Our Lady of Fatima warned us that if Her requests were not heeded, the errors of Communism would spread throughout the world. See "Why Pope Francis consecrated his Pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima", posted here yesterday.
Nowhere in the world has the truth of this prophecy been revealed than in China, whose Communist régime persecutes Holy Mother Church (and other Christians) to an extent unmatched even in Muslim countries. This is in spite of the ostpolitik carried on by three successive Vatican Secretaries of State: Cardinals Casaroli, Sodani and the disgraced Bertone. See "How the Vatican sold out to Communism".
The Communists stop short of nothing, including torture and imprisonment, to force Catholics to renounce their allegiance to the Holy See and join the schismatic Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which they set up after the revolution of 1949. But the true Catholic Church, in union with Rome, persists underground. See "Cardinal Zen: Vatican appeasement hurts true Church in China".
One of the things the Communists do to discourage and intimidate true believers is to keep them away from the Marian shrine at Sheshan, near Shanghai. Chinese Catholics traditionally make a pilgrimage Sheshan on May 24th, the feast day of Our Lady of Sheshan, a day set aside by Pope Benedict XVI for prayer for the Church in China.
Last year and this, pilgrimages are forbidden! The shrine may be visited only by locals, and no special ceremonies are permitted. But that shouldn't stop us -- both Chinese and non-Chinese -- from praying for our persecuted co-religionists and the liberation of the true Church in China.
Yesterday, Pope Francis suggested the following prayer:
Our Lady of Sheshan, in their everyday struggles, sustain the commitment of all those in China, so that they may continue to believe, to hope, to love, and so they may never fear to speak of Jesus to the world and of the world to Jesus. Mary, Virgin most faithful, support Chinese Catholics. Make their commitments, which are not easy, ever more precious in the eyes of the Lord and help the affection and the participation of the Church in China to grow in the path of the universal Church. +
Even if you're not Catholic, or not even Christian, you can pray for all those behind "the Bamboo Curtain" who do not enjoy the freedom of religion that we take for granted. Please do so.
Showing posts with label Our Lady of Sheshan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Our Lady of Sheshan. Show all posts
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Sunday, May 27, 2012
1000s of Catholics defy Chinese government, join in pilgrimage
Earlier this morning Walt told you about Joseph Cardinal Zen's warning that persecution of the Catholic Church in China is getting worse. Now I'm pleased to share with you a report from AsiaNews that more than 3000 Chinese Catholics joined in a pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan on May 24th, the day set aside by the Pope for prayer for the Church in China.
Communist officials actively discouraged participation in the pilgrimage, warning of "security" risks, and barred Catholics from other dioceses from attending. But Father Thaddeus Ma Dagin, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Shanghai diocese, led a procession to the Basilica of Our Lady of Sheshan and concelebrated Mass with 40 other priests.
Before the crackdown of which Cardinal Zen spoke, the annual pilgrimage at times attracted as many as 200,000 faithful. But since 2008, when Pope Benedict XVI asked for special prayers on May 24th for unity within the Chinese Catholic Church, the Chinese government -- which recognizes only its own "Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association" -- has made every effort to minimize the event.
Some Chinese dioceses circumvent the official resistance by making pilgrimages to the Marian shrine on different dates. Others organize days of prayer on May 24th at locations within their own dioceses. Dear Catholic readers, please offer your prayers for the safety and blessing of these courageous Chinese.
Pray also that the Catholics here in the West -- where freedom of religion is supposedly protected by law -- will muster up the courage to stand up for the True Faith against the oppression of the secular humanist governments for which we stupidly keep voting.
Communist officials actively discouraged participation in the pilgrimage, warning of "security" risks, and barred Catholics from other dioceses from attending. But Father Thaddeus Ma Dagin, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Shanghai diocese, led a procession to the Basilica of Our Lady of Sheshan and concelebrated Mass with 40 other priests.
Before the crackdown of which Cardinal Zen spoke, the annual pilgrimage at times attracted as many as 200,000 faithful. But since 2008, when Pope Benedict XVI asked for special prayers on May 24th for unity within the Chinese Catholic Church, the Chinese government -- which recognizes only its own "Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association" -- has made every effort to minimize the event.
Some Chinese dioceses circumvent the official resistance by making pilgrimages to the Marian shrine on different dates. Others organize days of prayer on May 24th at locations within their own dioceses. Dear Catholic readers, please offer your prayers for the safety and blessing of these courageous Chinese.
Pray also that the Catholics here in the West -- where freedom of religion is supposedly protected by law -- will muster up the courage to stand up for the True Faith against the oppression of the secular humanist governments for which we stupidly keep voting.
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