I have to admit that I was a bit startled to find my name in a July 6 column written by Fr. Richard John Neuhaus in First Things. Neuhaus, for those who don’t know him, is a Catholic priest and writer probably best known for forging a political alliance between conservative Catholics and the American…
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The Pope’s Letter – Upon Further Reflection
Media and blog reactions to the Pope’s letter to China’s Catholics have been diverse and unpredictable, but I’ve noticed that most tend to emphasize the Pope’s call for a more public declaration of unity with Rome from open Church bishops who have reconciled with the Holy See. It will be interesting to see how that…
Zen’s Distance
The early responses to the Pope’s letter have been predictably varied, but none has been more surprising or unusual than the one penned by Cardinal Joseph Zen Zi-kiun of Hong Kong. In January, when the letter was first announced, it was widely assumed that Zen would play a leading role in drafting the text, and,…
The Letter – First Impressions
I’ve just given the Pope’s letter a careful first read, and I must admit – my head is reeling. Not just because the text is such a fundamental realignment, but also because it is one dense read. I’ll post more on this topic after I have a chance to sleep on it. For now, though,…
Maryknoll
Yesterday afternoon Slate ran my short essay on Maryknoll’s wonderful Chinese Seminary Teachers & Formators Project. This is something that I will be examining at greater length in the not too distant future. For now, I hope that the Slate piece gives readers a sense of the great depth of cultural interaction that has taken…
June 30, 10:00 AM GMT
According to the Vatican, that’s when the long-awaited “Letter to Catholics in China” will be released. I haven’t been able to find the statement on the Vatican’s website, but the AP is reporting the news, and there’s no reason to disbelieve it (as noted here yesterday, rumors pegged the 30th earlier in the week). I…
The Imminent Letter
Several interesting developments suggesting that the Pope’s “Letter to Catholics in China” will be released in the next few days: 1. The ever-watchful Jennifer Ambrose pointed out to me that the Pope has named Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli to be the new President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. Two weeks ago I wrote…
Just who is in charge here, anyway?
I had just finished writing the lengthy post (below) on Church property in China when I received a phone call from a friend suggesting that I take a look at David Barboza’s June 24 New York Times story about being detained at a Chinese toy factory. It is an excellent piece of work for many…
Property Rites
Earlier this week AsiaNews reported that the government of Henan Province has decreed the destruction (by dynamite!) of a well-known Marian shrine near Anyang. According to the article, upwards of 40,000 people visit the shrine during an annual pilgrimage that is scheduled for July 16. The shrine itself was built 1903-1905, and was nearly destroyed…
More on Zen-Bush
Jennifer Ambrose of Ambrose-a-rama was kind enough to point out that Cardinal Zen did, in fact, comment on his May 31 meeting with President Bush to the South China Morning Post (subscriber only): “I am not confirming it, but if he wanted to see me, why shouldn’t I? Has Bush got leprosy?” Cardinal Zen said.…