Chinese youths visit the pope before heading for World Youth Day
Vatican City (AsiaNews) Another contingent of Chinese people has visited the Pope. They were present at this morning's audience of Benedict XVI in Paul VI Hall, just as a Chinese group attended the audience last week. Today's group consisted of 120 youths aged between 17 and 30 years, who passed through Rome precisely to greet the pope before heading for Cologne to participate in World Youth Day.
During the greetings and presentation to the pope (made in Italian), the youths sang an Easter hymn.
Only 20 of them come from the People's Republic of China; another 15 come from Hong Kong and at least another 60 from Taiwan. They traveled along different routes to meet in Rome and to then proceed together to Cologne. Italian priests hosting them highlight "the unity among them and their desire to share the Christian faith".
Other Asian youths coming from Japan and Korea were also present at the audience.
The Chinese youths arrived yesterday and will take off again this afternoon. They are all linked to the Neo-Catechumen Way of Kiko Arguello. En route to Cologne, each group will stop in one or two squares in European cities to "preach the Gospel". A Neo-Catechumen priest told AsiaNews: "All youths of the Way who are going to Cologne will undergo this experience: they will gather in a square in Milan, Zurich, Freiburg, and there they will announce the Gospel to passers-by by singing and playing the guitar. Our Chinese friends will do the same."
The group present at today's audience is the first batch from the People's Republic of China which is going to Cologne. According to information received by AsiaNews, many Chinese Catholics have let the Vatican know they would be going to Cologne but there are no confirmations as yet. Many will travel to Cologne on individual visas and not in organized religious groups.
Among the youths, there are members of the official church, which is recognized by the government, as well as members of the underground church. A group of 50 youths from the underground church from northern China reached Cologne yesterday. All have asked for a visa citing only "tourism in Europe". The youths told AsiaNews that asking for a visa for "religious reasons" risked rejection.
In 1995, for the WYD in Manila, the official church sent a group of its priests and believers. The presence of the Taiwan flag among flags displayed created a political problem: the secretary of the Patriotic Association ordered all the faithful to leave the mass of John Paul II because of the "offence taken". The majority of Catholics remained at the mass in hiding, disobeying the order.
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12/12/2007
