Jesus Crucified Until the End of Time
March 20, 2008, 12:58 pm
Posted by Robert P. Imbelli
The Stations of the Cross to be prayed tomorrow in the Colosseum have been composed this year by Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong. The accompanying booklet features depictions of the Stations by 20th century Chinese artists. They may be viewed here, though the text is in Italian. Click on the image for larger view and for text.
Asia News has published photos of the Tibet repression. They are awful to behold. But the Chinese government has harshly criticized Pope Benedict’s appeal for peace.
“He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3).
Thanks for this excellent post. I think it is time to use the power of the purse to support religious freedom in China. The U.S. government doesn’t seem to be up to the job. That seems to be the message in this statment on March 14 from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an advisory group to the State Department:
“With the Olympics coming, now is the time for the United States to insist that China strengthen human rights protections and adhere to international standards—not downgrade human rights in bilateral relations, a message that could be perceived in the State Department’s decision this year to remove China from its list of the 10 worst human rights abusers.”
For the rest: http://www.uscirf.gov/mediaroom/press/2008/march/031408_china.html
Previously, the commission has noted:
“Every religious community in China continues to be subject to serious restrictions, state control, and repression. The most severe religious freedom abuses are directed against Tibetan Buddhists, Uighur Muslims, “underground” Roman Catholics, house church and unregistered Protestants, and spiritual groups such as the Falun Gong. These abuses involve imprisonment, torture, and other forms of ill treatment. Prominent religious leaders and others continue to be confined, imprisoned, tortured, “disappeared,” and subjected to other forms of ill treatment on account of their religion or belief. Religious freedom conditions deteriorated for communities not affiliated with any of the seven government-approved religious organizations, those considered by the government to be “cults,” and those closely associated with ethnic minority groups in China.”
Yes, the pictures of the Tibetan dissident victims are awful to behold, but they are a stark reminder of the brutality that China has been inflicting on the peaceful nation of Tibet for decades as it tries to destroy the people and culture of Tibet. (A suggestion: Rent Martin Scorcese’s “Kundun” to find out how Tenzin Gyatso became the current Dalai Lama and how the Chinese oppression of Tibet began.) Twice in less than a year, in Tibet and Myanmar, our Buddhist brothers and sisters have by their suffering shown the world the brutal response of dictators to peaceful protest. As we Christiians enter the holiest days of our religious tradition, we should remember the people of Tibet and Myanmar in our prayers, and we should make our disgust about what is happening in Tibet and Myanmar known to those in the highest levels of the U.S. government. I’m sure China, for one, is convinced that the world will ignore its illegal and disgraceful acts. I hope our government takes the moral high ground and criticizes in the harshest terms what is currently going on in Tibet.
How much does the Marxist orientation of China’s leaders influence their behavior? Are they actually Marxists? Or is their behavior simply the standard response of all dictators to certain religious attitudes? Given their recent capitalist initiatives, I suspect that Marxism plays a diminishing role. Or does it? I am really curious about this. Are there any reliable texts out there that would shed light on this?
Bob–
I was waiting to see if anyone might recommend a text, but in the absence (so far) of a book that takes an academic look at 21st century China, you may want to peruse the very informative and readable book by NPR Rob Gifford titled “China Road: A Journey Into the Future of a Rising Power.” Gifford is fluent in Mandarin, and he spent a lot of time in China. He does a Route 66-style journey along the 3000-mile Route 312, which runs from Shanghai on the coast to the northwestern border between China ans Kazakhstan. Gifford meets a lot of interesting people along the way, and he puts a face on a country that remains an enigma to most Westerners. Many things become clear–e.g., capitalism has swept the country, and so has many of its problems, such as massive rural-to-urban drift, a widening gap between the urban rich and the rural poor, and increasing corruption throughout the economy. As one truck driver Gifford befriends says, “Ren chi ren” (“It’s man eat man now”). A very interesting book IMO, and an eyeopener in many respects.
Thanks William! I’m going to order it Monday, and I appreciate the tip. Have a blessed Easter Sunday.