This week, there are really important meetings going on in Vatican City. Yesterday, representatives from various dicasteries (administrative offices within the governance of the Church) along with some bishops and members of the religious communities of priests who are presently serving in China began their deliberations.
The impetus for this gathering was the Holy Father's message to Catholics in China, published last May.
For some time now, the Church has had a special interest in demonstrating the special care with which we care for the Catholics of China who have been all but lost in the overwhelming majority of non-Christian religions which are present there. In addition, practice of the Roman Catholic faith has happened thanks to the devotion of very few, despite the fact that many freedoms which are taken for granted in other parts of the world are absolutely denied.
This meeting in Rome demonstrates the continued interest in putting the words of His Holiness into practice. The process begins with examining the situation as it now is in that land, and then considering the implementation of the hopes and dreams voiced in the Pope's letter.
The press release issued by the Vatican Press Office yesterday says that 'This first meeting will examine the reactions to the Letter which the Holy Father sent to Chinese Catholics on 27 May 2007. The rich contents of the pontifical document will be analysed in-depth and, in the light thereof, the principal aspects of the life of the Church in China will be considered'.
China has one of the oldest recorded histories. It is also one of the few places where the message of Christ and his gospel has encountered the most obstacles, but the strange thing about the Catholic Church is that it seems to thrive in places where questions of faith are denied or repressed. Stay tuned for further developments ...
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