nativity of Mary, in the city of Nanping (Fujian province).

Bishop Giuseppe Li Shan of Beijing presided over the consecration. Three other Chinese bishops, around eighty priests from various dioceses in China, and over 360 lay faithful participated in the liturgy.

The life of the ecclesial community in the diocese of Shaowu (Minbei), according to Fides, is woven with the ordinary gestures of catechism, liturgies, prayers, charitable works, and the succession of months dedicated each year to St. Joseph, Mary, the Sacred Heart, and the Rosary.

Churches of ancient origin are restored and recovered, and pastoral initiatives are shared according to the priorities suggested by the Pope.

Thus, the diocesan parishes celebrated specific initiatives during the Pauline Year, proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI, and the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, announced by Pope Francis.

Prayers were offered in the diocesan parishes for the success of the Olympics and the end of the pandemic. In the face of earthquakes and natural disasters, funds and relief goods are collected for the affected populations.

During the Year of Mercy, concluded Fides, the diocesan community designated two ancient churches, built more than 110 years ago, as sanctuaries with Holy Doors to pass through, thus living communion with the universal Church and the Successor of Peter.

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-01/china-bishop-taddeo-wang-yuesheng-zhengzhou-consecrated.html

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-01/bishop-consecrated-for-new-diocese-of-weifang-china.html

POPE FRANCIS: “WRATH, A PARTICULARLY DARK VICE”

Continuing his weekly catechesis on virtues and vices, Pope Francis opened today’s general audience by explaining, “it is time to reflect on the vice of wrath. It is a particularly dark vice, and it is perhaps the easiest to detect from a physical point of view. The person dominated by wrath finds it difficult to hide this impulse: you can recognize it from the movements of his body, his aggressiveness, his laboured breathing, his grim and frowning expression.”

“In its most acute manifestation, ” he continued, “wrath is a vice that concedes no respite. If it is born of an injustice suffered (or believed to be suffered), often it is unleashed not against the offender, but against the first unfortunate victim. There are men who withhold their rage in the workplace, showing themselves to be calm and composed, but at home they become unbearable for the wife and children. Wrath is a pervasive vice: it is capable of depriving us of sleep, of barring the way to reason and thought.” (Vatican photos)

One of the results of wrath, said the Holy Father, is that “it destroys human relationships. It expresses the incapacity to accept the diversity of others, especially when their life choices diverge from our own. It does not stop at the misconduct of one person, but throws everything into the cauldron: it is the other person, the other as he or she is, the other as such, who provokes anger and resentment. One begins to detest the tone of their voice, their trivial everyday gestures, their ways of reasoning and feeling.”

Pope Francis noted that “Wrath makes us lose lucidity, doesn’t it? Because one of the characteristics of wrath, at times, is that sometimes it fails to mitigate with time. In these cases, even distance and silence, instead of easing the burden of mistakes, magnifies them. For this reason, the Apostle Paul – as we have heard – recommends to Christians to face up to the problem straight away, and to attempt reconciliation: “Do not let the sun go down on your anger” (Eph 4:26). It is important that everything dissipate immediately, before sundown. If some misunderstanding arises during the day, and two people can no longer understand each other, perceiving themselves as far apart, the night cannot be handed over to the devil.!

Importantly, the Pope also explained that “the passions are to some extent unconscious: they happen, they are life experiences. We are not responsible for the onset of wrath, but always for its development. And at times it is good for anger to be vented in the right way. If a person were never to (feel) anger, if a person did not become indignant at an injustice, if he did not feel something quivering in his gut at the oppression of the weak, it would mean that the person was not human, must less a Christian.

Francis ended by noting that “holy indignation exists, which is not wrath but an inner movement, a holy indignation. Jesus knew it several times in His life (cf. Mk 3.5): He never responded to evil with evil, but in His soul, He felt this sentiment, and in the case of the merchants in the Temple, He performed a strong and prophetic action, dictated not by wrath, but by zeal for the house of the Lord (cf. Mt 21:12-13). We must distinguish well: zeal, holy indignation, is one thing; wrath, which is bad, is another.”

A GOOD NEWS DAY…

A GOOD NEWS DAY…

Haiti: Six abducted nuns released in Port-au-Prince

Six nuns of the Congregation of Saint Anne who were taken hostage by armed men on 19 January have been released, along with two abducted laypeople, according to Haitian Archbishop Max Leroy Mésidor of Port-au-Prince. The six sisters of the Congregation of Saint Anne who were kidnapped on 19 January in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, have been released. The two laypeople – reportedly their bus driver and a niece of one of the nun – were also released.

Unidentified armed men had stopped the bus on which they were travelling, demanding a ransom of 3.5 million dollars, according to local media reports. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2024-01/nuns-kidnapped-in-haiti-are-released.html

China: New Bishop of Zhengzhou consecrated

Father Taddeo Wang Yuesheng was appointed by Pope Francis as the Bishop of Zhengzhou on December 16, 2023, and the announcement of his appointment coincides with the day of consecration, within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China. (photo AFP or licensors)

Bishop Taddeo Wang Yuesheng is the new Bishop of Zhengzhou, in the Chinese province of Henan. His episcopal consecration took place on January 25, 2024. Pope Francis made the episcopal appointment on December 16, 2023.

It was announced on Thursday in conjunction with the consecration of the new diocesan pastor, which took place within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2024-01/china-bishop-taddeo-wang-yuesheng-zhengzhou-consecrated.html

A TEN-YEAR-OLD CATHOLIC ASKS POPE FRANCIS ABOUT CHINA

A TEN-YEAR-OLD CATHOLIC ASKS POPE FRANCIS ABOUT CHINA

I saw this amazing piece in UCAN news and wanted to share it because, how many times in my blog and FB posts, have you heard me ask most of the same questions about the Vatican and China!

The writer is an adult but has been a Catholic for 10 years, thus calls himself “a 10-year-old Catholic.” It’s a brilliant piece!

Read on:

AN OPEN LETTER TO POPE FRANCIS FROM A YOUNG CATHOLIC – TEN QUESTIONS FROM A 10-YEAR-OLD CATHOLIC WHO FAILS TO UNDERSTAND THE VATICAN’S POLICY TOWARDS CHINA!

After introductory remarks by author Benedict Rogers*, he writes:

First, as a mere 10-year-old Catholic I approach this matter with all humility. I never came into the Catholic Church with the intention of getting into an argument with the Vatican, the Holy See, or the Holy Father. It breaks my heart to even raise these questions.

Second, I am not engaged in an anti-Pope Francis campaign. I was received into the Church 11 days after your election as pope, so I have grown up with you as a Catholic and I have always loved the emphasis you, Holy Father, place on mercy, justice, and focusing on the margins of the world.

Third, I respect — indeed, share — the love of China you, Holy Father, express and I join with you in your desire to change the relations between the Vatican and Beijing. I understand your passion to see the vision of the Jesuit missionary priest Matteo Ricci fulfilled. I do not doubt the nobility of your intentions in China policy — but I do question their wisdom.

So, in the spirit of a 10-year-old Catholic child, addressing the Holy Father with honesty, respect, innocence, and audacity, I have 10 key questions, which I hope you, the Holy Father, and the Vatican might answer: TO CONTINUE:  https://www.ucanews.com/news/an-open-letter-to-pope-francis-from-a-young-catholic/102417

*Benedict Rogers is the co-founder and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Watch, a senior analyst for East Asia at the international human rights organization CSW, and the co-founder and deputy chair of the U.K. Conservative Party Human Rights Commission. He became a Catholic in Myanmar in 2013 and is the author of From Burma To Rome: A Journey into the Catholic Church and The China Nexus: Thirty Years In and Around the Chinese Communist Party’s Tyranny. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.

SPEAKING PERSONALLY… – CANDLELIT PROCESSION IN VATICAN GARDENS MARKS FEAST OF THE VISITATION – MATTEO RICCI: “HE BROUGHT CHRISTIANITY TO CHINA”

SPEAKING PERSONALLY…

FEAST OF THE VISITATION: One of my favorite places in Vatican City has always been the small, historic, beautiful church of Santo Stefano degli Abissini. I have attended several funeral visitation vigils for cardinals, and have been to Mass there as well, always a bit overcome by the history and simple beauty. And one of my favorite events in the Vatican is the annual procession that is about to start in the Vatican gardens at the church of Santo Stefano to mark the feast of the Visitation. If you are ever in Rome on May 31, try to attend this remarkable annual event.

MATTEO RICCI , JOAN AND CHINA: Today’s general audience catechesis focussed, as it has for weeks, on apostolic zeal with Pope Francis choosing a special “witness to zeal” each week. Today he spoke at length on Jesuit Fr. Matteo Ricci, a singular and amazing missionary who dedicated his life to evangelization in China, a goal his fellow Jesuit, Fr. Francis Xavier, wished to reach but never did, as we learned at the May 17 general audience.

In 1995 I was in Beijing where Fr. Ricci, who died May 11, 1610, is buried. I was a member of the Vatican delegation to the United Nations conference on Women in September 1995. We had extraordinarily little time in the weeks that we were in Beijing to see some of the sights but several delegation members did visit Fr. Ricci’s tomb in Zhalan Cemetery, the oldest Christian cemetery in China.

I was enormously impressed with Italian-born Fr. Ricci’s story and tried to learn all I could about this man – who always dressed as a Chinese scholar – whom the Chinese called “Sage of the West.”

YouWenhui 游文輝, alias Manuel Pereira c. 1610, oil on canvas, 120 × 95 cm. © Society of Jesus, Il Gesù, Rome.

One biographical site noted, “Ricci arrived at the Portuguese settlement of Macau in 1582 where he began his missionary work in China. He became the first European to enter the Forbidden City of Beijing in 1601 when invited by Emperor who sought his services in matters such as court astronomy and calendar science.”

It was Emperor Wanli of the Ming dynasty who donated the land specifically for the burial of Matteo Ricci. It was an unheard of honor for the Chinese to do this but Emperor Wanli did have great respect for the Jesuits in general and Fr. Ricci in particular whose name in China was Li Matou.

I felt very privileged not just to be a member of the Holy See delegation to the Beijing conference but privileged to be in China, whose millennia-old history is one of the most fascinating imaginable. I could write a small volume on what I learned and experienced during those weeks in this vast Asian nation. A few years later I had an equally amazing learning experience when I visited Taiwan for 12 days – another small volume for sure!

One chapter of such a book would be the offer I received to return some day to Taiwan to teach English at the Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages in Kaohsiung, Taiwan! I will have to find my video of that trip!

CANDLELIT PROCESSION IN VATICAN GARDENS MARKS FEAST OF THE VISITATION

At 7 this evening, feast of the Visitation, the annual candlelit procession in the Vatican Gardens will take place as the faithful pray the rosary and process from the church of Santo Stefano degli Abissini to the Grotto of Lourdes in Vatican City. Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, will deliver remarks at the grotto.

Tradition says this church was built by Pope Lei I (400–461), who named it St. Stephen Major in remembrance of St. Stephen protomartyr. There was already a monastery here at the time of Pope Gregory III (8^th century). It was restored by Pope Sixtus IV who assigned it in 1479 to Coptic monks in the city and the name was changed to St. Stephen of the Abyssinians (Ethiopians). Considered the national church of Ethiopia, St. Stephen’s is one of the only standing structures in the Vatican to survive the destruction of the first St. Peter’s basilica in 1506.

MATTEO RICCI: “HE BROUGHT CHRISTIANITY TO CHINA”

Today at the general audience, Pope Francis praised the apostolic zeal of Venerable Matteo Ricci, one of the early Jesuit missionaries to the Far East whose love for the Chinese people remains a model of consistency for Christian witness.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov
Matteo Ricci’s love for the Chinese people remains an enduring source of inspiration.

With this sentiment, Pope Francis described Venerable Matteo Ricci, one of the early Jesuit missionaries to the Far East, at his weekly General Audience on Wednesday in St. Peter’s Square, as he continued his catechesis series on saints who personified apostolic zeal.

“His love for the Chinese people is a model; but what is a very timely one, is his consistency of life, his Christian witness. He brought Christianity to China…”

The Pope praised Ricci’s excellence in various areas, but stressed that his greatness, above all, lies in his being “consistent with his vocation, consistent with that desire to follow Jesus Christ.”

Last week, Pope Francis praised St. Andrew Kim Taegon, the first native priest of Korea and a martyr for the faith, who dreamed of reaching China, but was not able to fulfill that dream. This week, instead, he spoke of Ricci who did.

Reflecting on the saint to the thousands of faithful in the Square, the Pope remembered how originally from Macerata, in Italy’s Marche region, Ricci studied in Jesuit schools and having himself entered the Society of Jesus. Enthused by the reports of missionaries, like many of his young companions, he asked to be sent to the missions in the Far East.

Father Ricci would go to China, and patiently go on to master the difficult Chinese language and immerse himself in the country’s culture.  It would take 18 years, and unshakeable faith, to arrive in Peking, the Pope said, overcoming frequent mistrust and opposition.

Thanks to his writings in Chinese and his knowledge of mathematics and astronomy, the Jesuit Pope observed, Matteo Ricci became known and respected “as a sage and scholar.”

His vast learning and ability to engage in sincere and respectful dialogue, the Holy Father explained, were employed in the service of the Gospel. “This opened many doors to Him,” the Pope said. Ricci, he noted, made the Gospel known not only in his writings, but by his example of religious life, prayer and virtue.

In this way, the Pope suggested, Ricci attracted many of his Chinese disciples and friends to embrace the Catholic faith.

Matteo Ricci died in Peking (modern Beijing) in 1610, at the age of 57, “dedicating his whole life to mission.”  Ricci was the first foreigner permitted by the Emperor to be buried on Chinese soil.

Great Missionaries

The Pope praised the strong prayer life of Ricci which propelled all his work, and that animates the life of missionaries.

Consistency and closeness to Christ, through prayer, the Pope suggested, is one of the greatest characteristics of the great missionaries, before inviting the faithful to ask themselves whether they are consistent in their Christian faith.

 

CATECHESIS. “THE CRUCIFIX, WELL-SPRING OF HOPE” – CHINESE BISHOP SHEN BIN TRANSFERRED TO SHANGHAI, HOLY SEE LEARNS OF MOVE FROM MEDIA

Just a heads-up for the next few days and weekend. Thursday afternoon and all day Friday are days off for EWTN employees to attend Holy Week Liturgies, so this page may be quite, although I may repost some stories on Facebook and Twitter.

I am handicapped by a cold that seems to have taken over my body and life and is not getting better as fast as I’d normally expect. I have a doctor’s appointment Holy Thursday at 6 pm, of all things, but will, as Mom used to teach me, “offer that up for the poor souls in purgatory.” An unexpectedly long  appointment last night kept me from posting.

Today I offer some highlights of Pope Francis’ catechesis at the general audience this morning. I think these would be wonderful points to reflect on in silent prayer or while saying the rosary.

The other news story about China installing a Catholic bishop is both maddening and sad.

CATECHESIS. “THE CRUCIFIX, WELL-SPRING OF HOPE”

At today’s general audience, Pope Francis gave a preview of Holy Week saying “we prepare to celebrate the mystery of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection,” And he focused on two aspects of Good Friday.

“Firstly,” he said, “let us see Jesus stripped of his clothing. In fact, ‘And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. God is stripped – He who has everything allowed Himself to be stripped of everything. But that humiliation is the path of our redemption. This is how God overcomes our appearances. Indeed, we find it difficult to bare ourselves, to be truthful. We always try to cover the truth because we do not like it. We clothe ourselves with outward appearances that we look for and take good care of, masks to disguise ourselves and to appear better than we are.”

“Let us direct our second glance to the Crucifix and we see Jesus who is wounded,” continued the Pope.!. The cross displays the nails that pierce his hands and feet, his open side. But to the wounds in his body are added those of his soul. How much anguish, Jesus is alone, betrayed, handed over and denied by his own – by his friends and even his disciples – condemned by the religious and civil powers, excommunicated, Jesus even feels abandoned by God… In the end, Jesus is wounded in body and in soul. I ask myself: In what way does this help our hope? In this way, what does Jesus, naked, stripped of everything, of everything, say to my hope, how can this help me?

We too are wounded – who isn’t in life? And they are often hidden wounds we hide out of embarrassment. Who does not bear the scars of past choices, of misunderstandings, of sorrows that remain inside and are difficult to overcome? But also of wrongs suffered, sharp words, unmerciful judgements? God does not hide the wounds that pierced his body and soul, from our eyes. He shows them so we can see that a new passage can be opened with Easter: to make holes of lights out of our own wounds.”

“Brothers and sisters, the point is not whether we are wounded a little or a lot in life, the point is what to do with my wounds –the little ones, the big ones, the ones that leave their mark forever on my body, on my soul. What can I do with my wounds? What can you, you, you, do with your wounds? “No, Father, I don’t have any wounds” – “Be careful, think twice before saying this”. And I ask you: what do you do with your wounds, with the ones only you know about? You can allow them to infect you with resentment and sadness, or I can instead unite them to those of Jesus, so that my wounds too might become luminous.”

“Our wounds can become springs of hope when, instead of feeling sorry for ourselves or hiding them, we dry the tears shed by others; when, instead of nourishing resentment for what was robbed of us, we take care of what others are lacking; when, instead of dwelling on ourselves, we bend over those who suffer; when, instead of being thirsty for love, we quench the thirst of those in need of us. For it is only if we stop thinking of ourselves, that we will find ourselves again. But if we continue to think of ourselves, we will not find ourselves anymore. And it is by doing this, the Scriptures say, that our wound is healed quickly (cf. Is 58:8), and hope flourishes anew.”

The Pope leaves us with hope when he says that, “the cross, which first seems a sign of defeat and despair, proves instead to be the tree of life and the source of undying hope.”

CHINESE BISHOP SHEN BIN TRANSFERRED TO SHANGHAI, HOLY SEE LEARNS OF MOVE FROM MEDIA

The prelate was transferred from the Diocese of Haimen. The director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, has said, “The Holy See was informed a few days ago of the Chinese authorities’ decision. For the moment there is nothing to say about the Holy See’s assessment.”

Vatican News

Bishop Shen Bin, until now Bishop of Haimen, was installed in the Diocese of Shanghai, China, this morning. “The Holy See had been informed a few days ago of the decision of the Chinese authorities” to transfer the Bishop and “learned from the media of the installation this morning”, the director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, reported in a communication to journalists. “For the moment, I have nothing to say about the Holy See’s assessment of the matter.”

I posted this on October 20, 2022: VATICAN TO RE-SIGN CONTROVERSIAL AGREEMENT WITH CHINA OCTOBER 22: Amid increased controversy as a trial against a prominent Chinese cardinal continues to move forward in Hong Kong, the Vatican and China will for the second time renew their provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops. Speaking to Crux, a high-ranking Vatican official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the renewal publicly, said “the agreement with China is scheduled to be renewed on (the) 22nd of October 2022, with no changes to the terms.” The official stressed that this was not an official statement, and that a formal announcement would be made “in due time” by the Holy See Press Office. Though the terms of the agreement have never been made public, the deal, brokered in September 2018, is believed to be modeled after the Holy See’s agreement with Vietnam, allowing the Holy See to pick bishops from a selection of candidates proposed by the government. Vatican-China deal to be renewed, with no changes to terms | Crux (cruxnow.com)

The original 2018 agreement, about which we know nothing, basically allows (we have been told in Vatican interviews) the communist government of China to name bishops for the Catholic Church and the Pope would be able to approve or not. No man can become a bishop without a papal mandate.

As you can see in the Shanghai case, the Chinese government went it alone.

No papal mandate.

What will the Vatican do?

INSIDE THE “PIZZA CHURCH” OF AMMAN, JORDAN – CHINA: BEIJING “SINICIZES” RELIGIONS

I have two stories for you today – good news and bad news – that I hope you find interesting.

The first story – as you can see by the title – is about a Catholic Church in Amman that, on the side, serves pizza! It’s a great story, especially because St. Joseph’s is one of a number of Catholic churches with thriving communities in Amman, the capital of a Muslim-majority country. I’d have to look back at my travel diary to confirm if this is where I attended Mass one Sunday in Amman (before the pizza arrived, however!).

I have a number of very good friends in Amman and am always on a learning curve about the country’s history and culture and cuisine when I am with them. We’ve shared some very wonderful times (and meals!), including a visit to the Baptism site in the Jordan River. My visit to Petra (this should be on every travel bucket list) was made by possible through these friends. The official name of the country, by the way, is The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

The second story from AsiaNews, the press agency of the Church’s Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, is the bad news story. As any of you know who’ve been with me even a short period of time, you know I follow events involving the Church in China. I’ve been to both mainland China and Taiwan. In 2018 when the Vatican signed a deal with the China’s communist government regulating the nomination of Catholic bishops, I was truly perplexed.

How many times have I posted stories about the persecution of Christians in China, the arrests and imprisonment of bishops and priests, the closing of churches, government laws that ban anyone 16 and under from going to church and if they are found to be present, that church will be closed. And on and on.

I was perplexed because I felt the Vatican had to know all this. And yet the powers to be felt comfortable signing an agreement (and renewing it in 2020 and 2022) with the communist government allowing them to have a word in crucial Church business, the naming of bishops!

When you read the China story, you will see why I called it the “bad news” story!

INSIDE THE “PIZZA CHURCH” OF AMMAN, JORDAN

It isn’t that often that a church greets its parishioners with smells of fresh basil and sizzling cheese. Yet inside a tree-lined courtyard in Amman, Jordan, that’s exactly what happens. Over the last six years, St. Joseph Parish, a Catholic church in the historic Jabal Amman neighborhood, has earned an entirely new moniker: the “pizza church.”

Passers-by and locals have flocked to St. Joseph’s since October 2017, when a spur of interest by international aid organizations helped the church convert an old kitchen in its basement into a pizzeria. That laid the groundwork for what is now known as Mar Yousef’s Pizza, an Italian restaurant whose guiding mission is to train Iraqi refugees in culinary arts.

St. Joseph’s parish was founded in Jabal Amman by German Christians who came to the city in 1959. But when Father Mario Cornioli, one of the leaders of St. Joseph’s, first came up with the idea of a restaurant in 2017, it was for an entirely different group of immigrants. The Islamic State was devastating large swaths of Iraq, and Iraqi Christians streamed into Jordan to seek refuge.

FOR MORE INFO AND PHOTOS: Inside the ‘Pizza Church’ of Amman – Gastro Obscura (atlasobscura.com)

CHINA: BEIJING “SINICIZES” RELIGIONS

Beijing (AsiaNews) – Outgoing Chinese Premier Li Keqiang last Friday opened the annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC).

In his address, Li made the key point that, “The basic policy of the [Chinese Communist] Party on religious activities has been implemented and the ‘sinicization’ of religions has been carried out gradually.” He added that it is necessary to “actively guide religions to adapt to socialist society”.

In Henan, the authorities have followed the order with great zeal. As the China Christian Daily reports, religious believers of every creed are now required to register in order to attend religious services in churches, mosques or Buddhist temples.

In Henan, believers must fill out a form available on the “Smart Religion” application, developed by the Provincial Commission for Ethnic and Religious Affairs, in which they must provide name, telephone number, identity card details, permanent residence, occupation and date of birth.

TO CONTINUE: CHINA ‘Two Sessions’: Beijing ‘sinicises’ religions (forcing their members to register for services) (asianews.it)

IN BRIEF

IN BRIEF

THE PERSECUTION OF CARDINAL ZEN: Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong is being tried by the Chinese Communist government for allegedly failing to register a non-profit that provided financial and legal support to protesters arrested during the 2019–20 Hong Kong demonstrations. Prosecutors made their case last week, and the trial will resume on October 26. The ninety-year-old Zen has become an international figure of resistance to the totalitarianism of the Chinese Communist Party, and a champion for democracy and religious freedom. This trial and a concurrent investigation are meant to silence him while the CCP negotiates with the Vatican over the second renewal of a secret 2018 agreement that gave the CCP control over the proposal of new bishops and legitimized seven regime-loyal bishops who had been ordained without Vatican approval. The Persecution of Cardinal Zen | Sean Nelson | First Things

VATICAN TO RE-SIGN CONTROVERSIAL AGREEMENT WITH CHINA OCTOBER 22: Amid increased controversy as a trial against a prominent Chinese cardinal continues to move forward in Hong Kong, the Vatican and China will for the second time renew their provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops. Speaking to Crux, a high-ranking Vatican official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the renewal publicly, said “the agreement with China is scheduled to be renewed on (the) 22nd of October 2022, with no changes to the terms.” The official stressed that this was not an official statement, and that a formal announcement would be made “in due time” by the Holy See Press Office. Though the terms of the agreement have never been made public, the deal, brokered in September 2018, is believed to be modeled after the Holy See’s agreement with Vietnam, allowing the Holy See to pick bishops from a selection of candidates proposed by the government. Vatican-China deal to be renewed, with no changes to terms | Crux (cruxnow.com)

PONTIFICAL ACADEMY FOR LIFE APPOINTS PRO-ABORTION ATHEIST MEMBER: Mariana Mazzucato joins a growing list of members who hold views antithetical to the Catholic Church. The Pontifical Academy for Life has appointed to its list of full members a highly influential atheist economist who supports legalized abortion and whose views on the economy have in part been praised by Pope Francis.  Mariana Mazzucato, who teaches the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London and is closely linked to the World Economic Forum, was appointed on Saturday by Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the academy, and Msgr. Renzo Pegoraro, its chancellor.  A married mother of four, Mazzucato is one of 14 new ordinary members appointed to the academy. Pontifical Academy for Life Appoints Pro-Abortion Atheist Member| National Catholic Register (ncregister.com)

VATICAN BASILICA TO SHOWCASE KOREAN PRIEST-MARTYR: A statue of Saint Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Korea’s first priest-martyr, will be installed in a niche outside Saint Peter’s Basilica commemorating the 200th birth year of the saint, said Korean Church officials. The preparation of the statue has been underway since Pope Francis accepted the proposal from Archbishop Lazzaro Heung-sik You of Daejeon, who is also the prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Clergy. “The production cost is borne jointly by the Korean diocese, and it is in progress. It is a great honor for our Korean church,” said Bishop Mathias Lee Yong-hoon, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea. Prominent Korean sculptor Han Jin-seop will lead the production of the statue in Carrara marble. The statue is estimated to weigh around 40 tonnes post-production, the Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation reported on Oct. 13. Vatican to install first statue of Korean saint Andrew Kim – UCA News

10,000 PRIESTS PARTICIPATE IN STUDY OF PRIESTHOOD: WASHINGTON (CNS) — A study of U.S. priests released Oct. 19 details clerics’ “crisis of trust” toward their bishops as well as fear that if they were falsely accused of abuse, prelates would immediately throw them “under the bus” and not help them clear their name. The study “Well-being, Trust and Policy in a Time of Crisis” by The Catholic Project, written by Brandon Vaidyanathan, Christopher Jacobi and Chelsea Rae Kelly, of The Catholic University of America, paints a portrait of a majority of priests who feel abandoned by the men they are supposed to trust at the helm of their dioceses. And while the study says priests overwhelmingly support measures to combat sex abuse and enhance child safety, the majority, 82%, also said they regularly fear being falsely accused. Were that to happen, they feel they would face a “de facto policy” of guilty until proven innocent.. Study of priests shows distrust of bishops, fear of false abuse accusations. Published Oct. 19 2022. Nation. (thebostonpilot.com)

VATICAN NEWS TO FEATURE REPORTS FROM MEDIA STUDENTS IN PHILIPPINES AND INDIA. Vatican News, together with the Dicastery for Culture and Education’s Gravissimum Educationis Foundation, will feature special reports prepared by media students at Catholic universities in the Philippines and India. The project aims to allow students to share inspirational stories on their faith, the Church, and communion with the universal Church globally, while providing local news under the banner: “Good Makes Headlines!” The Dicastery for Communication and the Gravissimum Educationis Foundation, under the auspices of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, have joined together for an educational project giving a voice to Catholic university students specializing in media and communication. Vatican News to feature reports from media students in Philippines and India – Vatican News

THE GOOD NEWS…. – AND THEN THERE’S THIS…

Today was mostly a workday (maybe you heard Teresa Tomeo and I chatting on our weekly time together on “Catholic Connection”), but I did spent time before lunch strolling around some of my favorite Sorrento spots. And now, in several slideshows, I’d like to share some photos of what this beautiful town has to offer – her churches, stores, fashions, etc. The two churches I feature are San Francesco that I visited Monday night and San Antonino Abate (abbot) where I was overjoyed to attend Mass and receive communion yesterday.

Churches I love –

A few sights –

Shop till you drop –

And if you want limoncello….

THE GOOD NEWS….

(ANSA) – The Teatro alla Scala Chorus and Orchestra will start its autumn season on September 4 at Milan’s Duomo with a performance of Verdi’s Requiem conducted by Riccardo Chailly. La Scala will then take Verdi’s Requiem to Bergamo and Brescia, the Italian provinces hit hardest by the coronavirus emergency, on September 7 and 9 respectively. The famous opera house will reopen its doors on September 12 with Beethoven’s ninth symphony.

(ANSA) – Florence’s Uffizi gallery is organizing a major show in Forlì next year to mark the 700th anniversary of Dante’s death, director Heike Schmidt said (in early July). “A great show will be dedicated to the Supreme Poet in a strongly symbolic place, because it was in those lands that the author of the Divine Comedy spent several years of his exile,” Schmidt said. For this extraordinary initiative the Uffizi gallery will make available, in addition to art historians, some of the works most closely linked to Dante and his time. There will also be loans from all over the world,” Schmidt said.

AND THEN THERE’S THIS…

STATE OF EMERGENCY UNTIL OCT 5 – The Italian government has announced that the state of emergency in which we are living because of the coronavirus will last until October 5. That does not mean that Italy returns to the draconian measures of total lockdown, businesses closing, etc. In fact, they are looking forward to re-opening schools here in September. What the state of emergency does, according to ANSA, is “it gives special powers to governors and other public bodies, making it possible, for example, to create ‘red zones’ sealing off areas where an coronavirus outbreak has occurred.

“It also makes it possible for the government to stop flights to and from countries with a high incidence of contagion. As a result, people who are from, or who have passed through, 16 ‘at-risk’ States are not allowed into Italy at the moment. (including US) (Today: New covid cases in Italy 181: deaths 11)

NFL RESTRICTIONS ON PLAYER CHURCH ATTENDANCE – I am a huge football fan so, like millions of Americans, I’ll be anxious to see if and how games are played this year, both at the university level and professional football. I know a number of Catholic coaches and players so the following story from The Federalist really interested me:

“NFL – A deal reached by the National Football League and the NFL Players Association bans players from attending any indoor church services that are above 25 percent capacity, multiple sources told NBC Sports on Saturday. Alongside its restrictions on attending worship services, the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) also prohibits players from attending indoor nightclubs and bars (except for take-out), indoor concerts, professional sports games, and indoor parties that include 15 or more people. The deal has not been publicly released, but NBC Sports made no mention of any restrictions on attending protests. Meanwhile, the NFL’s Twitter account has been sharing and celebrating pictures of players engaging in protests around the country. https://thefederalist.com/2020/07/28/the-nfl-just-declared-war-on-church/

CHINESE HACKERS ATTACK VATICAN, HONG KONG – (Asianews) – PIME victim of Chinese hackers, along with the Vatican and the Study Mission in Hong Kong. A private US company, Recorded Future, detected the espionage operation against the mail servers of the Vatican Secretariat of State, the Diocese of Hong Kong, and the Holy See’s Study Mission in Hong Kong, which acts as a quasi-nunciature. PIME’s mail server did not work for weeks. The AsiaNews website has been attacked but not disabled. The hacking is the work of RedDelta, an entity linked to the Chinese government. Recorded Future appears to have no links to the Trump administration. Espionage and hackers are an international problem to live with. http://www.asianews.it/news-en/PIME-victim-of-Chinese-hackers,-along-with-the-Vatican-and-the-Study-Mission-in-Hong-Kong-50681.html

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: PELICANS, A BANK AND CHINESE GLOVES

ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: PELICANS, A BANK AND CHINESE GLOVES

I had some errands to run today in Vatican City and it turned out to be an interesting experience.

I took the following photos as I crossed St. Peter’s Square:

So where is everybody?

Actually, the line to visit St. Peter’s is not bad – masks, social distancing…

 

Are we having fun yet?

My first stop was the bank. I discovered that now we all have to make an appointment for most transactions and I was given a piece of paper with an email address. I wrote the bank and was sent some forms to fill out and return to them by taking photos of the forms with my cell phone and attaching those to the email. There is, of course, an ATM machine (called bancomat here) so money can be withdrawn without all the above rigamarole. However, if you need any other service, there is now this procedure to go through!   What I needed to do would have personally taken maybe 6 minutes inside the bank! Fallout from Covid19, I imagine.

My next stop was the Vatican pharmacy. I chose to run my errands at what would normally be the Italian lunch hour because, over these last months, I have discovered those were the hours of almost no lines at supermarkets, etc, because Italians were at home having lunch!

The Vatican pharmacy has actually been under remodel for quite some time but a temporary pharmacy has been set up outside the medical building. In just minutes I was inside and got what I needed, including (finally) a box of 100 pairs of vinyl gloves….made in China!

You might recall reading the news in April that Chinese Bishops, Catholic faithful, the Hebei Jinde foundation, among others donated medical supplies, including masks gloves and ventilators, to the Vatican. The gesture was a thank-you for the 600,00 marks sent by the Pope in March as a gift from the Holy See and the Chinese Christian communities in Italy.

So it seems I am one of the recipients of the gloves arriving from Chinese bishops and faithful! Thank you! 谢谢  Xiexie (pronounced shay shay)

The saddest part of my time in and around Vatican City was trying to find an open restaurant or coffee bar to have a bite to eat. Streets normally filled with tourists were deserted – bars closed, restaurants dark. Finally, after a few blocks walk, I saw one coffee bar and, a few blocks from that at Pza. Risorgimento, a small restaurant open with tables outdoors.

ROME FAMILY MEETING AND LISBON WYD MOVED BACK A YEAR – BISHOPS TO ENTRUST ITALY TO PROTECTION OF MARY – “LA CIVILTÀ CATTOLICA” JOURNAL LAUNCHES NEW EDITION IN SIMPLIFIED CHINESE

ROME FAMILY MEETING AND LISBON WYD MOVED BACK A YEAR

I don’t know what to say about the following press office statement except Wow, what does this mean? I am guessing they are looking at the organizational aspects of the family meeting and World Youth Day but I presume that things have been in the early planning stages in both Rome and Lisbon for a while now. I also presume they are waiting for flights to resume and hotels to open but with this, we are looking at two and three years down the road!

Statement by Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni: “Due to the current health situation and its consequences on moving and the gatherings of young people and families, the Holy Father, together with the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life has decided to postpone the 20210 World Meeting of Families in Rome for a year to June 2022 and the next World Youth Day, scheduled for Lisbon in August 2022 to be moved to August 2023.”

BISHOPS TO ENTRUST ITALY TO PROTECTION OF MARY

Welcoming the proposal and the request by many faithful, the Italian Episcopal Conference will entrust the entire country to the protection of the Mother of God as a “sign of salvation and hope” on Friday, May 1 at 9 pm, with a moment of prayer in the basilica of Santa Maria del Fonte near Caravaggio. (source ACI stampa)

May 1 is the feast of St. Joseph the Worker and a big holiday in Italy.

Santa Maria del Fonte is in the province of Bergamo, one of the hardest hit regions in Italy for Covid-19. (https://www.visitbergamo.net/en/object-details/34-santuario-santa-maria-del-fonte-di-carav/

“LA CIVILTÀ CATTOLICA” JOURNAL LAUNCHES NEW EDITION IN SIMPLIFIED CHINESE

The prestigious Jesuit journal, “La Civiltà Cattolica”, has launched a new edition in simplified Chinese on the occasion of its 170th anniversary this year.

By Vatican News

Founded in 1850 by Italian Jesuits, La Civiltà Cattolica is one of the oldest periodicals in the world.  On the occasion of its 170th anniversary, its new simplified Chinese edition is also being offered as a gesture of friendship, given the increasingly important role that the Chinese language plays in the contemporary world within the global context.

Parolin – fruit of a friendly encounter

In a letter to Fr. Anthony Spadaro SJ, the Director of the Jesuit periodical, Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, praised the initiative, which intends to “write a new chapter – fruit of the friendly encounter with the rich tradition of the Chinese people.”  He said this corresponds with the “particular vocation” of the review which is “to build bridges and to establish a dialogue with all people.”

“Therefore, I can only express from the depths of my heart my warmest best wishes and the fervent hope that your review in the Chinese language might become a solid instrument of mutual cultural and scientific enrichment,” the cardinal wrote.

The Italian journal,  begun before the unification of Italy, has always enjoyed a very intimate and special relationship with the Holy See and Roman Pontiffs, promoting the dialogue between the Christian faith and contemporary culture with patience and respect.

Matteo Ricci
It was precisely Pope Francis who gave La Civiltà Cattolica the model of Father Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) or Li Madou, as he was known in China. The Jesuit, who moved from Macerata in Italy’s Marche Region to China at the age of 30, drafted a huge map of the world in 1602, which served to create a wider understanding of the world and to connect the Chinese people with other civilizations.

In a divided world such as our own, said the journal in a press release, it is an ideal image of the harmony of a land at peace. Thus, our review desires to be in its own way a map of the world, connecting cultures and civilizations.
Cultural friendship

In 1601, Matteo Ricci also composed a treatise on friendship, which offered an opportunity for the Mandarin Chinese and the “literati” of the Ming Dynasty, to know the thinking of the great philosophers of the West.  For the Jesuits and for the great scholars within Western culture, the treatise also offered the foundation for dialogue with the great intellectuals of China.

According to the Rome-based Jesuit periodical, European cultures have learned much from the great Chinese culture and from the wisdom of the Chinese, thanks to the study and the passion of the Jesuits. This is the reason why the Jesuit journal decided to start a Chinese edition.

The Chinese edition contributes to making La Civiltà Cattolica more and truly international, said the press release. For some years now, its writers are all Jesuits from different countries and continents, who offer unique and original contributions.

Since 2017, the review has been published in five different languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish, and Korean; and now a Chinese edition.

The fortnightly review has always aimed to provide deeper assessments of topics and events of broad significance.

All the writers are Jesuits and the articles are reviewed and approved by an official of the Vatican’s Secretariat of State before publication.

In his message to the journal, Pope Francis expressed hope that in its pages, “the voices of many different frontiers might be heard.”  He defined the journal as “unique in its genre.”

The website address of the Chinese edition: https://www.gjwm.org. Also available as redirect are:  http://www.gongjiaowenming.org and http://cn.laciviltacattolica.org The website is sub-divided in four sections: News (新闻);  World (观世界); Christian Reflection (基督教文化研究); and Culture (文化及评论).

Linked to the website is the WeChat account of the review whose identification code is gjwm1850.