Bishop Fan Zhongliang: Better broken jade than intact tile
Vatican City ( AsiaNews) - The following is a memorial and a eulogy of the figure of Msgr. Joseph Fan Zhongliang, Bishop of Shanghai, not recognized by the government, who died on March 16. The author is Msgr. Savio Hon Taifai, Secretary of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the only Chinese member of the Roman Curia. Archbishop Hon stresses that the deceased bishop, in his love for the Church and the Pope was also a great witness of love for his country and his people and set an example for many of the faithful. Archbishop Hon suggests the Chinese authorities free Msgr. Ma Daqin , currently under house arrest, to allow him celebrate the funeral of Mgr. Fans. Such a gesture would be an important gesture in reconciling the Christian community in Shanghai and for harmony and the good of the great Chinese metropolis.
When two days ago I received news
of the death of Msgr. Joseph
Fan Zhongliang, sadness immediately descended on my heart. But
then, remembering who he was, I was comforted.
As
the Chinese proverb says: "Better [to be] broken jade than intact tile".
It was with this attitude that Msgr.
Fan
lived his life, which spanned a long and dramatic period, always under pressure,
in varying degrees, from the political situation.
Already as a young man Msgr. Fans
had remained faithful to Christ and to the Church, without this ever
undermining his love for his nation China and its people.
Bishop Fan was a good pastor in every sense, who sacrificed everything for his sheep. He was a symbol for many Chinese Catholics, a symbol of faith in the Lord, despite having been subjected to so many difficulties, including imprisonment. He was a symbol of fidelity to his vocation, although tried for a long time by disease. He was a symbol of allegiance to the Pope, even if it cost him dearly.
When I was teaching in Shanghai in the 1990s, at the regional seminary of Sheshan , I was struck by the way in which the faithful and also many young priests spoke of him with great love and respect.
Once he sent me a message of
thanks because I had offered my time and my academic abilities to teach in
China.
Within
the context of his situation and the political regime, Bishop Fan's external
freedom was always restricted, but not his interior freedom: a good Jesuit
through and through, he always embraced God's will. This is why he was a symbol of freedom for
all Catholics because they
only thing he sought was the right to live according to the guarantee of freedom
of religion and his loyalty to the Pope. This
was also why he had to suffer, but his witness made Catholics even more
determined and more in love with their country. They
were and are committed to strive for the good of their country and a greater
humanization of their city. Love
for God and love for the Pope does not preclude love for one's country.
His character was formed at the
school of Card. Gong Pinmei. We can read a tradition
common to both Card. Gong and Msgr. Fans. As
Confucius says, they will not budge even a millimeter in their benevolence and solidarity.
Another
characteristic element of Msgr. Fan was his magnanimity. Though
belonging to the unofficial church, he never had harsh words or sectarian judgments
of official Catholics. In
his clarity and truth he also knew how to be gentle and merciful. This
explains why over the years he was able to reconcile with Msgr. Jin
Luxian, even if the paths that they had taken in the past were very different.
Bishop Fan died two days ago, Msgr.
Jin died last year. But the
Lord has not left the Church in Shanghai without a guide. On
the surface there may seem to be a vacuum, but in reality, the presence of
Msgr. Thaddeus
Ma Daqin ensures continuity.
Shanghai Catholics
feel the same respect and appreciation of Msgr. Ma. Maybe
some criticize, but the majority follows him and loves him as the pastor of
Shanghai. And it
is a wonderful thing that he is the successor to both Msgr. Jin and Msgr. Fans. Through
him the Church of Shanghai can really live a new era of reconciliation.
I believe that the government would do well to allow to Msgr. Ma celebrate the funeral of Msgr. Fan Zhongliang. It would be a respectful gesture towards religious freedom and towards an elderly person, such as Msgr. Fans. In addition, Msgr. Ma Daqin's presence would guarantee not only a fitting funeral, but also an experience of fraternity and harmony among Christians, from which the entire city could only benefit.
(Photo:
the bodily remains of Msgr. Fans in his room before being transported to a
funeral home)
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12/12/2012
27/04/2015
08/05/2017 13:45
