Vatican's Canonization, a Severe Provocation to Chinese PeopleThe Vatican canonized on Sunday 120 foreign Catholic missionaries and their followers, including some who had committed monstrous crimes in China. This is a severe provocation to 1.2 billion Chinese people, said a commentary in our Daily that will be published on October 3 .The commentary said that on the very occasion when the Chinese people were celebrating the 51st anniversary of the founding of New China, the Holy See, disregarding strong opposition from the Chinese people including Chinese Catholics, intentionally held a so-called "canonization" ceremony in St.Peter's Square, which seriously hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. The Vatican's "canonization" is equivalent to "cutting open the historical scars" of the Chinese people because quite a lot of foreign missionaries committed inexcusable crimes in contemporary history, the commentary noted. The commentary said some missionaries were the very "perpetrators and accomplices" of the colonial and imperial invaders and committed notorious evils. The commentary cited the cases of French missionary Auguste Chapdelaine, Italian missionary Aldericus Crescitelli and Spanish missionary Franciscus de Capillas as evidence. These missionaries looted, raped and humiliated to such a degree that up to now the residents in the very dioceses still hate them. "These missionaries are not saints, nor martyrs, instead, they are out-and-out sinners," the commentary pointed out. It goes without saying that the Vatican intended to distort and tamper the history so as to cover up the evils committed by the missionaries, the commentary noted. "As is known to all," said the commentary, "the missionaries came to China accompanied with the warships and unequal treaties. They sold opium, collected intelligence, participated in invasion, plotted in drafting unequal treaties. All in all, nobody can cover up their sins and crimes." In order to confuse the world, the Vatican has time and time again announced that the "canonization" is a way of showing respect to the Chinese people. However, a commentary from the Vatican's official news service Fides on March 17 said, "The canonization of the Chinese martyrs is a challenge to the courage of the Beijing government." Such a comment reveals the Vatican's scheme of trying to resume their control over the Chinese Catholic Church, encourage Chinese Catholics to counter the government and the law, oppose China's socialist system and interfere in China's internal affairs by using religious issues, the commentary pointed out. The Vatican had recently to some extent repented for its crimes in history, such as the evils committed by the Crusade and the Inquisition, crimes its missionaries committed in Africa and America as well as keeping silent when Fascist Germany slaughtered Jewish people. But it failed to express any remorse for the crimes it has committed against the Chinese people. The Vatican, while expressing its intention to improve its relations with China, has time and time again set barriers and its"canonization" reveals its real face, the commentary said. China is willing to develop good relations with all countries on the principles of peaceful co-existence. However, it would turn out to be a failure to expect China to sacrifice its sovereignty to improve bilateral relations, the commentary stressed. Five decades ago, the Chinese Catholic church cut its ties with imperialism and got rid of the control of foreign forces. Ever since then, the Chinese Catholic Church has scored remarkable achievements and has got support and understanding from the Catholics in many other countries. The Chinese Catholic Church, with its policy of independence and initiative in management of its religious affairs, will create a more bright and magnificent future, the commentary concluded. |
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