The conclusion of the 175th Claretian Jubilee Year festivities in the East Asia area was marked with a closing Mass held at the Church of St. Lawrence in Macau on July 27. Bishop Stephen Lee Bun Sang of the Diocese of Macau presided over the Jubilee Mass, with Claretian Bishop Josep Maria Abella, CMF of the Diocese of Fukuoka, Japan and 25 other priests, including Father Francisco Carin, CMF, the superior of the Claretian Missionaries’ Delegation in East Asia, concelebrating.
Priests and lay people from Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China attended the event.
The Jubilee mass was distinguished with the symbolic objects offered at the altar representing the five regions of East Asia Delegation.
While talking to O Clarim, the Catholic Weekly of the Diocese of Macau, Father Carin deliberated on the Claretian vision for the Mission in China, its contributions and challenges.
In response to a question about the lack of missionaries working in the vast East Asia region, Father Carin stated, “My position is very similar to that of Lei Ming Yuan: China is for the Chinese. I believe that the primary driving force for spreading the Christian faith in China should come from the Chinese Church and the Chinese people.”
Father Carin stated that Macau was selected as the location for the concluding ceremony of the Jubilee year in East Asia due to its status as the first modern diocese in the region. He noted that Macau played a significant role in the birth and development of many dioceses in East Asia, including some in China. Highlighting the growing openness of the Church, Father Carin expressed hope for a more regular presence of the Church in China, thanks in part to Pope Francis and the agreement between the Holy See and Chinese authorities.
Recognising the contribution of the Pastoral Bible Foundation [PBF] to the missionary initiatives of the Claretians in the area, Father Carin expressed, “The Pastoral Bible Foundation has been a blessing for us, the Claretian Missionaries of the East Asia Delegation. From the very beginning, the Foundation embraced the task of producing various versions of the Christian Bible. Father Alberto Rossa undertook the endeavour of translating the Bible into Chinese.”
Father Carin believes that the Church has evolved significantly. He expresses confidence that the Chinese government will recognise that the Church is very different from what it was in the 1930ies and 1940ies when foreign congregations sometimes exerted significant influence. Today, the Church in China belongs to the Chinese believers and the local ecclesiastical hierarchy. Missionaries are simply helpers who hope to contribute with what they can offer.
[Source: Sunday Examiner 9/9/24 Abridge]
A congregation going forth
