The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1958-03-28
The Church In China:
Greatest Opposition to Reds
Comes From Students
BY Erik Won KvehneIt-L sddihn

And what about the Church in China, the
reader of our last column will ask; can we remain
Indifferent to the spiritual prospects of a quarter OF
humanity? Of course not. And after having talked to a
large number Of missionaries and expelleeS in the
free borderlandS of China, this is the general picture
which emerges:
y AS to the percentage of Communists in China
the most pessimistic accounts speak about SO percent
while optimiSts admit no more than $3.50.
D The greatest opposition the government is
facing now comes from the students and their pro-
fessors, the artists and intellectuals, the farmers and
the former shopkeepers.
The only true beneficiaries of the Red Rule are
certain specialists and highly skilled workers. The
university youth, once very "red", is today the main
stay Of the opposition.
81 The declaration of Mao-Dze-Dun, last year,
that a free and open discussion of all problems is
desirable and necessary has been proved to be mere
ly a trap. Those who had naively voiced their diScon-
tent have been arrested and punished.
There also had been a short letup in the per-
secution of the Church, but this was a temporary
effort to mislead Catholic opinion not as much inside
China as outside.
A. Very much to the surprise of a minority
of foreign missionaries the Church is resisting sue
c~eSsfully. Luckily the persecution started when a suf-
ficiently large stock of indigenous clergy had been
ordained. There are today practically no missionaries
Of foreign nationality left in China. The exception to
the rule is Bishop Walsh of Shanghai, a Maryknoller.
He is only tolerated in order to mislead world opin-
ion. The Sisters who are allowed to teach in a school
for the children of diplomats in Picking also act, willy
nllly, as an "eye-WaSn".
There are still ~tragically many foreigners who
are invited to China, are shown open churches, offici-
ating Priests, and pious worshippers and are there
by Convinced that the Church in China can operate
without difficulties, a view they spread in Europe and
America.
81 The efforts to divide the Catholics are so num-
erous that they cannot be fully listed. Bishops confer
ences are called frequently by the Reds, but many OF
the bishops refuse to attend and most OF those who
come are resisting. The demands of the Peking hench-
men is not so much surrender to MarxiSm, but the
Joining of patriotic" organizations. Never have DR..
Johnson's words, Patriotism is a refuge for scound-
rels," been truer than at this time in China. The Red
efforts to produce a real schism have failed and so
have the indoctrination courses for which attendance
is obligatory.
g. While the clergy opposed Communism vigor-
ously, the laity showed even greater heroisn1. This
is the opinion of several priestSD On the other hand 1t
is true that the priests and bishops have to bear the
very brunt of the persecution whereas the layman
can retract with his faith into the four walls OF his
home and his family.
He can make his own religion a family affair"
the recipe of the underground church in Japan In the
years 1637-1868.
n The family is the enemy number one of Chin
csc communism and therefore the efforts OF the men
in Picking aim to destroy it and to incite the children
and adolescents to rebel against their parents (and
grandparents. ~
In this they are somewhat successful. Yet the
patterns of China and Hungary are similar IN SO
many respects. Though the fibre of the family and OF
morality among the youngsters is weakening, tney are
not becoming communists either. They might event
uallv even prefer to die rather than to submit Tor
ever to their seducers. Like the Hungarlans, they
deal with tanks. And there will be no Red Army to
come to the rescue of Mao and his gang. The Russians
know only too we'll that China is not Hungary but a
bottOmleSS pit.