08/22/2018, 10.36
CHINA-VATICAN
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Chinese Catholics: Sinicization is a trap to block the Church and distort the religions

by Bernardo Cervellera

Only the Chinese Communist Party knows what "sincization" means. The five-year plan prepared by the Patriotic Association and the Council of Bishops serves to destroy the values ​​present in religions. Submission creates fear and drives people away from religions.

Rome (AsiaNews) - Sinicization "is a trap", a way to "intimidate the Catholic Church"; it has the purpose of "distorting the creed of all religious communities" in China. These are the thoughts of two Chinese Catholics, Peter of Hebei, and Paul of Shaanxi referring to the program wanted by Xi Jinping to assimilate religions to Chinese culture and society, a program that provides for submission to the Communist Party and verification of assimilation by the Patriotic Association (PA), the Party’s long arm over religious communities. The PA and the Council of Bishops have already prepared a five-year plan for the implementation of sinicization. By the end of August, every diocese in China will have to present its plan at a diocesan level.

Dear father,

I read with interest his article on the sinicization. You are right. Sinicization is a trap indeed. It forces the Catholic strictly to obey government. On the other hand, sinicization will be a standard for judging what is wrong or not according to the government`s desire. Sinicization is also a intimidation for Chinese Catholic. Because it will be compel our mind to fear them on everything.

Paul

Shaanxi

There is no precise definition of the term " sinicization". The interpretation depends exclusively on the Party. Hence, sinicization means only the absolute and total obedience to the Party’s wishes.

And since the Party is atheist, this campaign aims to distort the beliefs of all religious communities. These, in assimilating themselves to the will of the Party, will lose their values ​​and become less credible, so the Party can eliminate all its rivals.

It is obvious that the Council of Chinese bishops and the Patriotic Association will have to follow the political line of the Party: this explains the five-year plan that was recently published.

If the red flag - a symbol of communist power - takes the place of the crucifix in the church; if people have to sing the national anthem before mass; if the priest glorifies the atheist party in his homily; if the police have to register all the faithful who enter the places of worship, who will want to participate anymore in religious activities?

Peter

Beijing

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