Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Beijing (Agenzia Fides) - Information and evidence concerning the opening of the Year of Faith in the Chinese Catholic communities of the continent continue to reach Fides Agency. Among these we mention a few. The diocese of Tai Yuan also invoked the martyrs who marked the history of the diocese in the last century during the opening ceremony of the Year of Faith. Over 2,000 faithful attended the Mass presided over by His Exc. Mgr. Meng, Coadjutor of the diocese, with about fifty concelebrants. As was the case in many other parishes in the diocese, in addition to the reading of the Bishop’s pastoral Letter for the Year of Faith, a brief history of the five martyrs of the last century was also read, so that their intercession helps to strengthen the faith of believers and make them be witnesses of faith like them.
Although it is the harvest season for the faithful peasants of the village of Xiao Han of the Diocese of Tian Jin, they did however, not want to miss the solemn opening of the Year of Faith, which was celebrated on October 14. Over 700 faithful of the diocese of Xi An attended the opening of the Year of Faith presided by His Exc. Mgr. Joseph Dang, Ordinary Bishop, on the evening of 11 October in communion with Pope Benedict XVI. Mgr. Dang explained the meaning of the Year of Faith and the Faith itself, presented the diocesan pastoral plan for this year and delivered to the faithful the guide for the Year of Faith.
Even the diocese of Ha Er Bin celebrated the opening of the Year of Faith with the celebration presided by Pope Benedict at the Vatican on October 11. The ceremony was presided by the apostolic Administrator and was followed by a Seminar on the Year of Faith. The diocese prepared plenty of material on the subject, including a "special" with all the documents of the Pope and the Holy See for the Year of Faith, so that the faithful can "deepen faith, strengthen faith and promote evangelization in the Year of Faith, through the Eucharist and the encounter with Jesus, opening the Door of Faith." (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 15/10/2012)
