"Everyday morning at mass, we pray to the same Pope," said Michael
Tieshan Fu, chairman of the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association,
in an interview with Chinese and foreign journalists.
Fu, who was ordained bishop of the Catholic diocese of Beijing in
1979, advocated the Chinese government's policy to protect
religions, stressing that under the Constitution, the legal rights
and interests of religions are protected by law in China.
Since China launched its reform and opening drive in the late
1970s, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association has trained
almost 1,000 young priests.
In
recent years, more than 50,000 people have converted to Catholicism
every year, Fu said. Currently, there are 5 million Catholics,
5,000 Catholic churches, 110 dioceses and 12 religious schools in
China, he said.
Answering a journalist's question about the so-called "underground
churches" in China, Fu said it is unnecessary for any "underground"
religious activity in China, since Chinese Catholic churches are
open to all.
But he admitted that with the support of groups and individuals
from overseas, a handful of Catholic believers hold different views
with the majority of Chinese Catholics. "We take care of these
people with the love of Christ," he said.
Pointing to his assistant Zhang Tianlu, the bishop said the man's
parents used to work for a so-called "underground church".
Zhang told Xinhua that he could received only limited education
about Catholicism from the "underground church", which even
indoctrinated anti-government thinking to its believers.
After he got rid of the "underground church" and joined Fu's
church, Zhang was sent to study in Britain. "I've learned a lot
from the real church," he said.
"It was so fortunate for me to meet Pope John-Paul II," he
added.
Fu
said his association has not set up any ties with the Roman
Catholic Church as Vatican City keeps diplomatic relations with
Taiwan. "This has greatly hurt the Chinese on the mainland," he
noted.
Up
to now, the links between Chinese Catholics and Vatican are
personal, Fu said.
(People's Daily)