An Update on the Church In China- Papal Letter Remembered on Assumption

This is from othe Union of Catholic Asian News agency. I can't get a link to article itself but it is appearing on the front page. A think it is worth posting in full especially mindful that the Holy Father wishes us to remember his mission prayer intention as is follows:

"That the Church in China may bear witness to ever greater inner cohesion and may manifest her effective and visible communion with Peter's successor".

The Newspaper article states:

CHINA Catholics Reminded Of Papal Letter At Assumption Liturgies
XUANHUA, China (UCAN) -- On the feast of the Assumption, Catholics in northern China were reminded of the call for unity in the recent papal letter to Chinese Catholics.
The Aug. 15 feast was the first major Church festival since the letter was released on June 30.
In Xuanhua diocese, Hebei province, about 1,000 parishioners attended the solemn 5-a.m. Mass at Xiheying Church in Yuxian county on the feast day. Yuxian is 160 kilometers west of Beijing.
Father Xia Shaowu of Xuanhua said in his homily: "Today we celebrate the feast day of our Blessed Mother, the caretaker of our souls. We should also give thanks to all mothers who take care of our material and spiritual needs."
He highlighted Pope Benedict XVI's emphasis on one Church and unity in the papal letter. "No matter which way we have taken before, we should now return to the side of our Blessed Mother on this feast day," the priest said.
In a separate Mass that day, some Catholic youth of Xuanhua presented the papal letter as an offertory gift. They later dedicated the letter and their acceptance of it to the Blessed Mother by burning it in a basin in front of a Marian statue. Burning "gifts" such as paper money is a traditional Chinese way of making symbolic offerings to their ancestors.
The youth, mostly university students, were taking part a weeklong formation activity that ended Aug. 16. During the week, they shared with each other their understanding of the papal letter and of unity in the China Church. They also discussed the role of Catholic youth in the Church and how they could live out their faith in their study and work.
Chen Chen, one of the students, told UCA News she would strive harder to live Christian virtues from now on and would "bravely admit her Catholic identity in her workplace." She added that she previously thought revenge was the way to deal with foes, but learned from the pope's letter that the best way toward unity is love and forgiveness.
To help Catholics understand Pope Benedict's message, Father Xia told UCA News, his parish has published 1,000 copies of the letter for free distribution and holds daily sharing on it.
The latest issue of his diocese's monthly magazine, Faith Life, published a special issue for the feast day that dedicated the Church in China to the Blessed Mother in the spirit of the pope's letter.
Father Xia said the letter has prompted some conservative "underground" Catholics who had refused to enter any church to come to his parish and be in communion with other parishioners. This was also the case in other areas of the diocese, the priest added.
Conservative underground Catholics, accounting for a small proportion of Catholics in Xuanhua, usually gather at a layperson's house for Mass and religious activities since they regard all church buildings as belonging to the "open" Church, even though underground clergy manage some of them.
Laywoman Gao Fufa told UCA News that in the past many underground clergy told her community not go to any open church, and that any sacraments they receive there are invalid. "But now the pope's letter is clear. If we do not listen to the pope, aren't we becoming schismatic?" she wondered.
Another layperson, Zhao Fu, told UCA News: "The late Bishop Philippus Petrus Zhao Zhendong said we can enter any church. But since we had opposed the open Church for many years, we did not listen to him in order to 'save face.'" The layman continued: "Now the pope has appealed for unity. I cannot disobey him."
Father Xia concluded, "The papal letter has induced unity, demonstrating the spirit of love and forgiveness of Mother Church." He added that a harmonious society is formed by many united communities, including the Church.
On the feast of the Assumption, a major Church feast in China, some Catholics usually stay in the church compound after Mass to offer special prayers at the Marian grotto. Other major Church feasts are Easter, Pentecost and Christmas. Some parishes hold variety shows performed by laypeople or children who have attended summer catechism classes.
END