ASIA/CHINA - On the feast of Our Lady of Fatima Catholics pray that the “intercession of Pope John Paul II and the great love of Pope Benedict XVI will bring unity with the universal Church closer”

Beijing (Fides Service) - Catholics in Beijing celebrated with enthusiasm the feast of Our Lady of Fatima on May 13. In many parishes after the Mass people stayed to watch recordings of the Masses for the funeral of Pope John Paul II and the installation of Pope Benedict XVI.
A priest in Beijing told Fides: “Today people are praying that the intercession of Pope John Paul II and the great love of Pope Benedict XVI will bring unity with the universal Church closer. We are always in communion with the rest of the Church. Today is the right day to recall Pope John Paul II and his deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary”, the priest said .
The priest said that when Catholics in China read the address which Pope Benedict XVI gave to diplomats recently, they felt he was speaking of them when he said he was thinking of “those countries with which the Holy See has no diplomatic relations - and he said - Some of then associated themselves with celebration on the occasion of the death of my predecessor and my election to the See of Peter. Having appreciated these gestures today I wish to express my gratitude to them and to address a deferential greeting to the authorities of those nations formulating the wish to see them represented at the Apostolic See. From these countries, above all from those with numerous Catholic communities, I received messages which I deeply appreciated. I wish to tell these communities and the peoples to which they belong how dear they are to me assuring them that they are present in my prayers.”
With regard to the news that the process for the Canonisation of Pope John Paul has been opened the priest said : “People are overjoyed. Words cannot express our feelings. We want to say thank you Holy Father Benedict XVI for fulfilling our wishes”.
(Agenzia Fides 14/05/2005 Righe: 33 Parole: 367)