Chinese Authorities Demolish Way of the Cross in Henan

UCA News ^ | 6/8/18

[marshmallow]

Latest suppression of religion in province suggests Communist Party will 'allow Catholicism to exist but not develop'

The Way of the Cross at a pilgrimage site in China's Henan province has been forcibly demolished by authorities in the latest clampdown on religious freedom.

Local government officials removed images of Jesus at the well-known Our Lady of Mount Carmel pilgrimage site in Tianjiajing village of Anyang Diocese at 8 p.m. on June 5.

A source said authorities sent personnel one month ago to tell Bishop Joseph Zhang Yinlin of Anyang that the Way of the Cross must be dismantled, but no specific reason was given.

"Excavators and pickup trucks were driven to the site at night because authorities feared there would be too many church members in the daytime," he said.

Nuns living nearby took photographs and videos of the demolition and sent the evidence to chat groups.

A religious source said the Communist Party's policy appeared to be to "allow Catholicism to exist but not develop."

The sanctuary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the only pilgrimage site in Henan province. It was ordered to be built by Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions priest Stefano Scarsella, then apostolic vicar to northern Henan, in 1903-05 to thank the Virgin Mary for preserving local missionaries from the dangers of Boxer persecution in 1900.

It became a popular pilgrimage site for people from Henan, Hebei and Shanxi provinces, with the main celebration taking place on July 16 each year.

It is said that on July 16, 1986, almost 10,000 pilgrims from the three provinces visited there with bands and drum teams.

[Brilliant]

Have some optimism. It took a couple of centuries for the Romans to accept Christianity. It’s an unstoppable force.