THE CHURCH IN CHINA

New Zealand Tablet, 28 April 1910, Page 651

THE CHURCH IN CHINA

ITS HISTORY AND PROGRESS

. The news of serious rioting in Chiangsha, where several mission stations have been destroyed, has again drawn attention to China and its internal affairs. There is no country in the world to-day (says the Boston Pilot) which otters greater possibilities for development than China. The people of this vast empire are slowly awakening to the consciousness of their own strength, and they command the attention of all thoughtful men - The Catholic Church is deeply concerned with the future of China. The blood of her martyrs is'deep in that soil, and ever-ripening grain is ready for the harvest. The total population of China is exceedingly difficult to estimate. A few years ago the Chinese Government issued an official estimate of 407„233,029, but it is well known that in many districts the reckoning was far short of the actual numbers, and to-day 450,000,000 is not considered wide of the mark. In its scenery, soil, and climate, in navigable rivers and varied products, China will compare favorably with the most habitable portions of the earth. The Chinese call it the Middle Kingdom, as occupying a central place among the nations. b ■ 1 t The story of the Catholic Church in this vast empire of the East is an interesting one, too little known. Father Moidrey, S.J., divides the history of the Church in China into three periods. - The First Period. Of the first period Father Moidrey simply says that • 11 - ICer tJS 1 whether St. Thomas the Apostle ever preached m (Anna. There is no Chinese document to prove that he did so, although the Chaldean breviary says that he did. /ru 0 ■ I- ,o' vl ] document relating to the first appearance of Christianity in China is the famous stone of Si-ngan-fou, discovered in 1625, on which an inscription, in Chinese and Syrian characters, states that the priest Olopeiv carried the religion of Christ into China in 635. Late research seems to prove that these early missionaries were Nestorians (schismatics). The Chinese Annals are silent on too l / w , ork and make no reference to Christianity until 1264, when an imperial edict taxed all Christian priests. The Second Period. . This period begins with the Franciscan missionaries in China. John of Plano Carpini, who left Lyons for this mission 111 1246, founded the great Christian settlement of Pekin, and in 1308 another John— Monte Corvino—was consecrated Archbishop of Pekin with seven suffragan Bishops. This prelate baptised 30,000 pagans before his death seventeen years later; and the Emperor, though not converted, sent an embassy to the Pope, requesting additional missionaries. Before these priests could arrive in Ha f a^lin^b eig, V n^ d / Uast -l was overthrown and the Chrisappeared! 1 ’ ° Ut from lts fouhtam head, gradually disThird Period. Fr n More than two hundred years afterwards, in 1552, St Francis Xavier died at Sancian Island on his way to China His brethren took up the work which he had planned and Vere p- C • led c b ? Dominicans and Franciscans. Father Chtij 1 - ICC1 ’ was . practically the founder of the Chinese mission which exists to-day. This noted priest made his first visit to Pekin in 1595. His learning was so remai kable that he gained the good-will of the court nrioi 4 m . andarills often accompanied him and his under 3 The faith s l> read ‘ far a " d » dd e ’ authority mer was issued last year in China under the authority of the Viceroy of Chih-Li (of which Pekin is the capital for use in all the schools. From this textdavq +? observed the succession of events from the days of Father Ricci. It was translated for the North China Daily News, published at Shanghai, from which the following summary was made for The Field Afar. Tile Chinese compilers of the primer have begun with 1581 and ave, therefore omitted all reference to the earlier propaganda made by Catholic missionaries. The dates do^not series 8 "T f ° U ," d '> t other . documents but the reading. * Wlll make interesting and instructive Shanghai^ 11 Italian ’ Father Matthew Ricci, S.J., entered • IJ e wen t to Fokin and was very favorably re ceived by the great officials of the court Ricci wrote many books explaining the doctrines of the Church which were widely circulated. Afterwards the preachers’ of the aith gradually increased and other books were published The Imperial Board of Astronomy suggested that the foreigners, Fathers Diego Pantigo and Satin c e Ur should prepare the calendar. The faith was also preached at Nankin, and a great number of officials and people entered the Church A high official petitioned the Em peror to stop this and the Emperor sent Fathers Va innano and Pantigo back to Canton with instructions to return to their own country. The two priests went to the provdnee of Kuangtung, but delayed departure ounce n [The most distinguished of Father Ricci’s converts was a celebrated Doctor Paul Sin, who belonged to Shanghai®

and to whom many Catholics, living to-day in that city, owe under Cod, the blessing of their faith. Dr. Sin’s tomb is at Zi-Ka-wei, the headquarters of the Kiang-nan vicariate, about five miles from Shanghai itself. This tomb was restored a few years ago, and the 300th anniversary or Dr. Sin s baptism was observed with great solemnity. Several of his descendants belong to different religious communities.] 1638.—-From Pekin the faith spread to each province, and chapels were erected everywhere. At the end of the Ming dynasty, 1638, Christianity had greatly prospered and established itself in China. 1 t , , 1644.—The present dynasty was established. Fathers bcnall and erbresi were asked to enter the imperial board or astronomy. 4.1 . !68 8 -—foreigners were expressly permitted to establish their Church in Pekin, but were forbidden to exhort Chinese to become members. the faith' -lderS WGre issued against the propagation of I^lß-1/19. —-Similar orders were given. 1723 Foreign teachers were obliged to establish themselves at Macao. The - churches were transformed into imperial residences. * 1724—The Viceroy of Liang-Kuang reported that Macao was too small for this purpose, and petitioned to allow temporarily the opening of a Catholic chapel in Canton. Such as wished could return to their own country; others might remain, provided they would not secretly propagate the faith. He also ordered inland residents who had embraced the faith to abandon it. 1736.—The propagation of the faith was again forbidden under, penalty of imprisonment for life. 1741—The foreign preachers who had been imprisoned were liberated by the Emperor. Such as wished to return to their own country were escorted to Canton; the others were allowed to reside in their chapel at Pekin during good behaviour. c xi lßlNew et |icts . "'ere issued against the propagation ot the faith and foreigners were forbidden to buy or sell property in the interior. These instructions were incorporated in the Chinese Code of Laws. 1842. —Tip to this date these laws had not been abrogated; from the beginning of the dynasty (1644 to 1842) it was an offence against the law to propagate the faith. Christians could live in China, but might not spread their faith. the primer states that propagation was forbidden not with any intention of controverting the belief of the foreigners, but lest those who believed, and the people should be led into mutual doublings, and from that disturbances arise. 1841. On account of the importation of opium there was a war with England, 1843.—1 n the treaty of peace, there was a paragraph i elating to the propagation of the faith, and from which time the restrictions against such propagation were withdrawn Yet it was not clearly stated that the Chinese could be allowed to embrace Christianity. 1846. Viceroy of Liang-Kuang, at the petition or some Frenchmen, asked that the restrictions against Chinese entering the Catholic Church be removed. The latter was referred to the Board of Rites, and it was enacted that at the ports Catholic churches might be established and the Chinese become Christians.’ Yet, still it was not clearly stated that the propagation should be permitted in the interior. ilßs9.— Treaties were made with France, Russia, England, and America. In that of France were inserted clauses which permitted missionaries to preach in the inland places, and the officials were required to treat them well and to protect them. 1 1861.—Another clause was added to the treaty with r ranee, requesting an imperial edict to be published throughout the Empire allowing the inhabitants of every province to become Catholics and missionaries to hire or purchase property. 1 £ 1862.—The French Minister petitioned that Catholics be freed from paying taxes in all matters relating to idol worship, theatrical performances, or religious ceremonies. This petition was granted... 1871. —The Board of Punishment revised the code of laws, removing all former restrictions against the propagation of the faith. Although complete statistics for the past year have not yet been received, it is certain that there are now (1908) more than one million and twenty thousand Catholics in probably nearly one million and forty thousand In i the returns so far made it has been noted that there have been gains in every vicariate. In Pekin, alone the increase was 14,533. There are in China about ’iSOO priests, of whom 1200 are Europeans, These are figures which ought to interest every Catholic. The Chinese people are becoming conscious of their strength; they are beginning to study the spiritual and intellectual forces of the world. The Catholic Church, the Guardian of God’s revelation to man, can alone direct the mind and heart of this vast nation which embraces from one-third to one-fourth of all mankind. It is gratifying to note the progress already made, and these results should certainly stimulate the Catholic body to even greater activity in this direction.

' Father Moidrey believes that the extraordinary movement for Western _ ideas since the late war will profoundly modify the conditions. of apostolic wort. . - , ■ ‘ God alone knows,’ he added, ‘ what this new page in the history of the Chinese mission will produce, hut the solid, serious qualities of ; the race, the number and zeal of the missionaries, the constancy of the neophytes, above all the Divine blessing inseparably attached to persecution, all abundantly permits of our carrying our hopes to the height of ' the dream of ■ Xavier and Ricci —the greatest nation of the East, adoring and serving our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.’ "