Rome,
28 April 2014
Thousands
of Chinese Christians have united in the city of Wenzhou to form a
24-hour human shield around the Sanjiang Christian Church, amidst
threats from the Communist authorities to demolish the building. The
three-story Church is one of ten places of worship to have been
listed for demolition in the Zhejiang province, considered China's
most Christian region. This is the second time in two weeks the
Christians of Zhejiang have flocked to protect their Church from the
machinations of the local Communist party.
Though
attempts to close down Christian Churches are nothing new in China,
the Sanjiang Church stands as an officially-sanctioned place of
worship by the Communist government, and is, in theory, entitled to
the legal protection of Article 36 of the Chinese constitution:
"Citizens
of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief.
No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens
to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they
discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in,
any religion. The state protects normal religious activities."
In
spite of a mounting campaign of intimidation and suppression, China's
thriving Christian community is growing at an exuberant rate, with
research from the University of Purdue foreseeing an estimated 247
million Christians living in China by 2030. Under the rule of Mao
Zedong, China was declared an atheist state, and a campaign of
violence was waged against the mere one million Christians that then
lived in China. When the Cultural Revolution was brought to an end
in 1976, a degree of tolerance began to take form. Nevertheless,
heavy restrictions remain on Christian worship. Only the
state-approved, state-monitored, state-restricted 'Three Self
Patriotic Movement' is considered a legal form of Christianity, with
non-conformist congregations and underground 'house Churches'
subjected to brutal recriminations.
Speaking
in support of the Christians defending Sanjiang Church, Luca Volontè,
Chairman of the Dignitatis Humanae Institute said:
"All
the lessons of history demonstrate to China the futility of forcing
Christians to choose between faith and country. The Christian
awakening of millions of Chinese citizens is not a form of political
process but rather the peaceful desire to learn and to worship Our
Lord. After bold statements from Western leaders - including David
Cameron and Angela Merkel - on the duty to defend Christians from
persecution, the international community cannot abandon the
Christians of Whenzou to this very public campaign of coercion and
suppression."
The
Dignitatis
Humanae Instituteaims
to uphold human dignity based on the anthropological truth that man
is born in the image and likeness of God and therefore has an innate
human dignity of infinite worth to be upheld. The Institute promotes
this understanding by supporting Christians in public life, assisting
them to present effective and coherent responses to increasing
efforts to silence the Christian voice in the public square.
