The Cardinal Kung Foundation
From The President's Desk
For Autumn 1994 Newsletter
Dear Friends,
1) Contributions to the Patriotic Association
On March 17, 1994, a donor of the Cardinal
Kung Foundation forwarded to us an information sheet on the
Catholic Church in China issued by AID TO THE CHURCH IN NEED
(ACN). She indicated to us her deep concern that ACN might be
assisting the Chinese Patriotic Association with donations meant
for the Roman Catholic Church. Alarmed, we sought clarification
from Father Dom Bernard Willem DeSmet, OSM, the President of ACN.
From the correspondence we exchanged with ACN, together with
other published articles, we concluded that ACN had, in fact,
been assisting the Patriotic Association.
The newly released ACN 1993 annual report stated:
"...Our help for China rose from 347,368 dollars in
1992 to 866,088 last year. After long negotiations the Church was
permitted to print 300,000 New Testaments and 4,000 Breviaries.
It was a great joy for us to be able to support this project with
320,000 dollars. Our thanks to all who contributed to
this!..."
The Church that ACN refers to is not the Roman Catholic
Church in China. Rather, it refers to a church which was created
in the 1950's by the Religious Bureau of the Chinese Communist
Government and is continued to be controlled by them. It rejects
the Pope's authority. It appoints its own bishops and ordains
them without the permission from the Holy Father. This so
called "Church" mentioned in ACN's annual report is not
even recognized by our Holy Father. This is the Chinese Communist
Government's "Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association".
ACN is a renowned Roman Catholic charitable organization. The
readers and donors of ACN have the right to expect that the
donation would go to the Roman Catholic Churches unless otherwise
qualified.
In the case of China, we have the right to believe that the
donation goes to the loyal Roman Catholic Church, commonly known
as the underground Church, when in fact ACN is aiding a
schismatic Patriotic Association without the slightest
qualification. This is not merely misleading. It is deceiving.
Moreover, these bibles printed by the Patriotic Association with
ACN's grant have their contents altered with at least two
omissions on explaining the Papal Supremacy.
Sadly, ACN is not the only institution aiding the Patriotic
Association. There are a number of other well known Roman
Catholic institutions and religious communities participating in
the programs of the Patriotic Association. They are, as reported
by "30 DAYS" (page 36, no.5, 1994), Italian PIME,
Jesuits, Franciscans, Missio, Misereor, the French Missions de
Paris, the Belgians of Scheut and many others. This list, of
course, will not be complete without mentioning Maryknoll.
In all, according to 30 days, US $ 4.7 million have been
contributed to the Patriotic Association by the Universal
Church's institutions. In the meantime, the loyal underground
Roman Catholic church, who has demonstrated its allegiance to the
Holy Father heroically for the last four decades, were "left
with nothing" as headlined in the 30 DAYS!
In addition to cash, there are free services given to the
Patriotic Association. Scores of religious personnel worked in
China for Patriotic Association as teachers and social workers.
Dozens of Patriotic Association seminarians and nuns are studying
free with full tuition, room and board scholarships in the United
States Catholic seminaries and elsewhere in the West. These could
add up to another few millions of dollars!
No doubt, the Patriotic Association is being supported indirectly
by your generous donations to your dioceses and to these
religious communities.
Because of these aforementioned supports, it is logical for the
Patriotic Association Bishops and the Chinese Government to
believe that the position they have taken (independence from the
Pope), their agenda, policy (continuous persecution of the loyal
Church) and programs must have been accepted by the Universal
Church; otherwise, why would these Patriotic Association projects
receive such overwhelming support with millions of dollars in
donation from the Universal Church?
This is a wrong message! Because of this erroneous and misguided
message, the loyal underground Roman Catholic Church suffers
greatly.
The 1988 advisory from the Holy See said that any contact with
the Patriotic Association should be marked by "doctrinal
clarity and fraternal charity".
Charity should start at home with the Roman Catholic Bishops in
China, not with the Patriotic Association which is controlled by
the atheistic communist government! These donations and free
services to the Patriotic Association at the expense of the
underground Church certainly far exceeded the spirit of
"Fraternal Charity".
Many church leaders of the free world appeared to have been
convinced that kindness and friendship to the communist
government sanctioned Patriotic Association would bring about
unity between the loyal Church and the Patriotic Association and
eventually the freedom of worship in China. Unfortunately, over
ten years of active, open support to the Patriotic Bishops from
the universal Church failed to achieve this "unity". It
only misguidedly gave the Patriotic Bishops and the Communist
government an impression that if they wait long enough, the
Universal Church leaders would accept them under any terms, with
or without the principle of Papal Supremacy. As "30
DAYS" recently remarked (last paragraph, page 36, no. 5 -
1994):
"...financial relief from abroad ultimately widens the
gap between them (Patriotic Association and loyal clandestine
Church). The clandestines receive only under-the-counter grants.
And the works built with regime-authorized funds are boycotted by
the faithful. The buildings then remain useless white elephants
in the hands of a few "patriotic" officials paid by the
State."
We pray that our Bishops, when they are aware of the truth of the
Patriotic Association and of the heroic fidelity of the
persecuted loyal Roman Catholic Church, would not ignore the
eight million suffering brothers and Sisters of the loyal Church,
even though they are thousands of miles away. Better public
awareness will hopefully change the hearts of the world Bishops. The
Foundation needs you to speak out and let your Bishops know of
your support to the underground Church in China.
In his homily televised nationally on 6/29/1994, the feast day of
Saints Peter & Paul, HIS EMINENCE CARDINAL KUNG said:
"...Many Catholic Church leaders in the Free world
extended hospitality and donated large sums of money to bishops
of the Communist's Patriotic Association. The Chinese government
regards these friendships and cooperation with the Patriotic
Association as an endorsement of its current policy on religion.
With this license, they continue their persecution of the loyal
Roman Catholic Church without any fear of reprisal.
Unfortunately, these misguided friendships and acts of charity on
behalf of the Patriotic Association have only prolonged the
sufferings of the loyalchurch...This is a disservice to the
Chinese. This is a ridicule to the continued sacrifices and
sufferings of the loyal underground Roman Catholic communities.
It is a mockery to the blood of the thousands of Chinese
martyrs."
2) Accepting the Patriotic Association religious
To convince their overseas benefactors of their fidelity to the
Church; thereby receiving millions of donations, the Patriotic
Association bishops Zong Huaide, Jin Luxian, Fu Teshan, Cai
Tiyuan and others never failed to proclaim their
"loyalty" to the Pope "IN THEIR HEARTS" and
to recall their "INTIMATE UNION" with the Apostolic
See. What the benefactors were not made aware of is that these
bishops are officers of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic
Association and its Bishop's conference. They are also the
presidents of their local chapters of the Patriotic Association.
They have the fundamental duty to defend the current constitution
of both the Patriotic Association and its Bishop's conference.
The most important tenet of these two constitutions is the
separation of their church from the Pope!
Actions speak louder than words. Bishop Jin of Shanghai, the
Patriotic Bishops Conference, and other patriotic bishops all
strongly protested and publicly accused the Holy Father that He
had interfered with the internal affairs of China and had split
the Catholic Church in China, when His Holiness announced the
elevation of Bishop Kung, the Bishop of Shanghai, to the College
of Cardinals in May 1991. They further accused Cardinal Kung that
he was sinning against the country and the Church. Such
belligerence exemplifies the true face of these bishops and the
patriotic Association. If the Patriotic Bishops were as loyal as
they claimed to be, they could not have made such strong public
statements against His Holiness.
In the West, loyalty to the Pope includes obedience. However, the
Patriotic Association Bishops, priests and seminarians have been
actively advocating "independence and separation from the
Pope" inside China, while they simultaneously proclaim their
"loyalty" to the Pope in front of their overseas
benefactors. One could easily see that the definition of
"loyalty" according to the Patriotic Association has an
entirely different connotation from what we understand in the
free world, and could at best be described as "love without
obedience". Yet the Patriotic Association religious gain
entrance and acceptance in the West by pledging their version of
"loyalty" to the Pope. Would this version of loyalty -
without obedience - be accepted in the Roman Catholic Church in
the United States and elsewhere in the free world? We should
think not!
When the Church leaders in the free world accept a distorted
"loyalty" (love without obedience) to the Holy Father,
they are not only sending a wrong message to the Chinese Roman
Catholic faithful, but also to the free world - that is: true
loyalty with obedience to His Holiness could be dispensed when it
is politically or economically feasible. This is contrary to the
basic doctrine in Catholicism. Loyalty and obedience to the
Pope is not a matter of discipline. It is a matter of faith. This
is nonnegotiable.
In recent years, the underground Roman Catholic Church (illegal
in the eyes of the Chinese Communist Government) has been very
active, open and accessible. Many of them are known to the
government and to the Catholic faithful. Therefore, most of the
faithful have two options:
1) to be loyal and obedient to the Pope (there are 8 millions of
them in China),
2) to be loyal and obedient to the Patriotic Association, and be
rewarded with the related economic benefits and power from the
Government.
If anyone of the Patriotic Association Bishops, priests and
seminarians are truly loyal to the Pope, they should be able to
prove themselves by not merely pledging their "loyalty (love
without obedience)" to the Pope, but also by:
1. Proclaiming his obedience to the Pope.
2. Disassociating himself from the Patriotic Association which
often means forgoing the related economic benefits.
3. Pledging, if he is a priest, his allegiance and obedience to
the Roman Catholic (underground) Bishop appointed by the Holy See
in his Diocese.
4. Proclaiming the profession of faith.
One should question the Patriotic Association religious who
merely pledge "loyalty" to the Pope without the above
four steps, and are still reporting and working for a patriotic
bishop who advocates separation from the Pope. one can not help
but wonder not only how valid is this pledge, but also rightly
judge that it is prolonging the persecution of the loyal Church.
Patriotic bishops, priests, and seminarians travel every year to
the United States and elsewhere in the West. If they are sincere
about their "loyalty and obedience to the Pope", they
have plenty of opportunities to start anew and dissociate
themselves from the communist controlled Patriotic Association
and the self-appointed Patriotic Bishops. They should certainly
be most welcome to their mother Church. But they can not have a
piece of cake and eat it twice by declaring their
"loyalty" to the Holy Father, and in the meantime still
either stay with the Patriotic Association or work for a
patriotic Bishop.
3) Rumors and False Documents
Many fabricated rumors and documents, contrary to the traditional
guidelines, appear to have been an overall plot by the Chinese
government and the Patriotic Government to:
A. Erode the respect, confidence, obedience and loyalty of
the underground church to the Holy Father to such an extent that
the issue of authority of the Pope on the Catholic Church in
China would become irrelevant.
B. To give the Roman Catholic institutions around the
world a serious misconception that the Vatican is now supporting
the government sponsored Patriotic Association rather than the
loyal underground Church.
C. To reassure the Patriotic Association members that it
is doctrinally sound to join the Patriotic Association. Members
of the Patriotic Association are often skeptical about their own
bishops, priests and teachings.
A few events happened that, frightfully, confirm the above
scenario.
In 1988, the Vatican issued an advisory to the world bishops on
their relationships with the Patriotic Association. Such
directives included forbidding Roman Catholic priests to
concelebrate with Patriotic association's clergy. This advisory
has not been changed.
A. False Eight Directives Allegedly From The Vatican -
Recently, someone issued "Eight Directives" in Chinese
giving a new interpretation contradicting the aforementioned 1988
advisory. In this false document, claim was made that it was
issued from The Vatican through the Papal representative in Hong
Kong. The Papal Representative in Hong Kong has categorically
denied that he had ever issued it.
This false document, in essence, said that joining the Patriotic
Association, accepting their priests and Bishops, and using their
facilities are permitted under the current situation. The
document said that since the Vatican did not openly condemn the
Patriotic Association, it has, in essence, approved it.
Shanghai Catholics reported that Bishop Jin, the Patriotic
Association's Bishop of Shanghai, has printed an extraordinary
large number of copies of this false document. They have been
distributed throughout China. A number of Patriotic bishops are
organizing classes to teach these false directives.
B. Concelebration - According to "Our Sunday
Visitor 6/12/94", Archbishop Roger Vangheluwe, Archbishop of
Bruges, Belgium, openly concelebrated a Holy Mass with fifteen
visiting Patriotic Association priests. This concelebration is
clearly contrary to the 1988 Vatican advisory. The Visitors
further commented that "the Archbishop of Bruges would not
have allowed the priests to concelebrate with him if he did not
have approval from Rome".
Could this approval ve true? His Eminence Cardinal Kung
has not received any notice from Vatican on the change of its
policy on concelebration.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* *
The frequent visits to the West of the Patriotic Bishops, the
enthusiastic reception they received from the Universal Church's
hierarchy, the millions given to the Patriotic Church, the
vehement rumors and false documents have, very unfortunately,
given the public the perception that the Holy See is supporting
the Patriotic Association and is ready to abandon the 8 million
loyal Catholics in China.
The Communist government did not succeed in eliminating the three
million loyal underground Catholics by coercion and persecution.
This three million in the 1950's has since grown to eight
million, but not without great price and countless martyrdom.
Now, the communist government is hoping to defeat the Roman
Catholic Church by more subtle deceit and confusion.
Speaking in April 1994 at St. John's Church in New York, His
Eminence Cardinal Kung said:
"The Catholic Church will never vanish in China. I beg
you to have the patience to stay with us with your prayers and
open support until our Holy Mother Mary saves China in her own
time."
4) Other News
A. Arrest and Fines - The underground church has very few
churches. Almost all Masses are offered in the private homes or
in the open fields. There have been intensive crackdowns on these
"illegal religious activities" in private homes. Many
underground priests were arrested while saying these secret
Masses in private homes. Since last Winter, the Foundation has
reported to the media the arrest of four bishops, twelve priests
and two lay persons. There must be many more unreported. In one
district, due to the arrest of its only two priests, there has
been no Holy Mass for many months.
Moreover, the communist government has started to impose heavy
fines in certain districts of JMP3000 (Chinese currency)
equivalent to 6-8 months salary from the hosts of the private
Mass. These arrests and fines have significantly reduced the
chances of secret Mass in private homes.
B. Sales of Roman Catholic Church Properties - News
media has reported that Bishop Aloysius Jin, the Patriotic
Association Bishop of Shanghai, has organized a real estate
company to systematically sell or commercially redevelop the
properties belonging to the Roman Catholic diocese of Shanghai or
other religious orders. Those prime properties consisting of 2
million square feet are priceless, due to the vibrant real estate
boom in shanghai. The profits will be shared equally by the
developer and the Patriotic Association!
5) Recent Trend of the Underground Church
- In spite of great personal risks, the underground Church
attempts to worship openly. They formed the Roman Catholic
Bishops Conference in China, built churches (at least one was
torn down by the Government), and met with the U. S. congressman.
They offer Masses, organize devotions and pilgrimages, and many
other activities disregarding government restrictions. The
underground church deserves the active support from the Universal
Church and world bishops.
6) Donation to Chinese Catholic church
- From time to time, you may receive requests from organizations
for donations to the "Chinese Catholic Church".
Please find out the name of the agency which will distribute the
funds, and the exact nature of the programs which you are
supporting:
a. Is the institution nonprofit and approved by the
United States Internal Revenue?
b. Is the project only for the benefit of the loyal
Roman Catholic Church in China, and the funds go directly to its
bishops?
c. Is the project wholly or partially under the control
of the Communist government, often in partnership with the
Patriotic Association?
d. Are the funds to be used for other missionary work in
Chinese communities outside of the People's Republic of China?
e. Is the program a personal for profit investment
project in China of a religious from overseas independent from
the local loyal bishops, giving the appearance of a charitable
organization?
If you truly want your money to help the underground Church, the
above answers should be important to you.
The mission and projects of the Cardinal Kung Foundation are
exclusively dedicated to assist the loyal Roman Catholic Church
in China and work directly with and for the underground Bishops.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call us.
7) Conclusion
Helping missionary work is surely a financial sacrifice, but also
an honor. Considering their fidelity to His Holiness, their
faith, their steadfastness in spite of long years of persecution,
and their desperate financial needs, the underground Roman
Catholic Church in China deserves your generous financial support
and a special place in your heart. The success of our projects
are critical to the persecuted Church in China during this period
of intensive crackdown. These loyal Bishops are appealing
directly to you. Can you give us your support today? Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Joseph Kung
, President
Go Back To
ARTICLE LIST
For Donations
Please Click DONATION/ADDRESS
Go Back To MENU