Chinese Catholic Church In Conflict

This is a sociological and historical analysis of the conflict between the state and the Catholic Church in China between 1949 and 2001 during half of a century of the socialist regime. The relationship began with conflict, followed by accomodation and finally a cooperative spirit had developed for a complex web of political and diplomatic reasons. Never in the past the Catholic Church has shown a rigorous growth under the encouragement of the Communist Party to shape the Church in the image of a indigenous and local church and to minimize the influence of the Vatican. There remains a persistent struggle between the underground church, those who remain loyal to early missionaries and to the Holy See, and the official national church controlled by the Party/State. The authors argue that there is hope that the conflict will eventually disappear as the new leadership in Beijing may one day restore a diplomatic relationship with the Vatican.

After suffering isolation and persecution during the Maoist era, the Catholic Church in China has reemerged with astonishing vitality in recent years. Richard Madsen focuses on this revival and relates it to the larger issue of the changing structure of Chinese society, particularly to its implications for the development of a "civil society." Madsen knows China well and has spent extensive time there interviewing Chinese Catholics both young and old, the "true believers" and the less devout. Their stories reveal the tensions that have arisen even as political control over everyday life in China has loosened. Of particular interest are the rural-urban split in the church, the question of church authority, and the divisions between public and underground practices of church followers. All kinds of religious groups have revived and flourished in the post-Mao era. Protestants, Buddhists, Daoists, practitioners of folk religions, even intellectuals seeking more secularized answers to "ultimate" concerns are engaged in spiritual quests. Madsen is interested in determining if such quests contain the resources for constructing a more humane political order in China. Will religion contribute to or impede economic modernization? What role will the church play in the pluralization of society? The questions he raises in China's Catholics are important not only for China's political future but for all countries in transition from political totalitarianism.

In spite of difficulties posed by a hostile socialist government, the Catholic Church in China has shown remarkable perseverance and growth since the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1979. The essays contained in The Catholic Church in Modern China inform readers of the major issues facing the Catholic Church in China today. Their insights should be welcomed by everyone from the Catholic layperson contemplating a trip to China to scholars and specialists in China and religious studies.

This book explores the Chinese Catholic Church as a whole as well as focusing on particular aspects of its activities, including diplomacy, politics, leadership, pilgrimage, youths, and non-Chinese Catholics in China. It discusses Sino-Vatican relations and the rationale behind the decisions taken by Pope Francis with regard to the appointment of bishops in China. The book also examines important changes and personalities in the Chinese Church, the Catholic organizations, and the Catholic communities in the Church, offering a key read for researchers and graduate students studying the Chinese Catholic Church, the Church in Asia, and religion in contemporary China.

This book traces the history of the Catholic Church in China since the country opened up to the world in December 1978. It comprehensively studies the Chinese Catholic Church on various levels, including an analysis of Sino-Vatican relations, the control over the Catholic Church by the Beijing government, the supervision of local Church activities, and the consecration of government-approved bishops, the formation of priests, and the everyday lives of Chinese Catholics.

How can the contemporary claims of communism and national culture be reconciled with a universal religion? How can the government of the People's Republic of China with its claim to absolute sovereignty exist alongside the spiritual authority of the Roman Catholic church? This conflict between two centres of authority has been at the core of recent relations between the Catholic church and China. In this first book-length study of the subject, Dr. Beatrice Leung analyses the interactions between China and the Holy See from 1976 to 1986. Dr. Leung examines the historic relationship between the Catholic church and China both prior to 1949 and from 1949 to 1976. She then analyses the major problems between these two institutions as they tried to establish a dialogue for future reconciliation. These include the need for the Vatican to transfer its recognition of China from Taipei to Beijing; the role of the Pope with his spiritual leadership of Chinese Catholics; and the handling of the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. The book concludes with suggestions for a basis for church-state rapprochement. Throughout her work, Dr. Leung uses Chinese language sources, both on the Catholic and Communist sides. These are supplemented by a wide range of interviews which the author has conducted in the Vatican, in Hong Kong and with members of the official and unofficial Catholic churches inside China itself.

This book features a collection of essays on China’s modern Catholic Church by a scholar of China-West intellectual and religious exchange. The essays and reflections were mostly written in China while the author was traveling by train, or staying in villages or large cities near to Roman Catholic cathedrals or other important historical sites during research trips to the country. It is clear that Clark’s understanding of Catholicism in China evolved from the first entry to the final ones in 2019. The essays included in this compendium were written in disparate contexts and in response to different events. As such, there is no obvious theme or order to the content. However, despite this, the book provides valuable insights for readers wishing to gain a better understanding of the complex topography of Catholic history in China, the contours of which have undergone stark transformations with each dynastic, political, and ecclesial transition. The information presented serves to highlight and explain the lives of Catholic people and the events that have punctuated one of the most significant dimensions of China’s long history of friendship, conflict and exchange with the West.