Bernardo Cervellera

The new laws, in force since 1st January 2013, provide for immediate access to a lawyer; immediate notification for the relatives; limits detention without trial to six months. Bishops and priests imprisoned without trial for seven years or more, should be allowed return home or receive visits from their relatives. Optimism of some faithful Hebei; skepticism of other church figures.

In addition to the practices to spread abortion and euthanasia, the enemies of peace are radical economic liberalism, false rights and referees, technocracy. Subjective and relativistic cultures and policies, not akin to common good, need to be reviewed, by launching a new "cultural revolution" to rebuild a humanism open to transcendence.

Speaking to AsiaNews the Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples comments on the "sad" aggression of the Chinese Bishops' Council against Msgr Taddeo Ma Daqin, ousted for obeying the pope. The call to all churches to pray for the persecuted Church in China, Msgr. Ma and the bishops and priests in prison. A prayer for the new Chinese leadership after the Communist Party Congress, for an end to "methods of the past."

In a world trying to stifle the longing for and the presence of God, they are a missionary tool because they draw even non-Christians to Church. The "hymn" of the auxiliary bishop of Shanghai, under house arrest for his loyalty to the Pope and Young Rimsha Masih, a 14 year old disabled Christian, accused of blasphemy, and later exonerated, in Pakistan, are just some of the "melodies" that we presented on AsiaNews during the year, their testimonies shine in the dark like the windows of a cathedral.

Xi Jinping suffered during the Cultural Revolution; Yu Zhengsheng saw six members of six family die. However, the new leader proudly extols the party's achievements in the past years. Promising to fight corruption and red tape, he forgot advice about internal democracy, sharing the wealth and support from the private sector. He owes his election to the 'Shanghai clique,' which defends the interests of the princelings and corporate monopolies.

The state media extol economic and political success of past decade under Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao. But the party is still dogged by corruption and factional divisions. A united front to preserve the monopoly of power. But the country is suffering from the widening gap between rich and poor, and a stunted economy. In these 10 years the forms of repression has become more refined. But social unrest and religions have grown.

Bearing witness to the Christian faith against emotions and the dictatorship of positivist rationalism. The religious dimension is a source of "progress" for civilisation. The Indian saint is a symbol of women's contribution to society and the Church. Religious freedom helps peoples develop in brotherhood.

The Oslo Committee has decided to award the Peace Prize to the EU, for achieving 60 years of peace on the continent. But they have forgotten Bosnia and Kosovo. Europe seeks to promote respect for human rights and religious minorities in Turkey and Central Asia, but is silent with regards China. The embarrassing campaigns for "new rights" (homosexual unions, reproductive health, etc. ..). Perhaps this award (also) seeks to garner support for Barack Obama.

With only a few days to go to the Synod, a discreet skepticism, silence and disinterest pervades. Secularization affects the mission ad gentes. As well as new political, economic, scientific, religious scenarios. Benedict XVI urges a renewal of faith and mission. The world media has become one of the most important arenas for evangelisation.

In the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Middle East, signed yesterday in Beirut, Benedict XVI does not offer political solutions, but asks Christians to rekindle the gift of faith which gives rise to their creativity in society. The faithful must help free their societies of secularism and fundamentalism, and see that religious freedom is guaranteed to all. The Middle East as a laboratory of coexistence.

The seminaries will be closed until further notice, a nun was forced to step down as superior general. Seminarians and nuns "did not cooperate" with the government for the ordination of July 7, when Ma Daqin decided he was quitting the Patriotic Association. Catholics resistance to and criticism of official Church body on the rise. A bishop tells AsiaNews: "The government has lost control of the masses and the confidence of the people."

The trial is reminiscent of the one against Mao's wife, head of the Gang of Four. Media denied court access. Accused only permitted court appointed defense lawyers, who have not yet met with their clients. The many oddities indicate that the sentence has already been written and it's all in favor of the Communist Party. The trial will be brief because the leadership want to forget this story and prepare for the Congress this autumn.