The Church in pectore: The of the in Communist guaranteed freedom of religion and the right to practice religion to all Chinese citizens. Such was the official declaration, but just as in other Communist countries, it remained a dead letter. Soon after the CPC declaration, the Party’s chairman, Mao Tse Tung, made it abundantly clear that one of the priorities of the Communist authorities would be to “free” China from all forms of foreign domination, not only political and economic, but spiritual as well. To the last of these categories belonged the Christian religion, and particularly Catholicism, which the Chinese Communists branded as a “western religion” (i.e. foreign to Chinese culture) and a form of “spiritual colonialism.” What the Chinese Communists really sought was the total subjugation of the society to their totalitarian ideology, which tolerated “competition” from no quarter – spiritual and moral domains not excepted. The missionary work of the Church in China had its own long tradition. The Franciscans began proclaiming the The program of the Communist Party of China (CPC) guaranteed freedom of religion and the right to practice Gospel to the “Inner Realm” as early as religion to all Chinese citizens the 13 th Century. In the 17 th Century, the Society of Jesus launched its own dynamic Mao Tse Tung, patron of the controlled by foreign Communist agents. missionary activity. The spreading of “1968 Generation” Perhaps this is why we are no longer so the faith gained fresh momentum in the surprised that these same people who mid-19 th Century, when China began The year is 1968. Mass student clamored for “More freedom!” should opening up to the world at large. (True, protests against a “system of coercion and have chosen as one of their idols the this opening up was to a large extent deceit” (i.e. western democracy). In Paris architect of one of the world’s bloodiest forced upon it by the western powers the youth take to the streets. Riots and totalitarian (Communist) regimes. As one – principally , which sought demonstrations become daily occurrences who brought about the deaths of tens of to draw China into the orbit of its colonial on university campuses throughout millions of his own countrymen, Mao politics.) This period saw an increase in the United States. Next to portraits of Tse Tung can only be compared with activity not only by Catholic missions but Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara the his counterparts in Russia (Stalin) and also by other Christian, mainly Protestant, demonstrators carry portraits of China’s (Hitler). denominations. Communist leader, Mao Tse Tung. In In its relations with the Catholic their upraised hands they clasp copies of Church, the Chinese Communist Rapid expansion and Mao’s revolutionary program known as government followed models all too revolution the “Little Red Book.” familiar to observers of other so-called We know now that many of these mass “people’s democracies.” In 1949, after In China it is numbers that speak protests by a spoiled and pampered youth a bloody civil war, the Communists most eloquently. In 1900 there were (whose “revolutionary” fervor finally announced the rise of the Chinese just over 740,000 Catholics in China. burned itself out in the so-called sexual People’s Republic. (This is still the By 1912 there were already twice that revolution, i.e. in practicing the principle country’s official name.) Ratified in many (over 1,431,000). In 1926 that of “doing what you want with who September of the same year, the program number reached 2,394,962. By 1948, you want”) were discreetly backed and of the Communist Party of China (CPC) a year before the Communist takeover,

24 • No. 4 the number of “reformer ” dropped from around 500 to under 100.

Patriotism vs. the Universal Church

The response of the Communist authorities was two-pronged. On the one hand, they increased their repressive measures against the Church loyal to Rome. In 1956, 70 priests and almost 3000 lay Catholics were imprisoned. These repressive measures decimated the church hierarchy. Only 2 and 14 priests remained inside China. At the same time, plans went ahead for the creation of a “patriotic Chinese Church free of imperialist influences” This meant a Church that was totally docile to the Communist authorities and severed from LOA photo archives LOA Mao’s portrait at Tianamen Square the Roman Pontiff (union with Rome being of course the necessary condition of China had 4 Catholic universities, 3768 right to make personal appointments) remaining in the Catholic communion). Catholic primary schools, 101 Church- and break all ties with “western centers The decision was taken in 1956. On 15 run secondary schools, over 200 hospitals of ” (read: the Apostolic See). April 1957, the Congress of the National run by religious orders, and 29 printing They left the Church authorities under no Catholic Church began its deliberations houses publishing Catholic materials. illusion: “Either the Catholic Church in under the watchful eye of the Communist The noticed and attached China institutes these reforms, or we will Party. 241 delegates took part in it, due importance to this rapid expansion. In destroy it.” including 11 frightened bishops and 70 1926, in the Basilica of St. Peter, Pius Since the pastors of the Chinese priests. These numbers show, however, XI personally consecrated China’s first Church would not hear of these that a decided majority of Chinese six native bishops. Twenty years later, his “reforms,” the Communist authorities set Catholics remained loyal to the Pope and successor, Pius XII, would institute a full about the task of realizing their goal. On the bishops in union with him. ecclesial hierarchy for the whole of China. 13 December 1950, they created the first August 1957 saw the creation of the By the terms of his Apostolic Constitution “reform group” within the Church. St. state-controlled “Patriotic Union of the of April 11, 1946 (Quotidie Nos), the Michael’s Church in Beijing was taken Holy Father established 104 Chinese away from the Catholic faithful, renamed dioceses along with 20 metropolitans and the “Reform Committee Bureau,” and 79 diocesan bishops. placed at the group’s disposal. The

Yet only a short while after this, in interior décor of this profaned sanctuary photo archives LOA 1949, the Church in China would enter left no one in doubt as to the intentions into a period of great trials. By the end of of these state-backed “reformers.” The 1951, after denouncing Christianity as “a red flags, the banners bearing slogans tool of western imperialism,” the Chinese like “Long live !” “A United Communist authorities had expelled 1136 Christianity Free of Imperialism, Long Catholic missionaries and 14 bishops. Live Mao!” and the red star mounted next Twenty-six bishops were stripped of their to the cross were enough to persuade the freedom; two of them were thrown into faithful that the “reformers” had nothing prison. in common with Catholicism. They were In their bid to destroy the Church, the confirmed in this conviction by calls from Chinese authorities, like the Communists the pulpit to strike the Pope’s name from of the “people’s democracies” in Europe, the prayers of the canon of the Mass, tried to break her up both from the inside because Catholics “cannot abide making and through external repression. Their petitions to the Pope” (sic!). tool for this purpose were the so-called The vast majority of the faithful saw “patriot priests.” First, the State demanded through these state-backed appeals for that the Chinese Church institute certain “internal renewal” in the Chinese Church. “democratic reforms” (i.e. deprive the After 14 months of intense reformist bishops and the Pope of control over the activity, the number of new adherents formation of their members and their did not exceed 2000. By the same token,

No. 4 • 25 Catholic Church.” “Democratic elections were publicly defiled, copies of the Holy In January of 1996, Catholic Guo and the consecration of bishops” – in open Scriptures were burned. Even “patriotic” Bo Le of Shanghai, was arrested and disobedience to the Holy See – took place bishops and priests were thrown into condemned to 2 years of “education at the behest of the authorities. In March prison. People found wearing crosses through work” (i.e. 2 years of hard labor of 1958 two bishops brought forward for under their clothing were tortured. in the Chinese Gulag). His crimes were this purpose were consecrated. that he had celebrated Holy Mass on a Clearly, the Holy Father could not boat for 250 fishermen, administered the put up with such and other similar acts Sacrament of the Sick, and called for of usurpation. In his encyclical Ad the boycott of the “patriotic Church.” Apostolorum Principis of June 29, 1958, Because of his faith and ministry, the 58- Pope Pius XII condemned the attempt year-old priest had already spent 30 years by Chinese Communists to destroy the of his life in Communist prisons. Church in China. He excommunicated the Until 1999, the only patches of perpetrators, including those priests and Chinese soil where Catholics could freely members of the faithful who joined the practice their religion were Taiwan (since “Patriotic Union of the Catholic Church.” 1949 ruled by the Kuomintang anti- This so-called “patriotic Church” Communist Party), Hong Kong (a former enjoyed the full support of the Chinese British colony), and Makao (a Portuguese authorities. All the Catholic churches colony). In 1997, Communist China took were handed over to the “patriots,” as control of Hong Kong. Two years later, it was all church property that had not yet took control over Makao. Currently, then, been plundered by the authorities. In Taiwan remains the only place in China the meantime, running the risk of the where the Catholic Church can operate most severe repression, the real Catholic photo archives LOA openly and without constraint. To this Church, the one loyal to the Holy See, The Church of the Catacombs day, the Chinese authorities see the Pope went underground. This was the state of as an “imperialist lackey,” and the Church affairs in the late 1950s, and so it remains As already mentioned, the persecution loyal to him continues to operate in the to this day. of the Catholic Church in China continues catacombs. Anti-Catholic repression (in fact not to this day. The Communist authorities just anti-Catholic, for Chinese Protestant still regard loyalty to the Pope and The Church in pectore communities also have their “patriotic” remaining in union with the Universal counterparts) has never abated in Church as proof of “subjection…to Every time the Pope appoints Communist China. The “patriotic Church” foreign influences.” According to the cardinals and makes public the names became the mouthpiece of Communist new constitution of the Chinese People’s of these new princes of the Church, he propaganda aimed at persecuting the Republic of 1982, “religious organizations holds back one or more names. These Universal Church. In 1963, China’s and religious affairs may not be subject to are known only to the Holy Father “in “patriots” were ordered to call the Pope foreign control.” pectore” (i.e. in his heart). They belong a “devil worshipper.” They characterized This constitutional norm provides to churchmen who come from countries him as “a former friend of Hitlerite the justification for ongoing persecution where religious persecution continues and Fascism and now a tool of American of Catholics in China. Even now, after where revealing their names might bring imperialist aggression.” “Patriotic” the fall of the Berlin Wall and the “Iron on more repression. We may suppose, pulpits became the channel through Curtain,” Chinese Catholics continue to then, that, as in the last appointment of which the Communist bosses appealed be persecuted, as, for example, in the cardinals which took place in October of to the Chinese people to free themselves case of the faithful in Hebei province 2003, these include at least one cardinal from “Vatican control, the dangers of its (Baoding diocese). In May of 1996 they in pectore from China. Such appointments inherent imperialism, and [the Vatican’s] were forbidden to make a pilgrimage to a remind us of the entire Church in pectore , conspiracy to enslave people throughout Marian shrine in the village of Donglu. in the heart of the Pope, a Church that the world.” Nor is it just the lay faithful who should also remain in the mind and heart During the (1966- suffer repression. In 1996, two bishops of every one of us. 76), which Mao Tse Tung unleashed loyal to Rome were arrested: 76-year- largely with a view to eliminating old Zeng Jingmu of Yu Jiang, Grzegorz Kucharczyk opposition within the Communist Party, whose faith had already cost him almost Christian churches along with numerous 20 years in Communist prisons; and 64- Sources: W. Bar OFMConv, Na krwawym szlaku, Buddhist and Tao temples and other year-old Su Zhimin, auxiliary bishop of Sendero Luminoso – przesladowca, Lublin 1999, pp. “relics of the old culture” fell under the Baoding, who had likewise endured 15 145-163; G. Fiorentini, “The Heroism of the Chinese ban of the puritanical revolutionaries. years of imprisonment for his loyalty to Church” in L’Osservatore Romano 17 (1996), issue no. The “Red Guard” (fighting squads of the successor of Saint Peter. 10 (Polish ed.); N. Shea, In the Lion’s Den: A Shocking communized youth) even destroyed Holy Mass celebrated by any other Account of Persecution and Martyrdom of Christians churches that the authorities had handed than a “patriotic” priest is considered Today, Nashvillie 1997, pp. 57-67. over to the “patriotic Church.” Crucifixes illegal in the eyes of the Communists.

26 • No. 4