The church in China.Congratulations and thank you for Adam Minter's article on the Presentation of Mary The feast, known in the West as the Presentation of Mary, and in the East as The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple is a Christian holy day commemorating the entry of the Virgin Mary into the Temple in Jerusalem as a small child. Sisters in Shanghai Shanghai (shăng`hī`, shäng`hī`), city (1994 est. pop. 12,980,000), in, but independent of, Jiangsu prov., E China, on the Huangpu (Whangpoo) River where it flows into the Chang (Yangtze) estuary. ("The Sisters of Shanghai," August 12). Having had the privilege of working with dedicated women religious in other major Chinese cities (Shenyang and Xian), I can report that the Shanghai Sisters' experience is not uncommon. American Catholics need more well-balanced and thoughtful reports like this one about the church in China that go beyond the unfortunate stereotypes in the secular and even Catholic press of the "patriotic" vs. "underground" churches, and capture the complexity, but more important the hope and potential, of the church in China. Especially commendable com·mend tr.v. com·mend·ed, com·mend·ing, com·mends 1. To represent as worthy, qualified, or desirable; recommend. 2. To express approval of; praise. See Synonyms at praise. 3. is the way Minter's article highlights the role of women in contributing much needed social services social services Noun, pl welfare services provided by local authorities or a state agency for people with particular social needs social services npl → servicios mpl sociales and in helping to reconcile the differences between the registered and unregistered Catholic communities. I must note, however, that there is no schism schism, in religion: see heresy; Schism, Great. , a term used once in the article, between the two communities. The Holy See has never considered the rift in the Chinese church to be a schism, and consistently has maintained that there is only one church in China, though divided. DOUG LOVEJOY South Orange, N.J. The writer is executive director of the U.S. Catholic China Bureau. |
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