World day of prayers for China Catholic community
Hong Kong, 24 May 2018 -- Since the Letter of Pope Benedict XVI to the Catholics of China (2007) for past 11 years the Universal Church set up May 24, Feast of Mary Help of Christians as a special occasion to express our solidarity in prayer with our sisters and brothers in this largest country in the world.
Pope Francis addressed last Wednesday: “… Feast of Mary Help of Christians, particularly venerated in the Marian shrine of Sheshan, near Shanghai, invites us to be spiritually united to all the Catholic faithful who live in China, so that they may live their faith with generosity and serenity, and so that they may carry out concrete gestures of fraternity, concord and reconciliation, in full communion with the Successor of Peter".
Since 2008, the Day of Prayer for the Church in China, established by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007, is celebrated on May 24th, all over the world. Referring to this anniversary, Pope Francis also addressed the "dearest disciples of the Lord in China, the universal Church prays with you and for you, so that even amid difficulties you may continue to entrust yourselves to the will of God. Our Lady will never fail to help you and will safeguard you with her maternal love".
But for whom we pray?
According the recent updated estimates of the Holy Spirit Study Center in Hong Kong (SAR), in the PRC (Mainland China) there are only about 10 million of Catholic believers (NB number of Catholic is decreasing due to very low birth rate and few new conversions): 144 diocese and apostolic vicariates (only 96 recognized at present time), 101 bishops (77 in ministry and 24 not in ministry), open Bishops 58 in ministry (7 not in ministry), underground Bishops 19 in ministry, 17 not in ministry; 2550 priest of the Open Church and 1320 priest of the underground Church, 8 major seminaries (398 seminarians), and 6 underground seminaries (100 seminarians).
On the World Day of Prayer for the Church in China (May 24) we are invited to ask God the Holy Spirit to pour forth His abundant blessings to the Catholic Church in China through the intercession of Our Lady of Sheshan, Help of Christians, with the prayer of our beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in 2007:
Virgin Most Holy, Mother of the Incarnate Word and our Mother,
venerated in the Shrine of Sheshan under the title "Help of Christians,"
the entire Church in China looks to you with devout affection.
We come before you today to implore your protection.
Look upon the People of God and, with a mother’s care, guide them
along the paths of truth and love, so that they may always be
a leaven of harmonious coexistence among all citizens.
When you obediently said "yes" in the house of Nazareth,
you allowed God’s eternal Son to take flesh in your virginal womb
and thus to begin in history the work of our redemption.
You willingly and generously cooperated in that work,
allowing the sword of pain to pierce your soul,
until the supreme hour of the Cross, when you kept watch on Calvary,
standing beside your Son, who died that we might live.
From that moment, you became, in a new way,
the Mother of all those who receive your Son Jesus in faith
and choose to follow in his footsteps by taking up his Cross.
Mother of hope, in the darkness of Holy Saturday you journeyed
with unfailing trust towards the dawn of Easter.
Grant that your children may discern at all times,
even those that are darkest, the signs of God’s loving presence.
Our Lady of Sheshan, sustain all those in China,
who, amid their daily trials, continue to believe, to hope, to love.
May they never be afraid to speak of Jesus to the world,
and of the world to Jesus.
In the statue overlooking the Shrine you lift your Son on high,
offering him to the world with open arms in a gesture of love.
Help Catholics always to be credible witnesses to this love,
ever clinging to the rock of Peter on which the Church is built.
Mother of China and all Asia, pray for us, now and for ever.
Amen!
