HONG KONG (SE): “At present, the Chinese Church does need solid formation to achieve unity, courage, wisdom, and mutual respect to face varied problems,” John Cardinal Tong Hon said during a Mass on May 24 to mark the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China, on the feast day of Mary, Help of Christians.
Organised by the Holy Spirit Study Centre, the Mass was concelebrated by eight other priests, including vicar general, Father Peter Choy Wai-man; Father Bruno Lepeu; and Father Issac Noh; at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Caine Road.
In his homily, Cardinal Tong recalled that the Holy See and Beijing signed a provisional agreement on the appointment of bishops on 22 September 2018, which was renewed in 2020 for a further two years and remains in force until October this year.
The cardinal also mentioned the care of Pope Francis who has repeatedly expressed his love for all Catholics in China, and spoke of those who remain faithful, full of hope and love for one another despite daily toil and trials.
He said that China and the Holy See need to develop mutual trust, while communities in the Church in China also need to be united.
In his letter to the Church in China written in 2007, Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI emphasised that the Church in China is one Church, but that external factors have divided her into groups, and that there is a need for unity and solidarity. Today, the Church in China is undergoing a transformation toward reconciliation, trust, and unity
Cardinal Tong encouraged people to learn from the early Church’s unity, work hard for harmony and pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary when they are in doubt and pain. He reminded those present that it is the wish of both Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis for the Church in China to be united.
“In his letter to the Church in China written in 2007, Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI emphasised that the Church in China is one Church, but that external factors have divided her into groups, and that there is a need for unity and solidarity. Today, the Church in China is undergoing a transformation toward reconciliation, trust, and unity.”
He continued, “After the signing of the Provisional Agreement between Holy See and China in September 2018, Pope Francis wrote to the Chinese and the universal Church that, at the pastoral level, the Church in China is called to be one in order to overcome the ‘many sufferings’ caused by past divisions. And therefore, all the faithful should now move on to reconciliation and communion,” adding that the localisation of faith can help achieve unity.
After the homily, the congregation prayed for world peace, the universal Church, the brothers and sisters in the Church in China, and continued dialogue between the Holy See and China and for Hong Kong.
We tend to see things too closely, but we need to look at them through the eyes of faith. God has his plans, so we have to be patient
Joseph Cardinal Zen Ze-kiun celebrated another Mass at Holy Cross Church, Shau Kei Wan, on the same day to pray for the Church in China, organised by the Justice and Peace Commission.
During the Mass, Cardinal Zen thanked Pope Benedict for proclaiming May 24, as the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China in 2007, so that people could gather to pray for the country every year.
Quoting the emeritus pope’s letter to the Church in China, the cardinal reminded people that the day is to pray for the unity of the Church in China, built up with our faith in Jesus and our loyalty to the pope.
The letter also reminded people to remember the commandment of love and to pray for those who prosecute the Church, as God’s wish is to save everyone and encourage people in trials to trust God and remain joyful.
“We tend to see things too closely, but we need to look at them through the eyes of faith. God has his plans, so we have to be patient,” the cardinal said. He added that “Martyrdom is a natural thing in the Church, as both St. Peter and St. Paul were martyrs. We may not need to be martyrs, but we probably need to suffer trials and hardships for loyalty to our faith.”
Cardinal Zen reminded the faithful that Easter is a time to be filled with joy and hope and that Our Lady’s intercession has resulted many miracles in history. “Our Lady can still work miracles in everyone’s heart, which are the miracles of love and faith,” he said, concluding that darkness is the time to wait with hope to strengthen our faith.
