Saturday, September 30, 2017

Welcome to the China Bulletin Blog - October 2017

Macau Pilgrims celebrates Fatima 100 

Fr. Jojo with the Pilgrims in Fatima 
48 pilgrims from St. Lawrence Church, Macau together with their parish priest Fr. Jojo Ancheril travelled to Portugal and Spain to celebrate the 100 years Anniversary of Fatima apparitions.   Fr. Jojo shares his experience: 
We spent two days in Lisbon visiting the important churches like St. Antony Church and Cathedral. And then we moved to Fatima and spent six days there. 
After that we went to Spain visiting important churches like Our Lady of Pillar, Saragossa, Montserrat Monastery and Basilica, Cave of St. Ignatius, Holy Family Church (Sagrada Familia) and several sites of St. Antony Mary Claret and Claretian Martyrs in Barbastro, Vic and Barcelona. Altogether it was 15 days pilgrimage.
This pilgrimage was organised in connection with 100 anniversary of Fatima Apparition. And also to travel through the land of St. Antony May Claret and Claretian Martyrs. 
Two days of the Pilgrimage in Fatima, we were able to join international masses and participated in the daily candle procession with thousands of people from various parts of the world. It was an enriching experience for all of us. We were also very happy to meet other priests and faithful from Macau. In Fatima meeting various people from various cultures and backgrounds were a unique experience.   
Pilgrims at the monument for the
Claretian Martyrs of Barbastro, Spain
Living the message of Fatima in our day to day life and it will bring lot of Love, Peace and Joy to us. Our Lady of Fatima : Pray for us.  

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News From the Editor's Desk: 


1. A  revised edition of José Pagola's book: "JESUS: An Historical Approximation"

Last year we have published the Chinese Translation of the above book in simplified characters. It is an excellent work on Christology. 3000 copies of the first edition were sold in a few months time. Hence we did the second edition. 

Meanwhile, our Chinese translator and editor compared the text with the Spanish Edition and discovered that the English edition (upon which the first translation into Chinese was taken from) omitted many paragraphs and footnotes. The present edition has amended those omissions. The book is distributed in Mainland China and has the name of Faith Press and Claretian Publications. Of course, everything done with official permission!

​2. Chinese New Testament - enlarged edition

The Chinese Translation of the New Testament was published in 2014. Further revisions were done in the subsequent editions, published both in Traditional and Simplified versions. 

The new edition of the Bible is 40% larger than the previous one. The book has 1560 pages, printed in bible paper in two colours. ​The book has extensive introductions, commentaries and a guide for Lectio Divina for every paragraph of the New Testament.
Copies of the new and old editions of the Chinese New Testament 
The new printing of 5000 copies hit the market at the end of September. The retail price is heavily subsidized by the Pastoral Bible Foundation for distribution inside Mainland - and, of course, this book is also published with official permission of the Chinese authorities.

​3. Bible Diary and Daily Gospel 2018 

Our Annual flagship title - "Bible Diary" and "Daily Gospel" are out on stands for grab and most of the orders of Daily Gospel 2018 and Bible Dairy 2018 have already reached their destination!


This year "The Bible Diary" turns 32 years old and now it reaches more than 20 countries. It all began in Manila in 1985, and now it is published in over 20 languages by the Claretians worldwide and over a million copies are sold each year. 
Cover of the Chinese Daily Gospel 2018

The Bible Diary for the Spanish Speaking world is prepared from China as well. For the Chinese version, have over 100,000 copies of the Daily Gospel printed in Simplified and Traditional characters. The reflections of the Chinese Daily Gospel prepared by the Claretian Publications is also used by the UCAN and Chinese Liturgical Apps. 



4. Our Web apostolate 



A large quantity of biblical literature and daily liturgy is  made available online through our blogs and web pages. A good number of volunteers both in English and Chinese languages, support us in this missionary effort. 

For Our weekly Bible Study Programme:
For the Bible Commentaries By Fr. Armellini in Italian with English, Chinese and Spanish Sub-titles:http://epiphany.catholic.org.k/home/armellini/ 



Or in YouTube: 

All these works done are followed up separately by our associates in the Mainland because they have no access to the blogs and YouTube. 

The Armellini Commentaries are available in simplified Chinese in the following link: 


The Videos of Fr. Armellini with Chinese subtitles are available in Youku: 

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Religious Freedom and 68 Years of PRC

Courtesy: O'Clarim


The 68th anniversary of the proclamation of the People’s Republic of China by Mao Zedong is marked on October 1. Speaking to O CLARIM, Fathers Mai Lio, Alberto Rossa and João Evangelista Lau share their vision about the most populated country on earth.

With missionary work in Mainland China, Fr Mai Lio told O CLARIM that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has made great progress in recent decades, especially in the economic field. “When I first entered the country, I noticed that there was little development. It was rare to see a car. People moved around by motorcycle, bicycle or on foot,” the priest, for whom “it’s very difficult to talk about China,” reminisced.
“Chinese mentality has no comparison with any other,” he stated. “It’s necessary to take into account the political factor from everything else,” he also said, since “the ordinary people are generally very nice...”


Fr Alberto Rossa has worked “in several countries around the world, and for the last 20 years” he has been “in contact with many people in Mainland China.” He is now in Hong Kong. Previously, he has worked in Macau.
Fr. Alberto Rossa 
“My experience with Chinese people, Christians or not, is for the most part of deep respect and admiration. I have never found such professionalism and even friendship, as in the Mainland, especially in my work as a publisher dealing with a very big printing press,” he told us.

“What we usually look for in dealing with a printing press is: price, quality, delivery on time, and if possible, a credit line. I have found much more than that in Amity, our press: a sense of belonging as in a family; a friendship that goes way farthest than just ‘business’; a professionalism not found anywhere else in my experience,” he added. Fr Rossa is the director of Pastoral Bible Foundation.

Although the PRC has made remarkable progresses in many ways, Fr João Evangelista Lau pointed out, “there’s still little religious freedom.”

“In the Mainland we may find more and more developed cities than Macau. However, freedom, especially religious, is lacking for the Catholic Church. It seems to me that, in a way, China doesn’t trust the Church much. It’s not like Taoism, rooted in China, or Buddhism, originally from India,” he said.
“The Catholic Church is more universal [than the other two], thus is more in contact with other parts of the world. Chinese authorities have a great fear, but they do not understand our religion, my experience tells me. More dialogue is needed, so both parties could understand each other better,” Fr Lau mentioned, admitting, “it will take time” until they reach an understanding.

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Fr. Wotherspoon wins People's Choice in the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards


Winners of the Spirit of Hong Kong Awards 2017. Fr. John Wotherspoon OMI is in the extreme right. 

Six extraordinary individuals and two corporations who have inspired the Hong Kong society with their contributions to humanity won this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards, organised by the South China Morning Post to honour the unsung heroes who might otherwise be left unnoticed.
Fr. John David Wotherspoon OMI

Fr. John Wotherspoon is an Oblate Missionary. Born in Brisbane 1946, Fr. John joined Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1965. He was ordained a priest in 1973. He worked in Australia in schools and parishes until 1984. He has been a missionary in Hong Kong and China since 1985. Fr. John is presently in full-time ministry to the poor, especially prisoners. 
A good friend and trendsetter 'to be missionaries to the peripheries' and 'to be pastors with the smell of the sheep'! Frs. Alberto, Jose and Arnold with
Fr. Wotherspoon (2 from right) in the file photo



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Archbishop Savio Hon is nuncio to Greece





Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-fai, the top Chinese official at the Holy See, has been appointed the apostolic nuncio to Greece. Hong Kong-born Archbishop Savio Hon has served as secretary of the Vatican's Congregation for the Evangelization of the Peoples since 2010. 

Salesian Archbishop Hon was the only high-ranking Chinese official in the Roman Curia and has often encouraged Chinese Catholics to be brave and walk the path of truth and charity.

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The Challenge is on the Youth: Bishop Yeung 

Courtesy: UCAN news
Bishop Michael Yeung of Hong Kong says that young people in the city are facing a lot of challenges today. Hong Kong’s new Bishop opines that high levels of disparity and low social mobility for most of Hong Kong's youth will do no good for the city's future.
"The younger folks have to stay with their parents even at the age of 30 something, because they have no place to set up their own family. And the original flat [with their parents] is already very small," says Bishop Michael Yeung. According to the U.S. Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey, Hong Kong is ranked the world's least affordable city to buy a home. 

The 71-year-old bishop further pointed out that young people in the city don't have the space to raise a child and have a proper family life which is affecting the society. "We have high-rise buildings in Hong Kong but they're mainly bought by mainlanders with cash. But lots of people in Hong Kong are just in a ‘coffin flat' and it creates a lot of problems," Bishop Yeung said. 



Bishop Yeung said one day those under the age of 30 will be the main force in society but they must be better prepared. "I must ask do you [older generations] think you have prepared younger generations well enough for them to take over [the society]?" he said. The bishop believes these challenges may be opportunities and warnings for society to look at how they can better prepare its young people for challenges ahead.