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Clergy arrested as week of prayer for China begins
May 25, 2021 senior correspondent
A woman prays during Holy Thursday Mass March 29, 2018, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Beijing. (Credit: Damir Sagolj/Reuters via CNS.)
Days before the week of prayer for Catholics in China began Sunday, several clergy and seminarians in the country were arrested for holding services without the permission of the country’s Communist authorities.
ROME – Days before the week of prayer for Catholics in China began Sunday, several clergy and seminarians in the country were arrested for holding services without the permission of the country’s Communist authorities.
Mary Help of Christians, protector of Chinese Catholics
The trust of Chinese Catholics in Mary s help does not diminish despite the difficulties
The Marian procession at the shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan in May 2011. (Photo supplied)
As Christians celebrate the Feast of Mary Help of Christians on May 24, Catholics are also marking the 13th day of prayer for the Church in China. Pope Benedict XVI established it on May 27, 2017, with his letter to Chinese Catholics. It was celebrated for the first time the following year when Pope Benedict composed a special prayer for Our Lady of Sheshan.
The shrine of Our Lady of Sheshan, not far from Shanghai and named after Mary Help of Christians, is the most popular shrine in China. It is on top of a hill and many faithful climb the hill on their knees, pausing on the 14 Stations of the Cross.
2021/05/24 18:59 Pope Francis recites the Angelus noon prayer in St. Peter s Square at the Vatican, Sunday, May 9, 2021. Pope Francis recites the Angelus noon prayer in St. Peter s Square at the Vatican, Sunday, May 9, 2021. (AP photo) TAIPEI (Taiwan News) Pope Francis called on Catholics throughout the world to pray for the church in China at the Regina Coeli on Sunday (May 23), per Vatican News. Monday is the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, the national patron saint for the Chinese faithful. In 2007, Benedict XVI announced that May 24 would be the World Day of Prayer for the church in China. Since then, Catholics from China and around the world have made pilgrimages to the sanctuary of Sheshan.
U.S. Bishops Join Campaign Urging Prayers for China
Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo
24 May 2021
The U.S. Bishops’ Conference (USCCB) has echoed a summons calling for a special week of prayer for the people of China, in particular for Christians living there.
“In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI designated May 24, the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, as the Worldwide Day of Prayer for the Church in China,” notes a statement on the USCCB website.
“This past March, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, archbishop of Yangon (Myanmar) and president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, called for the expansion of the day of prayer to a Week of Prayer for the Church in China to be observed May 23-30, 2021,” it adds.