Business Trip = Miss Mass For Most Of Year

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flatlanderjenn

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Hello all!

My husband has an opportunity to teach in China for a whole school year (9 months). But in China it’s illegal to be a faithful Catholic. They have government-run Catholic Churches with government-hired priests while the true Church is underground. Which would mean he’d miss Mass for an entire school year! We aren’t sure if they’d allow a bible, allow him to watch Mass on EWTNdotcom or use the Laudate App on his phone for the Sunday readings. (We both like to read the daily readings on Laudate.) Even if he has access to the Liturgy of the Word, he couldn’t have Liturgy of the Eucharist.

My initial reaction is “no way! I don’t care if working there for one school year would pay off our mortgage and we’d be debt free. It seems like trading God for money.” But I wonder if I’m putting too much thought into it because a family friend is spending the summer in China teaching and therefore missing Mass. When he returns he’s going to tell my husband and I about it.

What do you all think?

Thanks!
 
In strict canon terms, inability to attend mass for a legitimate reason mitigates the culpability for missing. If your husband truly cannot make it to mass then it would not be a mortal sin for him to miss.

As for if you should take this opportunity, that it between you and your husband. If it really would pay off your mortgage and make you debt free, I personally would seriously consider it. That would free up a lot of money each month that you could direct to Godly causes, and would also make you less subject to the fluctuating demands of our economy.
 
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I’m not sure your idea that the Catholic Churches in China are illegitimate is correct.

In any case, I can’t imagine anyone is going to bother hassling him over a Bible or using an app on his phone. China isn’t North Korea.
 
flatlanderjenn said:
They have government-run Catholic Churches with government-hired priests
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This is not entirely accurate.
flatlanderjenn said:
What do you all think?
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A). Catholics traveling to China may attend the Chinese church.

B). He should check the city where he will be staying, they may have an English speaking Catholic Church that caters to expats.

C). If he cannot attend mass, such as becuase there is no Catholic Church where he is living, there is no obligation.

D). Talk with your pastor about it.

 
I don’t know. A faculty member I know went to China to teach and when she came back, her personal laptop was teeming with spyware.
 
Oh I’m sure. And a lot of websites are blocked there.

But no one is going to actually care that some foreigner is looking at religious stuff on his phone/laptop.
 
This is something to discuss with one’s pastor. The Church would not forbid Catholics to travel to or work in China.
 
About 160 years ago an ancestor of mine fought as a soldier in the American Civil War. Ke kept a diary. Almost every Sunday he went to mass. Sometimes however, because of troop movements or because he was in a situation where he was unable to attend mass he would read from his mass book. I think it might be a good investment to get a Sunday missal to take with you so that you could keep up with what is going on in the liturgy in the event that you are unable to go to mass or you are unable to understand what the priest is saying as he says mass in Chinese.
 
BoomBoomMancini said:
I’m not sure your idea that the Catholic Churches in China are illegitimate is correct.

In any case, I can’t imagine anyone is going to bother hassling him over a Bible or using an app on his phone. China isn’t North Korea.
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China isn’t the west. I wouldn’t risk it.

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You have probably thought of this, but 9 months is a long time for your husband to be apart from your family. Not saying don’t go- just discuss first.

On the techie side: get a VPN, preferably several (some are free) to get around the blocks if you need to. Get WeChat (Chinese equivilant of WhatsApp) to communicate as it won’t get blocked (mostly) but be aware this would be monitored. Be prepared to wipe your laptop when you get back.
 
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GodSpawned said:
You have probably thought of this, but 9 months is a long time for your husband to be apart from your family. Not saying don’t go- just discuss first.
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It can be done, and sometimes must be done. I was gone for a year thanks to the military, my father was gone for two years in Vietnam, my brother was gone for three years when he was moved and his family was not. Occasionally the need outweighs the want.

If only that year I was gone had paid off a mortgage…
 
Interest rates are quite low right now. I don’t think it’s a good idea to be apart for so long. Patience with debt is a sign of maturity.
 
There are lot of jobs out there. But no job is worth nine months away from the Mass.
We have separation of church and state in this country, but we also have freedom to religion.
Let the Communists lure atheists to teach in their schools!
We are here in this world to glorify and to praise God in all that we say and do.
And we are here to love and serve one another as brothers and sisters.
Living this life is not about making money.
 
And China is not the United States either.
The Chinese have legitimized a repressive government using money.
 
All I know is I have western friends who have been living in China for a couple years and the world hasn’t ended for them. Granted, they are not Catholic and thus the missing of Mass is not a concern, but they have managed to have a good time with other expats in the area where they are. They do not like the food and one of them has lost about 50 pounds because of that.

I can see being a bit bothered being apart for 9 months - it can be done but it’s not easy or pleasant for a couple.
I can even see the concern about missing Mass, although the CAF column I posted stated that it is fine to attend a government-approved Mass if there’s no other option (or an Eastern Orthodox service, same).

But I can’t see being nervous of just being in China, unless you’re going to some remote area with very few Westerners. I’d like to visit a couple of the cities there myself someday.
 
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