Chinese Catholics thank Pope Benedict

March 04, 2013 - Asking forgiveness for their "weaknesses and limitations," especially for their difficulty accepting his decision to resign, a group of Chinese Catholics thanked Pope Benedict XVI for eight years of loving attention. "No matter what conflicts and harm occurred, no matter how sad and disappointed we made you feel, you always embraced China and the Catholic Church in China with fatherly love," the group said in the letter released by the Vatican Feb. 28. The Vatican said the text, dated Feb. 22 and written in English, was sent by a group of Chinese "bishops, priests, religious and laypeople." The Chinese Catholics said news of the pope's decision to resign was "shocking and sad," and they wished they had had a chance to meet the pope at the Vatican or, even, that the pope would have had a chance to visit them in China. "Your Holiness has paid special attention to China and saved a special place for the Catholic Church in China in your heart," they wrote. "You tried to promote dialogue and alleviate the cross we bear by showing your concern and by blessing China and the Chinese people." They thanked him for his 2007 letter to Chinese Catholics, encouraging steps to bridge the gap between Catholics registered with the government-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association and the so-called underground communities, whose leaders were frequently harassed or imprisoned by the authorities for their allegiance to the Pope of Rome. The letter also asked government authorities for dialogue on the appointment of bishops. A number of bishops were subsequently ordained with both papal and government approval, before the government returned to the practice of choosing bishops without the Vatican's approval.
In the farewell letter to the pope, the Chinese Catholic group also thanked the pope for all the times he mentioned the Chinese people in his public addresses and prayers, whether wishing them happiness and prosperity on the occasion of the New Year celebrations or offering condolences and calling for international solidarity when natural disasters struck. "We also will not forget your blessings and congratulations for the publication of Missals in simplified Chinese," they wrote. Pope Benedict's papacy, they said, was marked by "every effort to safeguard human dignity, pursue truth, defend the values of faith and actively promote the new evangelization." The Chinese Catholics also wrote about the witness offered by the pope's decision to resign. "The free and unconfined attitude you showed in front of power, honor and status, and your strong, persevering, humane response to various challenges have won the respect of all the world," they wrote. "This not only moved the world, but also makes it difficult for us Chinese clergy and Catholics to say farewell to you." They asked for his continued prayers and assured Pope Benedict they would pray for him and his successor.