Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Tai Pei (Agenzia Fides) - The key to reading Pope Benedict XVI 's recent Letter addressed to the bishops, priests consecrated persons and lay Catholics of the Catholic Church in the Peoples Republic of China ” is purely religious; in the letter the Pope defends the principles of the faith, the Catholic Church in Taiwan considers the Letter as a great opportunity for reflection. These are the crucial points of a "Letter to the people of God in the region of Taiwan” issued by Archbishop Joseph Cheng, the Catholic Archbishop of Tai Pei, to accompany reading of and reflection on the recent Papal Letter addressed the Chinese Catholics.
In his letter, which has four main points, Archbishop Cheng says he hopes the letter will not be interpreted in a political key; he says the Pope in his letter simply defends the principles of the Catholic faith; religious freedom brings only harmony and progress to a country; the local Church in Taiwan must see the letter as a great opportunity for reflection. In his Letter published in Tai Pei's Catholic bulletin Christian Life Weekly the Archbishop concludes: “I hope the faithful will continue to believe, to hope and to serve and to let themselves be guided by faith in God and a relationship with God, to put out into the deep with courage to work for evangelisation”. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 17/7/2007 - righe 16, parole 219)
