Spreading the Gospel

[Extirpated Wildlife]

I was curious how quickly are Catholics able to spread the gospel? Please dont take this like i am being stupid, but do you have to establish a parish before trying to reach people for Christ?

I would assume that all Catholics here have established churches that have statues and the mass service with all the altar boys and all the architecture around it to make you have a feeling of being in a holy place.

But not all countries even allow Christianity in their countries so there are underground churches. Do Catholics have underground churches in countries where Christianity is illegal?

These countries can't have the statues. They can't have the architectural buildings that make them feel like they are in a holy place.

 

[sklippstein]

quizzler, the Catholic Church has missionaries stationed all over the world, even in the most remote ends of the world. We do not need a building, statutes or the like to preach the word of God.

 

[dignitized]

quizzler: the Catholic church in china is the largest underground church in the world. Missionaries from the Mendicant orders have been going into foreign lands spreading the gospel for hundreds of years. The Franciscans and Dominicans helped settle and evangelize the Americas, the Jesuits did the same in Asia.

 

[isshinwhat]

But not all countries even allow Christianity in their countries so there are underground churches. Do Catholics have underground churches in countries where Christianity is illegal?

To echo Br. Max's statement, their have been many Catholic martyrs in the last fifteen years from the underground Church in China alone.

"China Arrests Underground Catholic Bishop"

(Reuters, September 17, 2002)

BEIJING (Reuters) - Police in northeastern China have arrested a ranking bishop in the country's underground Roman Catholic church, a U.S.-based religious rights group said.

Bishop Wei Jingyi, 44, who once served as secretary of a conference of Chinese bishops loyal to the Holy See, was picked up by police in the city of Qiqihar on September 9, said the Stamford, Connecticut-based Cardinal Kung Foundation.

No other details on Wei's case were available, it said in a statement seen Tuesday. Police in Qiqihar could not be reached for comment.

Wei was previously in Chinese labor camps from 1987 to 1989 and from 1990 to 1992, the group said.

It said his arrest was a sign China is tightening its noose on the spiritual leaders of eight million Chinese Catholics the Vatican estimates are loyal to the Pope, compared to only five million in the state-backed Catholic Church.

"Currently, every one of the approximately 50 bishops of the underground Roman Catholic Church is either arrested, under house arrest, under strict surveillance or in hiding," it said.

"The persecution of the underground Roman Catholic Church is obviously getting worse."

Communist China officially endorses religious freedom but only recognizes the authority of state religious organizations. It broke off relations with the Vatican half a century ago.

A court in Hebei province, which borders Beijing, sentenced three Catholic priests to three years in a labor camp in July for "cult" activities China says threaten social stability, rights groups have said.

Police in the northern province of Shaanxi arrested Bishop Lucas Li Jingfeng late last year amid a campaign to force a large community of closet Christians to join the state-backed China Patriotic Catholic Association.

Russia was the same way, and to an extent still is. Many priests hold Mass in the parishoners' homes because the Catholic Churches have either been taken over or razed. India, Afrcia, South America... they are all in the same boat in many places.

God Bless,

Neal

 

[Extirpated Wildlife]

Okay.

I was just curious.

My Brother does alot of mission work in China.

 

[isshinwhat]

http://www.maryknoll.org/

Here is a great site from one of the larger Catholic Mission groups.

 

[isshinwhat]

My Brother does alot of mission work in China.

I will pray for him and his ministry.

God Bless,

Neal

 

[nyj]

One billion Catholics and counting. Somebody must be spreading the Gospel to someone.

 

[Hoonbaba]

Catholics have been growing very steadily in China =) In fact it's encouraging to know that Catholics and protestants in China actually get a long! Of course some doctrinal stuff separates them, but they still work together when persecuted

Also, Catholics brought the gospel to Japan, and St. Francis Xavier was the first Catholic (supposedly). I think in the past there were like over a million Christian martyrs in Japan over the course of several hundred years. Supposedly some Japanese Christians and missionaries were crucified upside down on a beach, so when the waves came in, they'd die by drowning. Praise God for such people who loved God till their death! =)

In anycase, Catholicism has a strong presence in Nagasaki. Anyone notice something about Nagasaki? The 2nd atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, right? I did some reading and it turns out that the bomb 'happened' to drop on a major Christian community in Nagasaki. And some Catholic survivors were saying that it was by God's providence that God brought the bomb upon Nagasaki. The significance? It brought the end of World War II three days later, as if Nagasaki was a sacrifice, or a Japanese calvary of some sort

In anycase, I'll stop rambling.

God bless!

-Jason

 

[Hoonbaba]

Originally posted by isshinwhat
To echo Br. Max's statement, their have been many Catholic martyrs in the last fifteen years from the underground Church in China alone.



Russia was the same way, and to an extent still is. Many priests hold Mass in the parishoners' homes because the Catholic Churches have either been taken over or razed. India, Afrcia, South America... they are all in the same boat in many places.

God Bless,

Neal

Hey Neal,

Where's that article from?  I'd like to find out more about it

God bless!

-Jason

 

[Hoonbaba]

Originally posted by quizzler
Okay.

I was just curious.

My Brother does alot of mission work in China.

Hi Quizzler,

Did he go to China through some particular organization/ministry?  Or did he go entirely on his own?  In the future I'm planning on doing some missionary work in China =)

God bless!

-Jason

 

[Hoonbaba]

bump?? =)

 

[isshinwhat]

I'll have to trace that article for you, but you should be able to do a search with the title...

 

[Extirpated Wildlife]

Originally posted by isshinwhat
Russia was the same way, and to an extent still is. Many priests hold Mass in the parishoners' homes because the Catholic Churches have either been taken over or razed. India, Afrcia, South America... they are all in the same boat in many places.

I met a guy who wife was Russian. I dont know alot about Russian Orthodox Church, but his wife was tired of Protestants coming there and trying to convert them.

I guess this happens in all denominations.

 

[isshinwhat]

I read an article in Mission about the state of the Catholic Church in Russia. It's really sad the way they are being supressed, too. Bishops not being allowed to return... Priests being denied re-entry to serve their parishes. "It's a sad, sorry state of affairs."

God Bless,

Neal