The Catholic Church in China today

By Fr. Ray O'Toole, S.F. M.
January/February 2002

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For any of the great religions to operate in China, they must be connected to a state-monitored religious association, that is, a patriotic association. Five patriotic associations now exist in China: the Buddhist Association, the Daoist Association, the Islamic Association, the Catholic Patriotic Association, and the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Association. The government branch that deals with religion is the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA), formerly called the Religious Affairs Bureau (RAB).

Two organizations comprise the official Chinese Catholic Church-the Chinese Catholic Bishops Conference (CCBC) and the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA).

The CCPA is an organization of bishops, priests and laity, which aims to foster a spirit of patriotism and love for the country and the Church among Catholics. It collaborates with the government in implementing policy on religious freedom.

The official Catholic Church in China over the past 20 years has experienced increasing religious freedom. Catholics are free to pray publicly for the Pope and to obey him in matters pertaining to faith and Church law. The numbers of believers has grown and seminaries are full. There are many new priests and Sisters, although the demand for Catholic spiritual leaders is still great, especially in remote areas. Parish churches are generally filled on Sundays, and Mass, other Sacraments and instruction in the faith take place in registered Church sites.

The primary restriction experienced by the official Catholic Church is the prohibition against spreading the Gospel in public places (e.g. street corners, door-to-door evangelizing, Catholic religious education in schools) other than in registered venues.

An openness to the role of the official Catholic Church in areas of social work is appearing. Caritas-Hong Kong, a Catholic welfare organization, has many social projects throughout China.

There are Chinese Catholics who do not recognize the authority of the CCPA. In Church matters they express their allegiance only to the Vatican. They refrain from joining the patriotic association and are members of the unofficial (unregistered) Church. Re-establishing diplomatic relations between the Vatican and China would be a major step in mending this division within the Chinese Catholic Church.

Another factor contributing to this division is that the government has not returned to the Church some formerly owned Church properties that were taken over by the state after 1949. In these areas Catholic worship often takes place in what the government considers unregistered venues and this is seen as unlawful assembly.

It should be noted that this division varies from place to place. In some areas of China the resistance to the Catholic Patriotic Association is strong. In others, the official church and the unofficial Church collaborate closely. Despite this division, there is an ever-growing sense of unity within the Chinese Catholic Church and many Catholics in China see the Church as one.

China and the Vatican

Last October, on the anniversary of the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci's arrival in Beijing in 1601, a meeting of international Catholic Church leaders took place in Beijing. The meeting held high expectations that diplomatic relations between the Chinese government and the Vatican were imminent, and that the Pope would extend a formal apology for the canonizations of Chinese martyrs that took place a year before.

Those expectations fizzled out and an apology did not take place. However, the Pope, in his message to the participants of the Ricci meeting, did ask pardon for errors committed by missionaries and others during the colonial period. The Pope also urged "normalization of relations between the People's Republic of China and the Holy See," saying this "would undoubtedly have positive repercussions for humanity's progress."

China and the Vatican have not had diplomatic relations since the Communist takeover of China in 1949. Since the time of last year's meeting in Beijing, there has been little mention of China-Vatican relations. China has been busy with its entrance into the World Trade Organization, the upcoming Olympics, and focus on the change of top leadership which will take place in two years.

Canada-China Church relations

With respect to Canada-China Church relations, the Canadian Churches are planning an ecumenical Church and government visit from China later this year to observe how religious freedom works in Canada. It will be a return visit in response to a Canadian ecumenical Church and government delegation to China in 1999. The focus of that delegation was religious freedom and Chinese legislation.

As well, in October 2000, some members of the Canadian delegation were invited to address the Canada-China Joint Committee on Human Rights. This was the first time Church representatives received such an invitation.

Fr. Ray O'Toole is Assistant General on Scarboro Missions General Council and has served many years in China.

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