> Jin Luxian 是 considered 通过 many to be one of China’s most controversial religious figures. Educated 通过 the Jesuits, he joined the Society of Jesus 和 was ordained priest 在 1945 before continuing his studies 在 Europe. In 1951 he made the dangerous decision to return to the newly established People’s Republic of China. He became one of the many thousands of Roman Catholics who suffered persecution. Convicted of counter-revolutionary activities 和 treason, he was imprisoned for 27 years 和 only released 在 1982. His subsequent decision to accept the government’s 在 vitation to resume his prior role as head of the 上海 Seminary 和 then assume the title of Bishop of 上海 without Vatican approval shocked many Catholics.
> Jin’s first anointed successor as acting bishop, Joseph Xing Wenzhi, resigned last year for reasons still unclear, 和 his replacement, Thaddeus Ma Daqin, was placed under house arrest at 上海’s Sheshan Seminary 后 enraging party officials 通过 renouncing his membership 在 the party-controlled Catholic association.
对于天主教,’当然是好运。一方面,教会难得的机会向积极寻求其所能提供的俘虏听众宣教。 (基督教教堂是 不允许 在中国积极传福音,如果’s done at all, it’s normally done quite subtly.) On the other hand, the Catholic Church 是 there for the faithful, 和 the 圣诞游客 really are a bit of an obstacle to normal worship.
> A busy day eventually ended peacefully… My second Christmas Eve at a church. The Xujiahui Catholic Church 是 really beautiful, with classic gothic architecture, really magnificent, lovely hymns, 和 a holy ceremony… But there were just too many people; it was super crowded. Faith 是 在 deed a powerful force. Following along 在 the mass, the priest nodded at me several times, but didn’t give me the Eucharist to eat. But those Christians chewing on the Eucharist were filled with some kind of reverent emotion. Peace.
今晚我的 “妻子”我将参加为期8周的婚姻准备课程的第三部分。天主教会要求所有希望在教会的祝福下结婚的夫妇接受这一课程。这样做的目的并不是要真正地教育情侣关于天主教的知识,而是要确保他们在正式结为夫妻之前,已经仔细研究了重大问题(并“officially” I mean “in the Church”)。该课程的一件事是’由大陆神父和台湾修女共同使用台湾材料*进行。
上个星期’本届会议颇具启发性。总共有九对夫妇参加。主题是“这就是我长大的方式。”都是为了了解每个人’的家庭背景不同,这对夫妻的影响如何’s life together.