Late last week I wrote a short post pointing out that Francesco Liello, the China-based correspondent for the Italian paper, La Gazetta dello Sport, had run a leg of the Olympic torch relay in Hubei at the beginning of June. For obvious reasons, the run didn’t garner much coverage in the foreign language-press. And what…
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Not Exactly Jesus in China
I’ve long been an admirer of Evan Osnos and the fine reporting that he’s done for the Chicago Tribune and the New Yorker. He has a keen and subtle eye that finds narratives, and details, where other reporters might only find platitudes. So it was with some anticipation that I awaited his latest work, “Jesus…
Someone Opened the Door.
Interesting Great Firewall news. As of yesterday (that I’ve noticed), two previously blocked websites devoted to reporting on the Catholic Church in Asia were unblocked. First – UCANews, based in Hong Kong, offers in-depth, superbly sourced stories on Asian Catholics, particularly focused on the pastoral level. Which means, unlike any other site on the planet,…
Images from Sheshan – May 24
Last year, in his landmark letter to China’s Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI declared May 24, 2008, an international day of prayer dedicated to China. And, specifically, he dedicated it to “the liturgical memorial of Our Lady, Help of Christian, who is venerated with great devotion at the Marian Shrine of Sheshan in Shanghai.“ Ever since,…
About that Requiem …
Posted on Author AdamPosted in Appreciations and Recommendations, Architecture, Catholicism, Religion1 Reply
Reuters, the Los Angeles Times, and other news organizations are reporting that the China Philharmonic Orchestra, along with the Shanghai Opera House Chorus, will perform Motzart’s Requiem on May 7, in the Vatican, for Pope Benedict XVI. This explains quite a bit, actually. On April 8, on relatively short notice, the China Philharmonic Orchestra performed…
Don’t Mass in Sheshan
On Monday, under the innocuous headline, “Restricting Traffic,” the venerable Shanghai Daily quietly informed the city’s residents that: From 5am-5pm on April 30 and May 1, 4, and 24, cars are banned from the area inside Jiasong Highway, Shenzhuan Highway, Qianxin Highway and Sichen Highway. The roads themselves are not affected by the ban. Only…
The Great Rebound
Back in December I was asked to write a short dispatch on Chinese religious belief for the just-released, all-China May issue of National Geographic. This is well-trod territory: even China Daily is willing to acknowledge the significant growth in Chinese religious believers over the last few years. But if the growth is acknowledged, the reasons…
The Requiem Concluded With Jasmine Flowers
Posted on Author AdamPosted in Appreciations and Recommendations, Architecture, Catholicism2 Replies
It is likely that last night’s performance of Motzart’s Requiem marks the first time that a philharmonic orchestra has ever played inside of Shanghai’s century-old St. Ignatius Cathedral. The calculus is rather simple: prior to 1949, there was no philharmonic to play in the cathedral; after 1949, and especially after 1951, it was difficult enough…
Repairing (to) Sheshan
As promised in today’s earlier post – some photos taken this morning at the Sheshan Marian Basilica in Songjiang District, Shanghai. The building is currently undergoing repairs (my reason for traveling out there was to see the work) and receiving a general “gussying-up” in advance of what promises to be the busiest May in the…
Power or the People? Thoughts on Covering Chinese Religion.
Back in February the Sunday Times ran “China repents and seeks to woo Pope,” a story which claimed – on the basis of the comments from an anonymous Vatican source – that China and the Vatican are/were at an advanced stage in their negotiations over a resumption of diplomatic relations. For the moment neglecting what…