News in Brief
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News in Brief CHINA Tieshan, who in his answer to the parts of the Pope's speech in Manila directed Pope John Paul's Message to Chinese towards China accused the Vatican of giv Christians ing support to Chinese Catholics who do During his visit to the Philippines in not belong to the "Patriotic Association". February 1981, the Pope made his first The article states that no Chinese religious open invitation for rapprochement with the organization has the right to accept finan Catholic Church in China. (The official cial help from other religious organizations "Patriotic" Catholic Church in China does abroad. Religious organizations in China not recognize the authority of the Vatican; must be "patriotic and free". Believers meanwhile many Chinese Catholics re· have the same duty as atheists to "love main loyal to Rome (see RCL Vo!. 8, No. 4, their country and socialism and support pp. 268-73).) The Vatican believes that the aims of the Communist Party". (AKSA, there are between 500,000 and two million 20 March 1981) baptized Catholics in China, and 580 priests. "I am convinced", said the Pope, Mgr Dominic Tang "that every Catholic within your frontiers During the tour of Pope John Paul to the will fully contribute to the building up of Far East in early 1981, Cardinal Casaroli, China, since a genuine and faithful Chris the Vatican Secretary of State, paid a visit tian is also a genuine and good citizen ...". to Hong Kong to meet and convey the He said that the Church does not seek any Papal blessing to Bishop Dominic Tang, privileges in China, "but only that all those 73-year-old apostolic administrator of the who f()lIow Christ may be able to express Archbishopric of Canton. Mgr Tang was their faith freely and publicly and live ac imprisoned in 1958 by the Chinese cording to their consciences. It is my authorities for opposing the establishment sincere and heartfelt hope", he continued, of a Catholic Church independent of the "that someday soon we shall be able to join Vatican. He was released in June 1981 and together praising the Lord and saying went to Hong Kong for medical treatment. 'behold how good and pleasant it is to dwell Mgr Tang was the only Catholic prelate in in unity as brothers.''' (International China to be recognized as such by both the Herald Tribune, 19 February 1981) Chinese authorities and the Vatican. On 30 April 1981, Mgr Tang arrived unex Chinese Christians Warned Against \ pectedly in Rome and was received shortly Seeking Help from Abroad afterwards by the Pope, who appointed The Chinese paper Red Flag reports that him Archbishop of Canton. The Chinese the Peking government is asking all government, describing this move as "rude religious organizations in China not to use and intolerable interference in China's af the law guaranteeing religious freedom to fairs", retaliated by removing Mgr Tang obtain financial or moral assistance from from his post as apostolic administrator of abroad. This government directive is con Canton. (Glas Koncila, No. 6, 22 March nected with the attitude of the "Patriotic" 1981; AKSA, 6 March 1981; 15 May 1981; (Catholic) bishop of Peking, Michael Fu The Daily Telegraph, 25 June 1981) 150 News in Brief Chinese Protestants at Hong Kong 124,21 May 1981) Christian Conference As contacts between official Chinese Church leaders and Christians outside CZECHOSLOVAKIA China have been almost entirely non existent since 1949, the fact that eight New Czech Catholic "Samizdat" Protestant leaders from the People's Periodicals Republic of China attended a consultation in Hong Kong from 23 to 26 March 1981 Since January 1980 two Czech Catholic represents a landmark. samizdat periodicals-the quarterly Significant as the participation of these TeologickCtexty (Theological Texts) and the Chinese leaders in the conference is, it is monthly Informace 0 Czrkvi (Church Infor only one of many events in China in recent mation)-have been appearing regularly in months which have eased the position of duplicated form. They were later joined by Protestant Christians. Dozens of church a third journal, VzkT:~en{ (Resurrection), buildings have been opened or reopened, aimed primarily at a younger audience. All bringing the total in current operation to at three journals have a high professional least one hundred. The Nanking Union standard of editing and constitute a serious Seminary has resumed theological educa attempt on the part of the Catholic com tion with the admission of 48 students to munity to break the state monopoly over its first class, and it has also initiated cor the Catholic press. It is highly significant respondence courses for pastors in Chris that the journals are being duplicated tian Doctrine. The Bible has been (unlike most of the Czech samizdat which reprinted, and the Christian periodical is only typewritten). In the first place it will Tian Feng is appearing once more. mean that the journals will reach a wider Despite the obvious improvement these number of believers and strengthen their developments represent for Christians in determination to resist state pressure. China, the Chinese Protestant leaders at Secondly, it is a hopeful sign because it im the Hong Kong conference discouraged plies that the Czech Catholics have already contacts with Christians abroad. They overcome the adherence to "legalism" of stressed the danger that their Church the human rights activists: their scruples might acquire a "foreign" image, as a prevented them from seeking "illegal" Church dominated by Western leaders and methods of work (such as obtaining a manipulated by western funds, a Church duplicator), while it never prevented the whose doctrine and forms of worship are police from seizing the legal home-made expressed in terms of Western culture. books and periodicals whenever they Another statement discouraging con could. tacts between Chinese Christians and believers from abroad comes from the well Slovak Bishop fan Korec Protests to the kndwn Chinese Protestant spokesman, Federal Assembly Bishop K. H. Ting. In his Call for Clari On 4 April 1980 the much harassed Bishop ty-a series of fourteen points addressed to Jan Korec SJ was interrogated again by the Christians abroad, which may well be police in Bratislava. It was the sixteenth regarded as authoritative-he states that such occurrence since 1974 when he lost contacts are desired only with "church his state licence to work as priest. After groups and individuals overseas who have a wards he sent a letter of complaint to the friendly attitude towards New China and Federal Assembly (27 April) questioning who respect the Three-Self principle" (self the legality of the procedure used during government, self-support and self the interrogation. He writes that as he was propagation-Ed.). At the same time, told neither the reason for his summons Bishop Ting asserts that the "unity which nor the subject matter under investigation has emerged in the Chinese Church is he refused to answer the questions. The in closer than ever before". The vast majority vestigators, who failed to reveal their of Protestants, while not accepting Marx names, then confiscated all of his personal ism, is said to approve the present regime possessions including his papers, money, and to support Three-Self; he knows of on handkerchief and rosary, and threatened ly a "few who disapprove of, or oppose, him with imprisonment. "It happened on Three-Self'. (Keston News Service, No. Good Friday and I found it very News in Brief 151 humiliating" says Korec in his letter, and clericalism?" asks whether it is in the interests of the Fr Formanek was born in 1915, one of State to treat believers in this way. The the nine children of a poor peasant family. constant harassment and persecution ".of He studied for the priesthood aided by Christians only increases tensions and charity, and was ordained in 1945. After resentment among people who want to the dissolution of religious orders in 1950 contribute to the common good of the he was imprisoned, but escaped from the Slovak nation, which was itself formed by a internment camp, to be recaptured in 1955 thousand years of Christianity. (Informace when he was sentenced with nine other o Cirkvl, No. 5, 1980) Jesuits to ten years' imprisonment. He was released after the general amnesty in 1960 The Final Speech of a Slovak Jesuit but was allowed to work only in manual Fr Osk,h Formanek, sentenced on 25 June employment until his rehabilitation in 1980 to 18 months' imprisonment by the 1974. After denunciation by an informer, Court in Presov for celebrating Mass in his however, he was soon deprived of permis. flat, disseminating religious literature and sion to work as a priest. (Informace 0 Clrkvi, incitement, was able to make a long speech No. 5, 1980) before the court. He pointed out that there is no law in Czechoslovakia even implicitly Trial of Fr Labuda forbidding the saying of Mass privately and The court of RimavsH Sobota (Slovakia) in the presence of others, and that the sentenced Dr J6zef Labuda (31) and Emflia prosecution had failed to quote the rele Kesegova (29), a librarian, to six months' vant article according to which he would and four months' imprisonment respec· have broken the law "protecting the tively on 30 October 1980. The accused economic viability of the Church", for the were charged according to Art. 178 of the simple reason that such an article does not Penal Code-"obstruction of state supervi exist. The Mass is regarded even officially sion of the Church"-for organizing a as "Eucharistic prayer", and he asked "I retreat for seven young people. During the would like to ask the court whether or not court proceedings the witnesses changed one needs permission to pray, alone or with their statements in four cases, earning for others?" As for intention to "incite" (Art.