ASIA/CHINA - Chinese Catholics moved by Pope's greetings for New Year's; commemoration of deceased missionaries among initiatives

Beijing (Agenzia Fides) – Masses of Thanksgiving, prayers for the world and the country, the commemoration of deceased priests and missionaries, the pastoral visit of the bishops and priests to the Ecclesial Base Communities, and works of charity have marked the celebration of Chinese New Year by Catholics on the mainland. Also, the Pope's greetings at his Angelus address given on Sunday, February 14, has brought happiness and excitement among the faithful. As a priest in Beijing told Fides, "for someone else, it might seem like the usual greeting of good wishes, but for us Chinese Catholics, especially those of us who live on the mainland, every time it arouses great emotion. Every time, gratitude arises from the depths of our hearts! Thank you Holy Father! You have made us feel so close to you, so close to the Universal Church. We are always with you."
According to information received by our agency, the Solemn Mass celebrated on the morning of February 14, the first day of Chinese New Year, in all the Catholic communities there was a very large participation of the faithful. Entire families came and prayed together, thanking God for the past year and calling on the maternal protection of Mary, for peace and prosperity in the world and the country.
Among the events of this day of celebration, we mention that at the parish of Fan Ga Da, in the He Bei Province, priests and the faithful went to the Catholic cemetery to pay homage to priests and missionaries who have dedicated their entire life to the Church. They also visited the parents of several priests and religious, to thank them for their support of their children's vocations.
The Catholic community of Zhong Shan has launched on its website a message for the Chinese New Year, addressed to all peoples, commemorating the missionaries that have come from abroad and, on behalf of Catholics, thanking all who have helped and supported growth of the Catholic community, hoping for a further increase in social harmony so that Catholics may help people to know Jesus Christ and the Church. Finally, it invokes God's blessing on the Chinese people. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 16/02/2010)