4 minutes ago
The United States Congress[house of Reps] implicitly at least reflects my plea for Hague arbitration
H. Res. 804
In the House of Representatives, U. S.,
June 12, 2006.
Whereas the Catholic Patriotic Association of China is a government-sanctioned organization that does not represent the majority of Chinese Catholics, and has been used by the Government of the People’s Republic of China to oppress Catholics who choose to remain loyal to the Pope as their spiritual leader;
Whereas on April 30, 2006, the Chinese Government-sanctioned Catholic Patriotic Association of China conducted an unauthorized episcopal ordination of the priest Joseph Ma Yinglin, elevating him to the office of bishop without the approval and against the wishes of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI; etc etc etc
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the actions of the Government of the People’s Republic of China to coerce Catholic bishops in China, both those in the Catholic Patriotic Association of China and those who remain loyal to the Pope, to violate their consciences and consecrate bishops in defiance of Rome;
(2) extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to the Catholic population of China and the Catholic Church for this insult to their beliefs and religious practices;
(3) reaffirms the right of all religious organizations to choose their leaders in a manner that is free of intimidation, terror, or coercion in accordance with Article 18 of the Uniform Declaration of Human Rights;
(4) urges the Government of China to end its repression of religious organizations, recognize the ecclesiastical authority of religious leaders to provide spiritual leadership to their followers, and end the practice of only allowing religious worship through state-sanctioned patriotic religious associations; and
(5) encourages the Government of China to refrain from additional ordination of Catholic bishops while the Vatican and the Catholic Patriotic Association of China resolve their differences and adopt a mutually acceptable process for approving the elevation of bishops.
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Father John George
Father John George
1 hour ago
Roman Catholics recorded to have entered China in the 13th century long before Mao Tse-tung (1893-1976).
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Father John George
Father John George
1 hour ago
Despite China Constitution ensuring religious freedom
China turned Communist in 1949. Almost immediately, the new Communist government started putting pressure on the Roman Catholic Church. In 1951, the papal nuncio, Archbishop Riberi, was expelled from China.
The Chinese government formed the Three Autonomies Movement to organize the clergy to abandon the Holy See under the excuse of patriotism and nationalism.
By 1953, many Chinese and foreign bishops and priests and laypersons were arrested. Many died in jail. Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical Ad Sinarum Gentem on October 7, 1954, warned the Chinese pastors that "the Three Autonomies" seeks "to establish finally among you a national church which no longer could be Catholic . . ."
In 1955, a mass arrest took place in the Shanghai diocese by the Chinese government. In one night on September 8, 1955, more than 200 clergy and faithful, including Bishop Ignatius Kung, the Bishop of Shanghai, who refused to support "the Three Autonomies" movements to be independent of the Holy See, were arrested. Bishop Kung's fidelity and resistance was an inspiration for the bishops and thousands of Catholics throughout China.
The unyielding fidelity of these pastors and the blood of the martyrs encouraged the entire Catholic community in China.
Failing to eradicate the Catholic Church, the Chinese government created in 1957 its own Church, called the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA)
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Father John George
Father John George
2 hours ago
Forget holiday rendez vous will Hague obtain justice re fellow clergy and people??:
Bishop GAO Kexian 高可賢, Yantai 煙台, Shandong 山東
Arrested in October, 1999. Died in jail January 24, 2005. Cause of death unknown.
Bishop HAN Dingxiang 韓鼎祥, Yong Nian 永年, Hebei 河北
Arrested on or about December 1, 1999. Died in jail September 9, 2007 at the age of 71. Cause of death unknown.
Bishops In Prison
Bishop SHI Enxiang 師恩祥, Yixian 易縣, Hebei 河北
Arrested April 13, 2001. His whereabouts are unknown.
Bishop SU Zhimin 蘇志民, Baoding 保定, Hebei 河北
Re-arrested October 8, 1997 after 17 months in hiding. He has disappeared. His whereabouts are unknown.
Note: Notwithstanding the above lists, almost all underground bishops are either in jail, under house arrest, hiding with or without arrest warrants, in labor-camps, or under severe surveillance.
Religious In Prison
In view of frequent turnovers of those religious and faithful who are being jailed, the Foundation has difficulty in obtaining timely information about their detention and release; consequently, the Foundation is unable to compile an updated and reliable list of prisoners of religious conscience in China.
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