Vatican’s China commission urges Bishops to work for unity

The Vatican’s Commission for the Church in China is urging bishops in China to “work for the growth of unity, faith and life among all Catholics” and avoid “gestures that run counter to communion with the Pope” and “create difficulties” for their respective Church communities.The Commission for China established in 2007 by Pope Benedicto XVI met by third time in Santa Sede, from the 22 to the 24 of March.Among the 30 participants were the five bishops from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan and also Claretian Fr. Samuel Canilang, CMF, Director of ICLA.

The commission is making it clear to China bishops that to live in a fully coherent way, their communion with the Pope means they must avoid whatever contradicts this and causes distress and confusion to their communities. This means, the bishops in China should avoid celebrating the Eucharist with “illegitimate” bishops (a bishop who does not have papal approval), participating in episcopal ordinations if one of the consecrating bishops is illegitimate, and participating in meetings that are incompatible with the Church’s constitution and Catholic doctrine, such as the National Assembly of Catholic Representatives, expected to be held later this year.

Sources described the fourth paragraph of the statement, which talked about promoting unity within the Catholic Church in China, and to overcome the difficulties it faces in relations with civil society, as the most important point to emerge from the plenary meeting.

- Courtesy: UCAN News

Vatican Web in Chinese

In accordance with the recommendations by the first session of the Commission for China, the Holy See continues the work of translation of all the Documents from the Holy See to the catholic Church in China. In this regard, on 18 March, the Holy See announced that the Catechism of the catholic Church, in its Chinese translation, had been published in the Web of the Vatican.

The Code of Canon Law of 1983 and the great texts of the Council of the Vatican II in Chinese will also be made available in the net(http://gsearch.vatican.va/search?q=chinese&x=23&y=8).

Our team of Chinese publishers is now preparing a new translation of the Bible in Chinese which, we hope also can be available in a moment in Internet. The Gospel according to St. Luke and the Acts of the Apostles with Lectio Divino is already in the press, and other books are in preparation.