Message of His Holiness Pope Francis
to the Catholics of China and to the Universal Church

“Eternal is his merciful love;
He is faithful from age to age”
(Psalm 100:5)

Dear brother bishops, priests, consecrated men and women and all the faithful of the Catholic Church in China, let us thank the Lord, for “eternal is his merciful love! He made us, we belong to him; we are his people, the sheep of his flock” (Ps 100:3).

At this moment, my heart echoes the words of exhortation addressed to you by my venerable predecessor in his Letter of 27 May 2007: “Catholic Church in China, you are a small flock present and active within the vastness of an immense people journeying through history. How stirring and encouraging these words of Jesus are for you: ‘Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s pleasure to give you the kingdom’ (Lk 12:32)! … Therefore, ‘let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven’ (Mt 5:16)” (BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Chinese Catholics, 27 May 2007, 5).

1. Of late, many conflicting reports have circulated about the present and, in particular, the future of the Catholic communities in China. I am aware that this flurry of thoughts and opinions may have caused a certain confusion and prompted different reactions in the hearts of many. Some feel doubt and perplexity, while others sense themselves somehow abandoned by the Holy See and anxiously question the value of their sufferings endured out of fidelity to the Successor of Peter. In many others, there prevail positive expectations and reflections inspired by the hope of a more serene future for a fruitful witness to the faith in China.

This situation has become more acute, particularly with regard to the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China, which, as you know, was signed in recent days in Beijing. At so significant a moment for the life of the Church, I want to assure you through this brief Message that you are daily present in my prayers, and to share with you my heartfelt feelings.

They are sentiments of thanksgiving to the Lord and of sincere admiration – which is the admiration of the entire Catholic Church – for the gift of your fidelity, your constancy amid trials, and your firm trust in God’s providence, even when certain situations proved particularly adverse and difficult.

These painful experiences are part of the spiritual treasury of the Church in China and of all God’s pilgrim people on earth. I assure you that the Lord, through the crucible of our trials, never fails to pour out his consolations upon us and to prepare us for an even greater joy. In the words of the Psalmist, we are more than certain that “those who are sowing in tears, will sing when they reap” (Ps 126[125]:5).

Let us continue to look, then, to the example of all those faithful laity and pastors who readily offered their “good witness” (cf. 1 Tim 6:13) to the Gospel, even to the sacrifice of their own lives. They showed themselves true friends of God!

2. For my part, I have always looked upon China as a land of great opportunities and the Chinese people as the creators and guardians of an inestimable patrimony of culture and wisdom, refined by resisting adversity and embracing diversity, and which, not by chance, entered into contact from early times with the Christian message. As Father Matteo Ricci, S.J., perceptively noted in challenging us to the virtue of trust, “before entering into friendship, one must observe; after becoming friends, one must trust” (De Amicitia, 7).

I too am convinced that encounter can be authentic and fruitful only if it occurs through the practice of dialogue, which involves coming to know one another, to respect one another and to “walk together” for the sake of building a common future of sublime harmony.

This is the context in which to view the Provisional Agreement, which is the result of a lengthy and complex institutional dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities initiated by Saint John Paul II and continued by Pope Benedict XVI. Through this process, the Holy See has desired – and continues to desire – only to attain the Church’s specific spiritual and pastoral aims, namely, to support and advance the preaching of the Gospel, and to reestablish and preserve the full and visible unity of the Catholic community in China.

With regard to the importance of this Agreement and its aims, I would like to share with you a few reflections and provide you with some input of a spiritual pastoral nature for the journey we are called to undertake in this new phase.

It is a journey that, as in its earlier stages, “requires time and presupposes the good will of both parties” (BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Chinese Catholics, 27 May 2007, 4). But for the Church, within and outside of China, this involves more than simply respecting human values. It is also a spiritual calling: to go out from herself to embrace “the joys and the hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially those who are poor or afflicted” (SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 1) and the challenges of the present that God entrusts to us. It is thus an ecclesial summons to become pilgrims along the paths of history, trusting before all else in God and in his promises, as did Abraham and our fathers in the faith.

Called by God, Abraham obeyed by setting out for an unknown land that he was to receive as an inheritance, without knowing the path that lay ahead. Had Abraham demanded ideal social and political conditions before leaving his land, perhaps he would never have set out. Instead, he trusted in God and in response to God’s word he left his home and its safety. It was not historical changes that made him put his trust in God; rather, it was his pure faith that brought about a change in history. For faith is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received [God’s] approval” (Heb 11:1-2).

3. As the Successor of Peter, I want to confirm you in this faith (cf. Lk 22:32) – in the faith of Abraham, in the faith of the Virgin Mary, in the faith you have received –and to ask you to place your trust ever more firmly in the Lord of history and in the Church’s discernment of his will. May all of us implore the gift of the Spirit to illumine our minds, warm our hearts and help us to understand where he would lead us, in order to overcome inevitable moments of bewilderment, and to find the strength to set out resolutely on the road ahead.

Precisely for the sake of supporting and promoting the preaching of the Gospel in China and reestablishing full and visible unity in the Church, it was essential, before all else, to deal with the issue of the appointment of bishops. Regrettably, as we know, the recent history of the Catholic Church in China has been marked by deep and painful tensions, hurts and divisions, centred especially on the figure of the bishop as the guardian of the authenticity of the faith and as guarantor of ecclesial communion.

When, in the past, it was presumed to determine the internal life of the Catholic communities, imposing direct control above and beyond the legitimate competence of the state, the phenomenon of clandestinity arose in the Church in China. This experience – it must be emphasized – is not a normal part of the life of the Church and “history shows that pastors and faithful have recourse to it only amid suffering, in the desire to maintain the integrity of their faith” (BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Chinese Catholics, 27 May 2007, 8).

I would have you know that, from the time I was entrusted with the Petrine ministry, I have experienced great consolation in knowing the heartfelt desire of Chinese Catholics to live their faith in full communion with the universal Church and with the Successor of Peter, who is “the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful” (SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, 23). In these years, I have received numerous concrete signs and testimonies of that desire, including from bishops who have damaged communion in the Church as a result of weakness and errors, but also, and not infrequently, due to powerful and undue pressure from without.

Consequently, after carefully examining every individual personal situation, and listening to different points of view, I have devoted much time to reflection and prayer, seeking the true good of the Church in China. In the end, before the Lord and with serenity of judgment, in continuity with the direction set by my immediate predecessors, I have determined to grant reconciliation to the remaining seven “official” bishops ordained without papal mandate and, having lifted every relevant canonical sanction, to readmit them to full ecclesial communion. At the same time, I ask them to express with concrete and visible gestures their restored unity with the Apostolic See and with the Churches spread throughout the world, and to remain faithful despite any difficulties.

4. In the sixth year of my Pontificate, which I have placed from the beginning under the banner of God’s merciful love, I now invite all Chinese Catholics to work towards reconciliation. May all be mindful, with renewed apostolic zeal, of the words of Saint Paul: “God… has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor 5:18).

Indeed, as I wrote at the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, “no law or precept can prevent God from once more embracing the son who returns to him admitting that he has done wrong but intending to start his life anew. Remaining only at the level of the law is equivalent to thwarting faith and divine mercy… Even in the most complex cases, where there is a temptation to apply a justice derived from rules alone, we must believe in the power flowing from divine grace” (Apostolic Letter Misericordia et Misera, 20 November 2016, 11).

In this spirit, and in line with the decisions that have been made, we can initiate an unprecedented process that we hope will help to heal the wounds of the past, restore full communion among all Chinese Catholics, and lead to a phase of greater fraternal cooperation, in order to renew our commitment to the mission of proclaiming the Gospel. For the Church exists for the sake of bearing witness to Jesus Christ and to the forgiving and saving love of the Father.

5. The Provisional Agreement signed with the Chinese authorities, while limited to certain aspects of the Church’s life and necessarily capable of improvement, can contribute – for its part – to writing this new chapter of the Catholic Church in China. For the first time, the Agreement sets out stable elements of cooperation between the state authorities and the Apostolic See, in the hope of providing the Catholic community with good shepherds.

In this context, the Holy See intends fully to play its own part. Yet an important part also falls to you, the bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful: to join in seeking good candidates capable of taking up in the Church the demanding and important ministry of bishop. It is not a question of appointing functionaries to deal with religious issues, but of finding authentic shepherds according to the heart of Jesus, men committed to working generously in the service of God’s people, especially the poor and the most vulnerable. Men who take seriously the Lord’s words: “Whoever would become great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be the slave of all” (Mk 10:43-44).

In this regard, it seems clear that an Agreement is merely an instrument, and not of itself capable of resolving all existing problems. Indeed, it will prove ineffective and unproductive, unless it is accompanied by a deep commitment to renewing personal attitudes and ecclesial forms of conduct.

6. On the pastoral level, the Catholic community in China is called to be united, so as to overcome the divisions of the past that have caused, and continue to cause great suffering in the hearts of many pastors and faithful. All Christians, none excluded, must now offer gestures of reconciliation and communion. In this regard, let us keep in mind the admonition of Saint John of the Cross: “In the evening of life, we will be judged on love” (Dichos, 64).

On the civil and political level, Chinese Catholics must be good citizens, loving their homeland and serving their country with diligence and honesty, to the best of their ability. On the ethical level, they should be aware that many of their fellow citizens expect from them a greater commitment to the service of the common good and the harmonious growth of society as a whole. In particular, Catholics ought to make a prophetic and constructive contribution born of their faith in the kingdom of God. At times, this may also require of them the effort to offer a word of criticism, not out of sterile opposition, but for the sake of building a society that is more just, humane and respectful of the dignity of each person.

7. I now turn to you, my brother bishops, priests and consecrated persons who “serve the Lord with gladness” (Ps 100:2). Let us recognize one another as followers of Christ in the service of God’s people. Let us make pastoral charity the compass for our ministry. Let us leave behind past conflicts and attempts to pursue our own interests, and care for the faithful, making our own their joys and their sufferings. Let us work humbly for reconciliation and unity. With energy and enthusiasm, let us take up the path of evangelization indicated by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.

To everyone, I say once more with great affection: “Let us be inspired to act by the example of all those priests, religious, and laity who devote themselves to proclamation and to serving others with great fidelity, often at the risk of their lives and certainly at the cost of their comfort. Their testimony reminds us that, more than bureaucrats and functionaries, the Church needs passionate missionaries, enthusiastic about sharing true life. The saints surprise us; they confound us, because by their lives they urge us to abandon a dull and dreary mediocrity” (Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, 19 March 2018, 138).

I ask you wholeheartedly to beg for the grace not to hesitate when the Spirit calls us to take a step forward: “Let us ask for the apostolic courage to share the Gospel with others and to stop trying to make our Christian life a museum of memories. In every situation, may the Holy Spirit cause us to contemplate history in the light of the risen Jesus. In this way, the Church will not stand still, but constantly welcome the Lord’s surprises” (ibid., 139).

8. In this year, when the entire Church celebrates the Synod on Young People, I would like to say a special word to you, young Chinese Catholics, who enter the gates of the house of the Lord “giving thanks [and] with songs of praise” (Ps 100:4). I ask you to cooperate in building the future of your country with the talents and gifts that you have received, and with the youthfulness of your faith. I encourage you to bring, by your enthusiasm, the joy of the Gospel to everyone you meet.

Be ready to accept the sure guidance of the Holy Spirit, who shows today’s world the path to reconciliation and peace. Let yourselves be surprised by the renewing power of grace, even when it may seem that the Lord is asking more of you than you think you can give. Do not be afraid to listen to his voice as he calls you to fraternity, encounter, capacity for dialogue and forgiveness, and a spirit of service, regardless of the painful experiences of the recent past and wounds not yet healed.

Open your hearts and minds to discern the merciful plan of God, who asks us to rise above personal prejudices and conflicts between groups and communities, in order to undertake a courageous fraternal journey in the light of an authentic culture of encounter.

Nowadays there is no lack of temptations: the pride born of worldly success, narrow-mindedness and absorption in material things, as if God did not exist. Go against the flow and stand firm in the Lord: “for he is good; eternal is his merciful love; he is faithful from age to age” (Ps 100:5).

9. Dear brothers and sisters of the universal Church, all of us are called to recognize as one of the signs of our times everything that is happening today in the life of the Church in China. We have an important duty: to accompany our brothers and sisters in China with fervent prayer and fraternal friendship. Indeed, they need to feel that in the journey that now lies ahead, they are not alone. They need to be accepted and supported as a vital part of the Church. “How good and pleasant it is, when brothers dwell together in unity!” (Ps 133:1).

Each local Catholic community in every part of the world should make an effort to appreciate and integrate the spiritual and cultural treasures proper to Chinese Catholics. The time has come to taste together the genuine fruits of the Gospel sown in the ancient “Middle Kingdom” and to raise to the Lord Jesus Christ a hymn of faith and thanksgiving, enriched by authentically Chinese notes.

10. I now turn with respect to the leaders of the People’s Republic of China and renew my invitation to continue, with trust, courage and farsightedness, the dialogue begun some time ago. I wish to assure them that the Holy See will continue to work sincerely for the growth of genuine friendship with the Chinese people.

The present contacts between the Holy See and the Chinese government are proving useful for overcoming past differences, even those of the more recent past, and for opening a new chapter of more serene and practical cooperation, in the shared conviction that “incomprehension [serves] the interests of neither the Chinese people nor the Catholic Church in China” (BENEDICT XVI, Letter to Chinese Catholics, 27 May 2007, 4).

In this way, China and the Apostolic See, called by history to an arduous yet exciting task, will be able to act more positively for the orderly and harmonious growth of the Catholic community in China. They will make efforts to promote the integral development of society by ensuring greater respect for the human person, also in the religious sphere, and will work concretely to protect the environment in which we live and to build a future of peace and fraternity between peoples.

In China, it is essential that, also on the local level, relations between the leaders of ecclesial communities and the civil authorities become more productive through frank dialogue and impartial listening, so as to overcome antagonism on both sides. A new style of straightforward daily cooperation needs to develop between local authorities and ecclesiastical authorities – bishops, priests and community elders – in order to ensure that pastoral activities take place in an orderly manner, in harmony with the legitimate expectations of the faithful and the decisions of competent authorities.

This will help make it clear that the Church in China is not oblivious to Chinese history, nor does she seek any privilege. Her aim in the dialogue with civil authorities is that of “building a relationship based on mutual respect and deeper understanding” (ibid.).

11. In the name of the whole Church, I beg the Lord for the gift of peace, and I invite all to join me in invoking the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary:

Mother of Heaven, hear the plea of your children as we humbly call upon your name!

Virgin of Hope, we entrust to you the journey of the faithful in the noble land of China. We ask you to present to the Lord of history the trials and tribulations, the petitions and the hopes of all those who pray to you, O Queen of Heaven!

Mother of the Church, we consecrate to you the present and the future of our families and our communities. Protect and sustain them in fraternal reconciliation and in service to the poor who bless your name, O Queen of Heaven!

Consolation of the Afflicted, we turn to you, for you are the refuge of all who weep amid their trials. Watch over your sons and daughters who praise your name; make them one in bringing the proclamation of the Gospel. Accompany their efforts to build a more fraternal world. Grant that they may bring the joy of forgiveness to all whom they meet, O Queen of Heaven!

Mary, Help of Christians, for China we implore days of blessing and of peace. Amen!

From the Vatican, 26 September 2018

Francis

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教宗方济各致中国天主教信友及普世教会文告

“他的慈爱直到永恒，他的忠信世世长存”
(圣咏100,5)

在中国教会内最亲爱的主教弟兄、司铎、度奉献生活者及全体教友，让我们感谢上主，因为祂的慈爱直到永恒,并承认“祂造成了我们，我们非祂莫属，是祂的子民，是祂牧场的羊群！” (圣咏100,3)。

此刻，在我的心灵深处回响起我可敬的前任教宗在2007年5月27日的信中劝勉你们的话：“在中国的天主教会啊，妳这个在那跋涉于历史中的亿万人民中生活和工作的小小羊群，耶稣的话对你是何等鼓舞和具挑战性：‘你们小小的羊群，不要害怕！因为你们的父喜欢把天国赐给你们’（路12，32）。[…]因此，‘你们的光也当在人前照耀，好使他们看见你们的善行，光荣你们在天之父’（玛5，16）” （教宗本笃十六世《致中华人民共和国内天主教主教、司铎、度奉献生活者、教友》，2007年5月27日，第五节。）。

1. 近期，针对目前在中国的天主教团体，尤其是针对它的未来，流传着许多彼此相反的声音。我知道这些纷乱的意见和看法会导致不少的混乱，会在许多人内心引发反面的情绪。对某些人而言，会产生疑问和困惑；而对另一些人而言，则有如同被圣座抛弃的感觉，与此同时，会对因为忠于伯多禄继承人而承受苦难的价值提出令人苦恼的问题；相反,对许多人而言，积极的等待和反思激发了对更加宁静未来的希望，以便在中国土地上做出富有成效的信仰见证。

这种局势的到来， 特别突显有关圣座与中华人民共和国之间的临时性协议，正如你们所知，前几天在北京签署了此协议。在对中国教会生活富有意义的紧要关头，我首先想藉此简短文告向你们确保我在日常祈祷中纪念你们，并想和你们分享我的内心感受。

此感受是对天主的感谢和对你们由衷的敬佩之情，即整个教会对你们的敬佩之情：即使当某些事件对你们特别地不利和困难时，你们依然表现出你们的忠贞、在考验中的坚定和对天主上智安排毫不动摇的信心。

这种痛苦的经历是属于中国教会和在世上旅居的所有天主子民的灵性宝藏。我向你们保证，天主正是通过试炼的熔炉，定会用他的安慰充满我们的心， 并为我们准备一份更大的喜乐。我们确信圣咏126章中所说的： “那含泪播种的人，必含笑获享收成”! (第5节)

因此，让我们持续注视许多教友和牧者的芳表，他们毫不犹豫地为福音的传播而奉献他们“美好的见证”(参阅弟前6，13)，直至牺牲生命。他们被认为是天主的真正朋友。

2. 对我而言，我总认为中国是一个富饶而具备契机之地，中国人民是文化和智慧极珍贵宝藏的工匠与守护者，耐得住逆境并结合不同特点而变得精炼，并非偶然，自古以来它就接触了基督的信息。正如非常敏锐的耶稣会士神父利玛窦所说的，让我们挑战彼此信任的美德：“交友之先宜察，交友之后宜信” (利玛窦：《交友论》，7)。

这也是我的信念：只有借着对话的实践，才能真实和富有成效的相遇，即意味着彼此认识，彼此尊重并彼此“同行”，以便建设更加和谐的共同未来。

把临时性协议放置在这个互信的轨迹中。此协议体现了圣座与中国政府当局漫长而复杂的双方对话的果实，由圣若望保禄二世教宗开启，接着由本笃十六世教宗继续。藉此历程，圣座自始至终不为别的,而旨在实现教会自身的牧灵目标，即支持和推动福传事业， 并实现和保持在中国的天主教团体的圆满与有形可见的合一。

关于本协议的价值及其目标，我想向你们提出一些反思，并为你们提供某些牧灵的灵性提示，以便在此新阶段走我们被要求遵循的路途。

在此谈及的是一个路途，就如上边所谈及的一样，它“需要时日及双方的善意” (教宗本笃十六世《致中华人民共和国内天主教主教、司铎、度奉献生活者、教友》，2007年5月27日，第四号)，但对教会而言，不管在中国内外，不仅仅是关系到合乎人性的价值，却也关系到回应灵性的召叫：走出自我，以拥抱“今天人的喜乐与希望、忧愁与悲痛，特别是穷人和所有那些遭受痛苦人的” (梵二文献«论教会在现代世界牧职宪章»第1节)，并拥抱天主托付的目前挑战。因此，是一个在历史路径上做为旅居者的教会召叫，首先要相信天主及祂的许诺，正如亚巴郎和我们信仰内的父辈们所做的那样。

亚巴郎被天主召叫，他以服从前往接受一个作为产业的陌生之地，而不知道在他面前将开始的道路。如果亚巴郎在离开自己的土地之前要求先具备完美的社会和政治条件，也许他将永不会动身。相反地，他信靠天主，并依照祂的话，离开了自己的家和自身的安全。不是因为历史的改变让他信赖天主，而是他纯洁的信德带来了历史的改变。事实上，信德“是所希望之事的担保，是未见之事的确证。因这信德，先人们都曾得了褒扬” (希伯来书11, 1-2)。

3. 作为伯多禄的继承人，我想在这信仰中坚定你们(参阅路22，32)：在亚巴郎的信德内，在童贞玛利亚的信德内，在你们所接受的信仰内，邀请你们对历史的主宰者和对教会针对祂的旨意所完成的分辨总是抱以更大的信心。让我们呼求圣神的恩赐，以便光照我们的思想并温暖我们的心，也帮助我们明了祂要领我们到何处，克服难免的迷失时刻，并且有力量果断地继续在我们面前所展开的道路上前行。

正是为支持和推动在中国的福音传播及重建教会圆满与有形可见的共融，首先面对主教的任命问题是最重要的。众所周知，不幸的是，在中国的教会的近期历史被高度紧张、创伤和分裂留下了令人悲痛的印痕，问题尤其集中于作为教会纯正信仰的守护者和共融的保证者主教们身上。

在过去，当有人自认为也可以决定教会团体内部生活，并且超越了国家合法权限而对教会直接控制时，在中国的教会就出现了秘密状态的现象。需要强调的是，这种经历不属于教会生活的常态，“历史告诉我们，只有当迫切渴望维护自身信仰的完整性时，牧者和信友们才这样做” (教宗本笃十六世《致中华人民共和国内天主教主教、司铎、度奉献生活者、教友》，2007年5月27日，第八号)。

我想让你们知道，自从我被托付伯多禄牧职以来，就体会到中国教友真诚地渴望在与伯多禄继承人及与普世教会保持圆满共融的情况下活出自己的信仰，为此我感到莫大的慰藉。与伯多禄继承人共融是“对主教们和众教友，一个永恒可见的原则和团结的基础” (梵二文献«教会宪章»第23节)。通过这些年来的许多具体的标记和见证，这份愿望到达我前，甚至也包括那些由于自身软弱及错误，但也有不少次是由于周围环境的强大和不当的外在压力，而伤害了教会共融的主教们的。

因此，在仔细研究了每一个别情况并聆听不同的意见之后，我做了大量的反思和祈祷，为寻求在中国的教会的真正益处。最后，我在上主面前以平静的判断，继续我前任教宗们的方向，我决定对余下的七位没有教宗任命而接受祝圣的 “官方”主教给予和好，在免除所有他们相关的教会法典的处罚后，重新接纳他们到教会圆满的共融中。与此同时，我要求他们，藉具体与有形可见的行为来表达与宗座及遍布全球的教会所恢复的合一，即使在困难中他们仍应保持忠贞。

4. 在我第六年的教宗任期中，就将起初的步伐放置在天主仁慈大爱的标记下，我邀请所有的中国天主教信友成为和好的工匠，以不断更新的宗徒热忱记住圣保禄的话：“祂曾藉基督使我们与祂和好，并将这和好的职务赐给了我们” (格林多后书5，18)。

事实上，如同我在慈悲特殊禧年闭幕时所写的，“沒有任何法律或規律可以阻止天主去拥抱祂的兒子；他明认自己曾经走上歧途，但现在决定改过自新。只停留在法律层面，就等同低估了信仰，以及天主的慈悲。[…]包括在情況复杂的个案中，更易诱使人只按法律衍生的公义來判断；我們应该要相信从天主恩宠源源不断涌出的力量” (教宗方济各: 《慈悲的主与可怜的罪人》宗座牧函，2016年11月20日，11)。

在这种精神中，并在已做的决定下，我们可以开始一个新的历程，我们希望这将有助于医治过去的创伤，重新恢复所有中国信友的圆满共融，并开始一个更加兄弟般的合作阶段，以更新的责任感承担传播福音的使命。实际上，教会的存在是为了见证耶稣基督、天父的宽恕和祂救援的爱。

5. 与中国当局签订的临时性协议，尽管只是限定于某些教会生活方面，并有必要更加完善，但它也能为谱写这新的中国教会篇章而做其贡献。此协议首次引入中国当局和圣座之间的持久合作因素，以希望能为天主教团体保障良好的牧者。

在此背景下，圣座有意彻底做到属于自己的部分，但是你们主教、司铎、度奉献生活者及平信徒也一样，也拥有一个重要的角色：一起寻找在教会内能承担复杂而重要的主教牧职服务的良好候选人。事实上，不是任命有关掌管宗教问题的官员，而是任命合乎耶稣心意的真正牧者，努力慷慨地为天主子民，尤其为最贫穷者及最弱小者服务，并奉上主的话为至宝：“谁若愿意在你们中间成为大的，就当作你们的仆役;谁若愿意在你们中间为首，就当作众人的奴仆” (马尔谷10，43-44)。

在此方面，协议显然不是别的，而是一个工具，不能独自解决所有存在的问题。相反，假如不伴随着更新个人态度和教会行为的积极努力，那将是无效力和无果的。

6. 在牧灵层面，在中国的教会团体被召合而为一，以克服过去的分裂在众多牧者和教友们心中所造成的和正在造成的许多痛苦。所有信友，不分彼此，现在一起表现和好与共融的行为。为此，让我们将圣十字若望的告诫视为珍宝：“在生命的末刻，我们将在爱上受审判” (圣十字若望：《光和爱的言语》1，57)。

在社会和政治层面，中国教友应是良善的公民，根据自己的能力，充分热爱他们的祖国并以义务和诚实服务自己的国家。在道德层面，他们应该明白许多同胞期待他们以更高的标准为公益及整个社会的和谐发展服务。尤其是教友，应知道如何提供先知性和建设性的贡献， 这些应是他们在天主的国度内从自己的信仰里提取的。这可能也要求他们困难地说出批评的话语，不是无益的反对，而是为建设一个更加公正、更加人性化及更尊重个人尊严的社会。

7. 我想对你们所有人，敬爱的主教弟兄、司铎及度奉献生活者说：“你们要兴高采烈地侍奉上主” (圣咏100，2)！我们要承认我们是服务于天主子民的基督门徒。让我们活出牧灵的爱德，以它作为我们使命的指南针。让我们克服过去的对立和个人利益的追求；让我们照顾好教友，将他们的喜乐和痛苦视为己有。让我们谦卑地致力于修好与合一。正如梵二所指示的那样，让我们以活力和热忱继续福传之旅。

我以深情向你们所有人重复：“许多司铎、修道者和平信徒的善表触动我们---他们致力宣讲福音，并以极大的忠诚事主事人。许多时候，他们要冒着生命危险，而且必须牺牲安逸的生活。他们的见证提醒我们，教会需要的并非官僚及公务人员，而是热心的传教士，热衷于传递真实的生命。圣人令我们惊欢讶异，因为他们藉其生活召叫我们捨弃死气沉沉、冷漠麻木的庸碌生活” (教宗方济各：《你们要欢喜踊跃》宗座劝谕，2018年3月19日，138)。

我以坚定的信念邀请你们，当圣神要求我们向前迈进时，你们应祈求不再迟疑的恩宠：“祈求上主赐我们使徒的勇气，与人分享福音，拒绝让我们的基督徒生活变得过气陈旧。在任何情况下，让圣神帮助我们从复活基督的角度审视历史。如此，教会不但不会疲惫无力，反而勇往直前去拥抱主带来的惊喜” (教宗方济各：《你们要欢喜踊跃》宗座劝谕，2018年3月19日，139)。

8. 今年整个教会庆祝以青年为主题的世界主教会议，我想特别对你们中国的青年教友们说：请你们迈向上主的殿门，以“吟咏赞美诗，向祂致谢，赞美祂的圣名！” (圣咏100，4)。我要求你们以由于恩宠而接受的个人能力，并以你们的活泼信德，为建设你们的祖国未来而合作。我劝勉你们用你们的热情将福音的喜乐带给所有的人。

请你们准备好接受天主圣神的安全带领，祂指引今日的世界走向修好与和平的道路。即便好像上主向你们要求一份超过你们力量的重大责任时，也请你们让恩宠的更新力量给你们带来惊喜。请不要害怕听从圣神的声音，它向你们要求兄弟友情、会面、对话的能力和服务的精神， 即使你们在过去与最近遭受了许多痛苦的经历，并且伤口依然未合。

请你们敞开心扉与思想，以辨识天主的仁慈计划，需要克服个人的偏见、团体之间及群体之间的对立，在会晤的真正文化光照下，开启一个勇敢与兄弟般的旅程。

当今有许多诱惑：世俗成功的骄傲，自我肯定的封闭，将物质的东西置于首位而好像天主不存在。你们应逆流而上并在主内保持坚定：“只有祂是善的”，只有“祂的慈爱直到永远”，只有祂的忠信“世世代代”常存(圣咏100，5)。

9. 亲爱的普世教会的兄弟姊妹们，我们所有人都被召从我们这个时代的迹象中,认识到今日在中国教会生活内所发生的事。我们具有一项重要的任务：以虔诚的祈祷和兄弟般的情谊伴随着中国的我们的兄弟姊妹们。事实上，他们应感到在目前向他们展开的旅程中，他们并不孤独。因为他们是教会活生生的一部分我们应该接纳并支持他们：“看，兄弟们同居共处，多么快乐，多么幸福(圣咏133，1)！”

在世界各地的每个天主教会地方团体都应致力于利用并接纳中国教友自身的灵性和文化珍宝。已经到时候了，我们可一起品尝在古时的“中国”所播种的福音纯正果实，也可向主耶稣基督高唱被真正的中国特点所丰富的信仰和感恩之歌。

10. 在此，我怀着敬意向中华人民共和国的领导人再次提出邀请，希望他们以信任、勇气及远见继续长期以来所进行的对话。我想确保，圣座会继续真诚地工作，以增进与中国人民真正的友谊。

圣座与中国政府目前的接触已表现出对克服过去和最近的对立有益，在共同的信念下谱写更宁静和具体合作的篇章， 因为“误解对中国政府及在中国的天主教会都没有好处” （教宗本笃十六世《致中华人民共和国内天主教主教、司铎、度奉献生活者、教友》，2007年5月27日，第四节。）。

如此，中国和宗座都被历史召叫，以完成一项艰巨但引人入胜的任务，为在中国土地上的教会团体正常而和谐的发展，双方更要积极地行动；努力促进社会的全面发展，同时保证对人性，也包括对宗教领域的更大尊重。具体地努力维护我们生活的环境，并在各国人民间建立和平与兄弟博爱的未来。

在中国很重要的是，即便在地方层面，教会团体负责人与民政当局之间的关系也应不断地富有成果，通过坦诚对话和无偏见的聆听，可以克服彼此敌对的态度。在政府地方当局和教会地方当局——主教、神父、会长——之间需要学习一种简单而日常协作的新方式。以此方式，在信友的合法期待与属于地方当局可做的决定保持和谐的情况下，能保障正常牧灵活动的进行。

这将帮助人们理解，在中国的教会不是中国历史的局外者，也不要求任何特权。在与民政当局对话中，在中国的教会的唯一目标是“建立以互相尊重及彼此深入认识为基础的关系” （教宗本笃十六世《致中华人民共和国内天主教主教、司铎、度奉献生活者、教友》，2007年5月27日，第四节。）。

11. 以整个教会的名义我向主祈求和平的恩赐，同时邀请你们所有人同我一起呼求童贞玛利亚母亲的保护：

天上之母，请聆听你子女们谦卑呼求你名的声音。

希望之贞女，我们将在中国高贵之地内信友的旅程托付给你。求你将祈求你信友们的苦难和艰辛、肯求及期待呈献给历史的主，啊，天上母后！

教会之母，我们将家庭及我们团体的现在与未来奉献给你。请在兄弟修好中，并在为赞美你圣名的穷人服务中守护、支持它们，啊，天上母后！

忧苦者之慰，我们转向你，因为你是在考验中哭泣者的避难所。请看顾赞美你圣名的子女们，使他们一同宣传福音。陪伴他们的脚步走向一个更具有兄弟情谊的世界，给每个人带去宽恕的喜乐，啊，天上母后！

玛利亚，进教之佑，我们为了中国向你祈求祝福与和平的日子。阿门。

自梵蒂冈 二零一八年九月二十六日