Archbishop celebrates Chinese churches at the end of his visit
-25/10/06
The Archbisho
Archbishop celebrates Chinese churches at the end of his visit
-25/10/06
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has said that the Christian church in China has gone through a period of ìextraordinary growthî and needs understanding and careful support from its friends elsewhere in the world.
His comments came at the close of a high-level two-week visit, following accusations from the human rights group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) that he had received only a one-sided view of religion in the country.
Dr Williams observed that in some regions of China the percentage of the population attending church on Sundays is as large, or even larger, than that in most western European nations.
He commented: ìThe astonishing and quite unpredictable explosion in Christian numbers in recent years is clearly connected to a widespread sense that the equally extraordinary explosion in the economic life has left many huge questions about personal and social values unanswered.î
The Archbishop, who is spiritual leader of the 77 million worldwide Anglican Communion, said that if China was to develop the kind of civil society that will guarantee both stability and harmony, the churches are vital partners.
The Chinese government officially sees religious communities as potential sources of integration and morality in a fast-changing society, but its regional religious affairs officials often crack down hard on unregistered churches or ësectsí. They also have a concern for the overriding priority of Chinese identity.
Dr Williams has raised questions of religious freedom with the authorities on his trip, but has wished to do so in a way which is positive rather than confrontational. He has spoken both about the general question of civil rights and faith groups, and also about six particular cases.
Last week Christian Solidarity Worldwide, through its deputy national director, Tina Lambert, said that ìChinese officials cannot credibly claim to be showing the Archbishop the face of Christianity in China when they suppress the majority of churches in the country and punish those who refuse to come under state control.î
But a commentator told Ekklesia that the Archbishopís visit had been prepared with ìpainstaking careî over a long period, and that those working with Dr Williams over the trip ìare aware of the full range of issues, concerns and angles involved.î
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland has a China Desk with a lengthy history of ecumenical cooperation with both the Protestant and Catholic Churches in China. It also maintains contact with a wide range of Christian agencies and civil society groups
Commenting on his visit, Dr Williams hinted that Christians in other parts of the world needed to recognize that imposing external categories of interpretation about Chinese church life and society was not always helpful.
ìIt is no longer true ñ if it ever was true ñ that being Christian is to stop being really Chinese,î he declared. ìSo we are encouraged to see a church that is trying to find its own way forward honestly, to find a language that really belongs to this place.î
He added: ìIt is no kind of imported Christianity ñ whether conservative or liberal ñ that will answer the questions of China.î
At the level of official church relations, the concern of denominations and ecumenical bodies has been to build trust and to work with quiet diplomacy in relation to Chinaís changing religious scene.
Human rights campaigns are more eager to apply direct pressure on the Chinese government. Observers say this has mixed results, and that the assumption that all officially registered churches are simply tools of the state is unfair and untrue.
The Archbishop of Canterbury began his visit to China on 8 October 2006 and has toured five cities before concluding the trip in Beijing on Monday.
Archbishop celebrates Chinese churches at the end of his visit
-25/10/06
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has said that the Christian church in China has gone through a period of ìextraordinary growthî and needs understanding and careful support from its friends elsewhere in the world.
His comments came at the close of a high-level two-week visit, following accusations from the human rights group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) that he had received only a one-sided view of religion in the country.
Dr Williams observed that in some regions of China the percentage of the population attending church on Sundays is as large, or even larger, than that in most western European nations.
He commented: ìThe astonishing and quite unpredictable explosion in Christian numbers in recent years is clearly connected to a widespread sense that the equally extraordinary explosion in the economic life has left many huge questions about personal and social values unanswered.î
The Archbishop, who is spiritual leader of the 77 million worldwide Anglican Communion, said that if China was to develop the kind of civil society that will guarantee both stability and harmony, the churches are vital partners.
The Chinese government officially sees religious communities as potential sources of integration and morality in a fast-changing society, but its regional religious affairs officials often crack down hard on unregistered churches or ësectsí. They also have a concern for the overriding priority of Chinese identity.
Dr Williams has raised questions of religious freedom with the authorities on his trip, but has wished to do so in a way which is positive rather than confrontational. He has spoken both about the general question of civil rights and faith groups, and also about six particular cases.
Last week Christian Solidarity Worldwide, through its deputy national director, Tina Lambert, said that ìChinese officials cannot credibly claim to be showing the Archbishop the face of Christianity in China when they suppress the majority of churches in the country and punish those who refuse to come under state control.î
But a commentator told Ekklesia that the Archbishopís visit had been prepared with ìpainstaking careî over a long period, and that those working with Dr Williams over the trip ìare aware of the full range of issues, concerns and angles involved.î
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland has a China Desk with a lengthy history of ecumenical cooperation with both the Protestant and Catholic Churches in China. It also maintains contact with a wide range of Christian agencies and civil society groups
Commenting on his visit, Dr Williams hinted that Christians in other parts of the world needed to recognize that imposing external categories of interpretation about Chinese church life and society was not always helpful.
ìIt is no longer true ñ if it ever was true ñ that being Christian is to stop being really Chinese,î he declared. ìSo we are encouraged to see a church that is trying to find its own way forward honestly, to find a language that really belongs to this place.î
He added: ìIt is no kind of imported Christianity ñ whether conservative or liberal ñ that will answer the questions of China.î
At the level of official church relations, the concern of denominations and ecumenical bodies has been to build trust and to work with quiet diplomacy in relation to Chinaís changing religious scene.
Human rights campaigns are more eager to apply direct pressure on the Chinese government. Observers say this has mixed results, and that the assumption that all officially registered churches are simply tools of the state is unfair and untrue.
The Archbishop of Canterbury began his visit to China on 8 October 2006 and has toured five cities before concluding the trip in Beijing on Monday.