Orthodox celebrate St. John of Shanghai at China’s Expo

(July 06,2010) In China, the small Chinese Orthodox community celebrated St. John of Shanghai with a solemn liturgy. The ceremony was chaired by Archpriest Alexei Kiselevich, rector of the Orthodox community of the city, in the church of St. Nicholas. Many foreign faithful, who visit the Expo also took part in the ceremony, as well as local government representatives. China’s authorities have allowed the Orthodox to hold regular prayer services during the universal exhibition. During the year, however, the Orthodox Church is normally under strict control, and regular celebrations take place only within the Russian embassy. The Orthodox Church is not among the five religions recognized by the government. The Russian Orthodox Church arrived in China about 300 years ago. The first communities were made up of Russian emigrants and resided mainly in the north. Even now the majority of believers are of Russian descent and are located in four parts of the country.
The Cultural Revolution wiped out the presence of bishops and priests. Even today, the faithful have no priest, and they gather to pray only occasionally on Sundays.
St. John of Shanghai was a champion of religious freedom. Born in Ukraine in 1896, he arrived in China in 1934, after being consecrated bishop. Here he met the Orthodox community, divided on ethnic grounds, and completed the construction of the great cathedral. After the takeover by the Maoists, he was forced to immigrate to San Francisco, where he died.