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Handout #277 |
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A patriotic bishop |
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On 17 December 1957 the Diocesan Congress of
Chentu elected Li Hsi-Ying 'Bishop of Chentu with ordinary powers'. The
newly - elected bishop took an oath on the Bible. One must be careful not to
pass judgment too hastily on the choice of a certain number of Catholics who
doubtless wanted to save what could still be saved.
Since the voice of the people is the voice of god, I must organize myself and take responsibility for the dioceses. From today I wish to train the priest and the forty thousand faithful of the diocese to move under the direction of the Communist Party along the route of Socialism, to oppose all interference and meddling on the part of the Vatican, but on the essential condition that neither the dignity of our country nor the interests of the Chinese people are infringed. |
