China Catholic Review

Author: Gu Yulu, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The anti-imperialist and patriotic movement in China's Catholic community during the 1950s, which led to the path of an independent and self-managed church, was an inevitable choice for Chinese Catholicism. The author, being on the scene, records this historical process with detailed historical materials. The lengthy article by Zhang Yushi, a patriotic Catholic figure in Tianjin, published in the People's Daily on September 20, 1951, had a profound impact on the Catholic community across the country at the time and deeply moved the author himself. It served as a public opinion leader for the subsequent anti-imperialist and patriotic movement. The letter of inquiry jointly issued by clergy from the Hankou and Wuchang dioceses questioning the Holy See's Propaganda Department's unreasonable refusal to recognize their legally elected bishop, still holds practical educational significance when read today. As for the anti-imperialist and patriotic movement and the independent and self-managed efforts in Shanghai's Catholic community during the 1950s, the author is even more familiar with them. The newspaper he edited, "The," played a significant role. The 2000 anti-"canonization" struggle was another bold move by Chinese Catholicism in the new historical context, upholding the principles of loving the country and the church while pursuing an independent and self-managed path. This event further exposed the Vatican's unchanging hostile stance toward socialist China. Meanwhile, the bishop's conference in Taiwan took advantage of the chaos surrounding the "canonization" incident to benefit from the confusion. Through this event, the author reveals the crux of the Sino-Vatican relationship and clearly expresses his stance and views. During the writing process, the author demonstrated his (consistent) rigorous and conscientious attitude, revising the manuscript multiple times, meticulously polishing every detail, and striving for accuracy in the sources and fairness in the arguments, especially in the parts of history he was most familiar with. His unwavering spirit in his later years is commendable.