Mass in Beijing!?

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Argh

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Hey everyone,

So I’m currently in Beijing studying in a language immersion program through Beijing University (Beida). My first question is does anyone know what mass is like in the PRC??? Second, I don’t speak NEARLY enough Chinese to go to confession, any suggestions (I’m here for another 6 weeks and already I kinda need to go :(). Third, are there any Chinese saints? I don’t know of any, and I can guess there are quite a few Chinese/missionary martyrs but…

thanks!
 
I know very little about the Church in China, but are you aware of any major English-speaking communities in Beijing? If there is a big enough population it is possible that they may have their own chaplain; or what about missionary priests - I wonder if there would be many around Beijing, but if there are, I would say there would be an English speaker among them. Maybe the consulate of an English-speaking country could help?

If you really cannot confess your sins to a priest - and this is through no fault of your own - you can make an act of contrition to God and ask for forgiveness, but resolve to go to confession at the earliest opportunity.
 
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Patriotic_Catholic_Association

n his encyclical Ad Apostolorum Principis of 29 July 1958, Pope Pius XII deplored the attitude and activities of the Association and declared the bishops who participated in consecrating new bishops selected by the Association to be excommunicated*.** And Pope Benedict XVI referred to the agents of the Association as “persons who are not ‘ordained’, and sometimes not even baptized”, who “control and take decisions concerning important ecclesial questions, including the appointment of Bishops”[2]*

As for confession make an act of perfect contrition, firmly resolving to go when you can to a validly ordained priest. For mass try phoning or emailing the Italian embassy for example, if there is one, and asking them. I say Italy because I read the Italian embassy in Afghanistan is the only place where Catholic mass is held in the whole country. Also try your own country`s embassy.
 
Check with the Embassies of predominatly Catholic countries like Ireland, Poland or Malta.

In many cases those embassies have chaplains that say Mass on the embassy grounds. You would also have a better chance of them having English speaking clergy for purposes of confessions.

Also, send an email to the Archdiocese of Hong Kong. They might be able to make a few suggestions.

catholic.org.hk/plaintextcdhk/eindex2.html

Don’t attempt to seek out clergy from the Underground Catholic Church, you could put them in grave danger.
 
Yeah, I knew about the People’s Catholic Church and whatnot, it’s really sad. The Church has had a long history of having its correctIy appointed bishops arrested, labled enemies of the people, and otherwise persecuted ever since the Chinese people “stood up” in 1949. I even went to Yonghe Llama temple today (Tibetan Buddhist temple, very popular tourist attraction) and I see captions in tourist fliers, advertisments, and books how devoted the PRC is to religious freedom here and there.

Unfortunately, I don’t speak Italian, Italian or…Maltese(?). I can still speak a little French, but the state of the First Daughter of the Church isn’t good either. I’ll check out their respective embassies here, that’s a good idea. The American Embassy is only open for services 3 days a week, unfortunately.

I will be going to Yantai in Shandong province for most of the rest of my stay in another week. I’ll see if I can find something there, too, but I doubt it.

I swear I remember something about thawing ties between the PRC and the Church, though. That might very well have been with Hong Kong, though.

thx!
 
Argh said:
Yeah, I knew about the People’s Catholic Church and whatnot, it’s really sad. The Church has had a long history of having its correctIy appointed bishops arrested, labled enemies of the people, and otherwise persecuted ever since the Chinese people “stood up” in 1949. I even went to Yonghe Llama temple today (Tibetan Buddhist temple, very popular tourist attraction) and I see captions in tourist fliers, advertisments, and books how devoted the PRC is to religious freedom here and there.

**Unfortunately, I don’t speak Italian, Italian or…Maltese(?). **I can still speak a little French, but the state of the First Daughter of the Church isn’t good either. I’ll check out their respective embassies here, that’s a good idea. The American Embassy is only open for services 3 days a week, unfortunately.

I will be going to Yantai in Shandong province for most of the rest of my stay in another week. I’ll see if I can find something there, too, but I doubt it.

I swear I remember something about thawing ties between the PRC and the Church, though. That might very well have been with Hong Kong, though.

thx!
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Malta is officially bilingual in English and Maltese, and most people speak Italian as well for historical reasons. You will not have trouble finding an English speaker at a Maltese Embassy.
 
brotherhrolf said:
Truer words have ne’er been spoken. Confession might have been a problem but not the Mass 40 years ago.
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or even now. When I was travelling internationally for work a several years ago, it became a habit to just attend a local Latin ( NO) Mass.

I did that in France, Holland, Germany and Korea. It certainly beats having to know all those other langugaes.

It was pretty easy too. I just sent an email to the diocese where I would be at, requesting information about what Latin Masses were available. There is usually someone in a diacastery office who can type up a response email, and they all did.

Seoul was very easy, the Cathedral had latin masses 😉
 
Brendan said:
or even now. When I was travelling internationally for work a several years ago, it became a habit to just attend a local Latin ( NO) Mass.

I did that in France, Holland, Germany and Korea. It certainly beats having to know all those other langugaes.

It was pretty easy too. I just sent an email to the diocese where I would be at, requesting information about what Latin Masses were available. There is usually someone in a diacastery office who can type up a response email, and they all did.

Seoul was very easy, the Cathedral had latin masses 😉
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The cathedral in Beijing also has Latin masses (or at least they used to - perhaps it’s in the vernacular now), but they are not technically in communion with Rome.

I would add to others suggestions to inquire with the Embassy of the Philippines.
 
So I found a few e-mail addresses for embassies mentioned above, now would it be a good idea to send them an email saying “Hi, I’m an American Catholic, would you happen to have a chaplain there?” Sorry if thats a dumb question, but I’m really kinda shy about talking about anything Christian in public, force of habituation I suppose. And I’m kinda sorta embarrassed, too :o.
 
Argh said:
So I found a few e-mail addresses for embassies mentioned above, now would it be a good idea to send them an email saying “Hi, I’m an American Catholic, would you happen to have a chaplain there?” Sorry if thats a dumb question, but I’m really kinda shy about talking about anything Christian in public, force of habituation I suppose. And I’m kinda sorta embarrassed, too :o.
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That’s probably the best way.
Also, to further what other posters have said, if you have committed a mortal sin and confession is unavailable, you should try to make an act of perfect contrition, but you may not receive communion.
On the other hand, a priest doesn’t have to actually understand you for a valid sacrament.
 
Spirithound said:
That’s probably the best way.
Also, to further what other posters have said, if you have committed a mortal sin and confession is unavailable, you should try to make an act of perfect contrition, but you may not receive communion.
On the other hand, a priest doesn’t have to actually understand you for a valid sacrament.
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Whoa, wait a sec, i was told that if you cannot make it to confession in time and make an act of contrition, you may still receive communion…

edit* and then get to confession asap.
 
Call the US embassy and ask if they know where you can find a Catholic church in town. There may be Catholics on the embassy staff who would know. If they don’t know of one, you are absolved from missing mass. See your parish priest for sacraments when you return to the US.

Matthew
 
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