Statement against "Canonization" HailedChinese Catholic and Protestant leaders and other representatives expressed their support Monday for the October 1 statement by the Foreign Ministry as well as their indignation over the Vatican's "canonization."Some 40 leaders and representatives from the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association and the Chinese Catholic Bishops College including Michael Fu Tieshan, Liu Yuanren, Liu Bonian and Tu Shihua attended a symposium opposing Vatican's "canonization" in Beijing. Participants agreed that Vatican's "canonization" of those missionaries who committed monstrous crimes and sins against the Chinese people reveals its vicious intention to distort the history and to intervene in China' internal affairs. Making these people, who are despised by the Chinese people, "saints" is also an open insult to the Chinese Catholic church, therefore Chinese Catholics should oppose such an evil act, said the participants, noting that the Chinese Catholic Church will continue to uphold patriotism and the policy of independence and self-management. According to the participants, many Catholics and religious organizations across the country have extended their support for the September 26 statement issued by the Chinese Catholic Church and the Chinese Catholic Bishops College. A similar symposium, organized by the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee of Protestant Churches of China and the China Christian Council, was held today in Nanjing. Chinese Protestant leaders and representatives including Ding Guangxun, Han Wenzao and Luo Guanzong condemned the Vatican's "canonization." Participants listed some examples to demonstrate that the Vatican viciously intended to oppose the Chinese people as well as to the policy of independence and self-management of the Chinese churches. The examples include: the Vatican was the first to acknowledge the puppet regime of the state of Manchu backed by the fascist Japan, and the Vatican intentionally held the "canonization" ceremony on October 1, China's National Day. Participants also pointed out that the Vatican's distortion and tampering of history and its beautification of accomplices of colonists and imperialists would surely anger the Chinese people and do harm to evangelization in China. |
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