http://www.cardinalkungfoundation.org/articles/newsletter/Official_authentic_portrait_Lady_of_China.jpg

Official portrait of Our Lady Of China

http://www.cardinalkungfoundation.org/articles/newsletter/christmas_greetings2002.htm

Continued Persecution of the Underground Church in China

Bishop JIA Zhiguo, the underground Roman Catholic bishop of Zhengding, Hebei, was arrested on March 20, 2002. Bishop JIA is 67 years old and was ordained a bishop in 1980. He was previously in jail for approximately 20 years. He was released shortly after our press release and has been under strict surveillance for many years….. Father PANG Yongxing, 30 years of age, was arrested in his home in December 2001. On Easter Sunday, March 31, 2002, Father MA Shunbao, 50 years of age, was arrested while he was offering Holy Mass. Father WANG Limao, 32 years of age, was arrested on Palm Sunday, March 24, 2002, also while offering Holy Mass. All three priests belong to the underground Roman Catholic Church in Baoding, Hebei. On July 7, 2002, they were sentenced to three years of labor camp for “disturbing the peace of society” under the “cult” law….. Six Roman Catholics from Wenzhou, Zhejiang went to DongLu in Baoding, Hebei for a pilgrimage in May 2002 and were arrested by the authorities. They were fined a total of JMP 30,800 (US $ 3,850) for “illegal pilgrimage.” They were released soon after the fine was paid. …..On July 18, 2002, in Dong-An village, Fujian province, 31 underground Roman Catholics, 26 of whom were students under 18 years of age, were arrested during a summer vacation catechism class in a private home. Among the 31 arrested were a Catholic nun, Sister Chen Mei, 27 years of age, and four chaperons. The children and chaperons were released after one day. The situation of Sister Chen Mei is unknown…..Bishop WEI Jingyi, 44 years of age, the underground Roman Catholic Bishop of Qiqihar, Heilongjiang, was arrested Sept 9, 2002. He was too released shortly after our press release.

Annual “Coast to Coast” Masses for the Underground Church in China

The Cardinal Kung Foundation is promoting the celebration of an annual Mass for the persecuted underground Roman Catholic Church in China. The Foundation has chosen, as the annual date for this Mass, the Sunday before October 1, which is the National Day of the founding the People's Republic of China and also the anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s canonization of the 120 blessed martyr saints of China. This year, approximately 300 Masses were celebrated worldwide. This does not include many Masses, which we know have been offered, but are not reported to us. It is not too early to reserve now the next year’s annual Mass on September 28, 2003, as the church’

and why it is state sanctioned?

and why it is state sanctioned?
In the People's Republic of China there was a great deal of fear towards the Roman Catholic Church because its members had allegences towards a foreign leader. Religion in general was treated with hostility by the Chinese Communists but Catholicism in particular was targeted. To break the control of the Catholic Hirarchy, the Chinese government instituted a state sponsered "Patriotic Church" which had its own Church Hiarchy and performed catholic rituals just like the original church. But this Patriotic Church was never approved or sanctioned by the Pope, and this body, in turn never recognized the pope as their leader. As a result, it was not considered the "True" Catholic Church. Today, there is an underground Catholic Church which is NOT state sanctioned. For now, the Chinese Communists have bigger fish to fry than a few renegade Catholics so there is not much persecution at this current time.

the left(i mean the american left) keeps denying, but there is some wrong chemistry between them and religion. its not just the commies. thats why kerry kept dozing on about religion during the debates, i think it was the fear of steriotipical image that his opponents use against him.

the left(i mean the american left) keeps denying, but there is some wrong chemistry between them and religion. its not just the commies. thats why kerry kept dozing on about religion during the debates, i think it was the fear of steriotipical image that his opponents use against him.
I do not consider Kerry to be a leftist of any kind, probibly he was more of a centerist. But to the american right, anyone who supports a seperation of church and state is a leftist.

I do not think that the left is opposed to religion. Just a few hardcore Stalinists and the like. But mostly the left supports seperation of church and state and are not opposed to religious practice.