As the Vatican sits poised to renew its historic agreement with China on the appointment of bishops later this month, one of the Catholic Church’s leading experts on Chinese affairs has argued that while the desire for dialogue is understandable, there is still nothing to show for the deal two years later.
China, in a sense, has become the third rail of geopolitics, in the sense that anything it touches automatically becomes controversial, from cell phones (“are they spying?”) to the coronavirus (“are they lying?”)
Emptied restaurants and storefronts. People wearing N-95 protective masks, covering their faces, hurriedly walking through the barren streets. These are common sights nowadays in New York’s multiple Chinatowns throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens.
Chinese Cardinal Joseph Zen visited the Diocese of Brooklyn last weekend to meet with Chinese Catholics of Brooklyn and Queens. His visit also coincided with the continuing coronavirus epidemic in China and was part of his broader worldwide tour to advocate for religious freedom in the country.
Chinese Catholics from St. Agatha Church, Sunset Park, rang in the Lunar New Year with a Mass on Jan. 26.
St. Michael’s is the only Catholic elementary school in the state that has a dual English-Mandarin program, which was first developed by Boston College and has been used at St. Michael’s for the past seven years.
At the dedication Mass, readings were done in Tagalog, Spanish, English and Mandarin. The church has parishioners from almost 50 countries, according to pastor Father John Vesey, and has seven Masses every Sunday. Some services were cancelled on Sept. 22 to encourage parishioners to attend the dedication Mass.
