Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Letter that His Eminence Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State, has sent to all priests of the Catholic Church in the People's Republic of China, is situated within the context of the Year for Priests and in light of the Letter to the Church in China of Pope Benedict XVI. The Cardinal does not ignore the difficult situations in which Bishops and priests find themselves. He is aware that they have been especially entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, so that full communion may be reached among all Catholics in China and with the Universal Church, whose visible pillar and foundation is the Roman Pontiff. His Letter, however, intentionally omits mention of the difficulties in the relationship between the Vatican State and the Republic of China, and the dialectic that exists and is suffered among Chinese Catholics. It is a vocabulary that distinguishes itself from the typical cliches, that maintain that the life and issues of the Church in China are only those concerning the “ecclesial and socio-political” situation.
He reaffirms that the Church in China also has the mission to preach the Gospel, and thus for this mission, they should offer an adequate formation to their ordained ministers. They should widen their horizons, not being disturbed by the internal difficulties, and relying on the Word of God, in their evangelizing activity.
Thus, he says: “it is urgent for each of you to draw light and strength from the sources of priestly spirituality, which are the love of God and the unconditional following of Christ.”
This radical spirituality will well-prepare the Church in China and her ministers to face the challenges that come before the Gospel and those who bear witness to it today.
The love of Christ.
This is what should urge Bishops and priests in China on to missionary roads of reconciliation and unity. The Unity of the People of God, wherever they are found, is a gift of the Spirit, not a triumph or a human achievement. It proceeds from the love of Christ, who died and rose to bring all the dispersed children of God under the paternal love of the Father of All. It is the Eucharist that brings humanity from dispersion into unity, from division into communion, from selfishness into charity and universal solidarity. It is the Eucharist that should give method and content to structures of dialogue, necessary for reaching unity.
Following Christ.
Those directly responsible for the Church should be more decisive in their following Christ, living the evangelical imperatives of poverty, non-violence, etc. con radicality, being willing to suffer and be persecuted for the name of Christ. The Church, especially in this period, is persecuted by many nations, limited in their expression of faith. Following Christ implies that every Christian is willing to go up to the Cross with Him, to give life to the world.
This demands that the Word of God “pervades our being, is the nourishment we live by, is what leaves a mark on our lives and shapes our thinking.”
It is up to the Bishops to promote this ongoing formation, so that the gift bestowed upon priests by the laying on of hands may be revived by them in their dioceses and so that the ministry of evangelization may be carried out. (Agenzia Fides 17/11/2009)
