WEEKLY EDITORIAL
 

By Fr. Federico Lombardi: China is close at hand
The Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Cardinal Ivan Dias has published a beautiful and important letter to the bishops and priests of mainland China, inspired by the recently concluded Year for Priests.
Those who think of the Church in China exclusively in terms of political problems or diplomatic relations will fail to understand it. Card. Dias speaks from a pastoral perspective, he speaks of the testimony that the bishop and the priest must make first as a man of God and man for others. He speaks of prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist, and he speaks of the unselfish service of the small and the poor, of sinners, all following the example of Jesus.
He speaks of communion with the Holy Father in the Church as a guarantee of freedom in adherence to truth and authentic tradition. Probably the faithful and the pastors of the Church in China are among the most aware of this topic, in light of their experience. But he also speaks to a greater degree about unity among the members of the ecclesial community, of overcoming divisions with patience and courage. Divisions are in fact a consequence of sin, that sin which - as mentioned by the Pope several times recently - is most serious and dangerous for the Church. It is a danger that comes from within and is worse those that come from outside. “The Pope urges you to continue without fear on the path of holiness, unity and communion" says Card. Dias. For the Chinese Catholic priests and bishops, like all priests and bishops of the universal Church to which they belong, these are the primordial points on which to build the future. We are in solidarity with them on this path, which must be ours too.