Benedict XVI_Letter to Bishops, Priests, Consecrated Persons and Lay Faithful of the Catholic Church in China.pdf

LETTER

OF THE HOLY FATHER

POPE BENEDICT XVI

TO THE BISHOPS, PRIESTS,

CONSECRATED PERSONS

AND LAY FAITHFUL

OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

Greeting

1. Dear Brother Bishops, dear priests, consecrated persons and all the faithful of the Catholic

Church in China: "We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for

you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love which you have for all the

saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven ... We have not ceased to pray for you, asking

that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, to

lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing

in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might,

for all endurance and patience with joy" ( Col 1:3-5, 9-11).

These words of the Apostle Paul are highly appropriate for expressing the sentiments that I, as the

Successor of Peter and universal Pastor of the Church, feel towards you. You know well how much

you are present in my heart and in my daily prayer and how deep is the relationship of communion

that unites us spiritually.

Purpose of the Letter

2. I wish, therefore, to convey to all of you the expression of my fraternal closeness. With intense

joy I acknowledge your faithfulness to Christ the Lord and to the Church, a faithfulness that you

have manifested "sometimes at the price of grave sufferings"[ 1 ], since "it has been granted to you

that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake" ( Phil

1:29). Nevertheless, some important aspects of the ecclesial life of your country give cause for

concern.

Without claiming to deal with every detail of the complex matters well known to you, I wish through

this letter to offer some guidelines concerning the life of the Church and the task of evangelization in

China, in order to help you discover what the Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, "the key, the centre

and the purpose of the whole of human history" [ 2 ] wants from you.

PART ONE

THE SITUATION OF THE CHURCH

THEOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Globalization, modernity and atheism

3. As I turn my attention towards your People, which has distinguished itself among the other

peoples of Asia for the splendour of its ancient civilization, with all its experience of wisdom,

philosophy, art and science, I am pleased to note how, especially in recent times, it has also moved

decisively towards achieving significant goals of socio-economic progress, attracting the interest of

the entire world.

As my venerable predecessor Pope John Paul II once said, "The Catholic Church for her part

regards with respect this impressive thrust and far-sighted planning, and with discretion offers her

own contribution in the promotion and defence of the human person, and of the person's values,

spirituality and transcendent vocation. The Church has very much at heart the values and objectives

which are of primary importance also to modern China: solidarity, peace, social justice, the wise

management of the phenomenon of globalization" [ 3 ].

The pressure to attain the desired and necessary economic and social development and the search

for modernity are accompanied by two different and contrasting phenomena, both of which should

nonetheless be evaluated with equal prudence and a positive apostolic spirit. On the one hand,

especially among the young, one can detect a growing interest in the spiritual and transcendent

dimension of the human person, with a consequent interest in religion, particularly in Christianity. On

the other hand, there are signs, in China too, of the tendency towards materialism and hedonism,

which are spreading from the big cities to the entire country [ 4 ].

In this context, in which you are called to live and work, I want to remind you of what Pope John

Paul II emphasized so strongly and vigorously: the new evangelization demands the proclamation of

the Gospel [ 5 ] to modern man, with a keen awareness that, just as during the first Christian

millennium the Cross was planted in Europe and during the second in the American continent and in

Africa, so during the third millennium a great harvest of faith will be reaped in the vast and vibrant

Asian continent [ 6 ].

"' Duc in altum ' ( Lk 5:4). These words ring out for us today, and they invite us to remember the

past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm and to look forward to the future with

confidence: 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever' ( Heb 13:8)" [ 7 ]. In China

too the Church is called to be a witness of Christ, to look forward with hope, and – in proclaiming

the Gospel – to measure up to the new challenges that the Chinese People must face.

The word of God helps us, once again, to discover the mysterious and profound meaning of the

Church's path in the world. In fact "the subject of one of the most important visions of the Book of

Revelation is [the] Lamb in the act of opening a scroll, previously closed with seven seals that no

one had been able to break open. John is even shown in tears, for he finds no one worthy of

opening the scroll or reading it (cf. Rev 5:4). History remains indecipherable, incomprehensible. No

one can read it. Perhaps John's weeping before the mystery of a history so obscure expresses the

Asian Churches' dismay at God's silence in the face of the persecutions to which they were exposed

at the time. It is a dismay that can clearly mirror our consternation in the face of the serious

difficulties, misunderstandings and hostility that the Church also suffers today in various parts of the

world. These are trials that the Church does not of course deserve, just as Jesus himself did not

deserve his torture. However, they reveal both the wickedness of man, when he abandons himself

to the promptings of evil, and also the superior ordering of events on God's part" [ 8 ].

Today, as in the past, to proclaim the Gospel means to preach and bear witness to Jesus Christ,

crucified and risen, the new Man, conqueror of sin and death. He enables human beings to enter

into a new dimension, where mercy and love shown even to enemies can bear witness to the victory

of the Cross over all weakness and human wretchedness. In your country too, the proclamation of

Christ crucified and risen will be possible to the extent that, with fidelity to the Gospel, in

communion with the Successor of the Apostle Peter and with the universal Church, you are able to

put into practice the signs of love and unity ("even as I have loved you, that you also love one

another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another ...

even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us, so that the world may

believe that you have sent me" – Jn 13:34-35; 17:21).

Willingness to engage in respectful and constructive dialogue

4. As universal Pastor of the Church, I wish to manifest sincere gratitude to the Lord for the deeply-

felt witness of faithfulness offered by the Chinese Catholic community in truly difficult circumstances.

At the same time, I sense the urgent need, as my deep and compelling duty and as an expression of

my paternal love, to confirm the faith of Chinese Catholics and favour their unity with the means

proper to the Church.

I am also following with particular interest the events of the entire Chinese People, whom I regard

with sincere admiration and sentiments of friendship, to the point where I express the hope "that

concrete forms of communication and cooperation between the Holy See and the People's Republic

of China may soon be established. Friendship is nourished by contacts, by a sharing in the joy and

sadness of different situations, by solidarity and mutual assistance" [ 9 ]. And pursuing this line of

argument, my venerable predecessor added: "It is no secret that the Holy See, in the name of the

whole Catholic Church and, I believe, for the benefit of the whole human family, hopes for the

opening of some form of dialogue with the authorities of the People's Republic of China. Once the

misunderstandings of the past have been overcome, such a dialogue would make it possible for us

to work together for the good of the Chinese People and for peace in the world" [ 10 ].

I realize that the normalization of relations with the People's Republic of China requires time and

presupposes the good will of both parties. For its part, the Holy See always remains open to

negotiations, so necessary if the difficulties of the present time are to be overcome.

This situation of misunderstandings and incomprehension weighs heavily, serving the interests of

neither the Chinese authorities nor the Catholic Church in China. As Pope John Paul II stated,

recalling what Father Matteo Ricci wrote from Beijing [ 11 ], "so too today the Catholic Church

seeks no privilege from China and its leaders, but solely the resumption of dialogue, in order to

build a relationship based upon mutual respect and deeper understanding" [ 12 ]. Let China rest

assured that the Catholic Church sincerely proposes to offer, once again, humble and disinterested

service in the areas of her competence, for the good of Chinese Catholics and for the good of all the

inhabitants of the country.

As far as relations between the political community and the Church in China are concerned, it is

worth calling to mind the enlightening teaching of the Second Vatican Council, which states: "The

Church, by reason of her role and competence, is not identified with any political community nor is

she tied to any political system. She is at once the sign and the safeguard of the transcendental

dimension of the human person". And the Council continues: "The political community and the

Church are autonomous and independent of each other in their own fields. They are both at the

service of the personal and social vocation of the same individuals, though under different titles.

Their service will be more efficient and beneficial to all if both institutions develop better cooperation

according to the circumstances of place and time" [ 13 ].

Likewise, therefore, the Catholic Church which is in China does not have a mission to change the

structure or administration of the State; rather, her mission is to proclaim Christ to men and women,

as the Saviour of the world, basing herself – in carrying out her proper apostolate – on the power of

God. As I recalled in my Encyclical Deus Caritas Est , "The Church cannot and must not take upon

herself the political battle to bring about the most just society possible. She cannot and must not

replace the State. Yet at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight

for justice. She has to play her part through rational argument and she has to reawaken the spiritual

energy without which justice, which always demands sacrifice, cannot prevail and prosper. A just

society must be the achievement of politics, not of the Church. Yet the promotion of justice through

efforts to bring about openness of mind and will to the demands of the common good is something

which concerns the Church deeply" [ 14 ].

In the light of these unrenounceable principles, the solution to existing problems cannot be pursued

via an ongoing conflict with the legitimate civil authorities; at the same time, though, compliance with

those authorities is not acceptable when they interfere unduly in matters regarding the faith and

discipline of the Church. The civil authorities are well aware that the Church in her teaching invites

the faithful to be good citizens, respectful and active contributors to the common good in their

country, but it is likewise clear that she asks the State to guarantee to those same Catholic citizens

the full exercise of their faith, with respect for authentic religious freedom.

Communion between particular Churches in the universal Church

5. Beloved Catholic Church in China, you are a small flock present and active within the vastness of

an immense People journeying through history. How stirring and encouraging these words of Jesus

are for you: "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" ( Lk

12:32)! "You are the salt of the earth ... you are the light of the world": therefore "let your light so

shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in

heaven" ( Mt 5:13, 14, 16).

In the Catholic Church which is in China, the universal Church is present, the Church of Christ,

which in the Creed we acknowledge to be one, holy, catholic and apostolic , that is to say, the

universal community of the Lord's disciples.

As you know, the profound unity which binds together the particular Churches found in China, and

which likewise places them in intimate communion with all the other particular Churches throughout

the world, has its roots not only in the same faith and in a common Baptism, but above all in the

Eucharist and in the episcopate [ 15 ]. Likewise, the unity of the episcopate, of which "the Roman

Pontiff, as the Successor of Peter, is the perpetual and visible source and foundation" [ 16 ],

continues down the centuries through the apostolic succession and is the foundation of the identity of

the Church in every age with the Church built by Christ on Peter and on the other Apostles [ 17 ].

Catholic doctrine teaches that the Bishop is the visible source and foundation of unity in the

particular Church entrusted to his pastoral ministry [ 18 ]. But in every particular Church, in order

that she may be fully Church, there must be present the supreme authority of the Church, that is to

say, the episcopal College together with its Head, the Roman Pontiff, and never apart from him.

Therefore the ministry of the Successor of Peter belongs to the essence of every particular Church

"from within" [ 19 ]. Moreover, the communion of all the particular Churches in the one Catholic

Church, and hence the ordered hierarchical communion of all the Bishops, successors of the

Apostles, with the Successor of Peter, are a guarantee of the unity of the faith and life of all

Catholics. It is therefore indispensable, for the unity of the Church in individual nations, that every

Bishop should be in communion with the other Bishops, and that all should be in visible and

concrete communion with the Pope.

No one in the Church is a foreigner, but all are citizens of the same People, members of the same

Mystical Body of Christ. The bond of sacramental communion is the Eucharist, guaranteed by the

ministry of Bishops and priests [ 20 ].

The whole of the Church which is in China is called to live and to manifest this unity in a richer

spirituality of communion, so that, taking account of the complex concrete situations in which the

Catholic community finds itself, she may also grow in a harmonious hierarchical communion.

Therefore, Pastors and faithful are called to defend and to safeguard what belongs to the doctrine

and the tradition of the Church.

Tensions and divisions within the Church: pardon and reconciliation

6. Addressing the whole Church in his Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte , my venerable

predecessor Pope John Paul II, stated that an "important area in which there has to be commitment

and planning on the part of the universal Church and the particular Churches [is] the domain of

communion (koinonia) , which embodies and reveals the very essence of the mystery of the

Church. Communion is the fruit and demonstration of that love which springs from the heart of the

Eternal Father and is poured out upon us through the Spirit whom Jesus gives us (cf. Rom 5:5), to

make us all 'one heart and one soul' ( Acts 4:32). It is in building this communion of love that the

Church appears as 'sacrament', as the 'sign and instrument of intimate union with God and of the

unity of the human race.' The Lord's words on this point are too precise for us to diminish their

import. Many things are necessary for the Church's journey through history, not least in this new

century; but without charity ( agape ) all will be in vain. It is again the Apostle Paul who in his hymn

to love reminds us: even if we speak the tongues of men and of angels, and if we have faith 'to

move mountains', but are without love, all will come to 'nothing' (cf. 1 Cor 13:2). Love is truly the

'heart' of the Church" [ 21 ].

These matters, which concern the very nature of the universal Church, have a particular significance

for the Church which is in China. Indeed you are aware of the problems that she is seeking to

overcome – within herself and in her relations with Chinese civil society – tensions, divisions and

recriminations.

In this regard, last year, while speaking of the nascent Church, I had occasion to recall that "from

the start the community of the disciples has known not only the joy of the Holy Spirit, the grace of

truth and love, but also trials that are constituted above all by disagreements about the truths of faith,

with the consequent wounds to communion. Just as the fellowship of love has existed since the

outset and will continue to the end (cf. 1 Jn 1:1ff.), so also, from the start, division unfortunately

arose. We should not be surprised that it still exists today ... Thus, in the events of the world but

also in the weaknesses of the Church, there is always a risk of losing faith, hence, also love and

brotherhood. Consequently it is a specific duty of those who believe in the Church of love and want

to live in her to recognize this danger too" [ 22 ].

The history of the Church teaches us, then, that authentic communion is not expressed without

arduous efforts at reconciliation [ 23 ]. Indeed, the purification of memory, the pardoning of wrong-

Plik z chomika:

Inne pliki z tego folderu:

Inne foldery tego chomika: