September 16 - 30 , 2018 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY RELIGIOUS 25

Pope Francis took responsibility Tuesday for the agreement between the Holy See and the People ’ s Republic of China , noting that in any such negotiation , “ both sides lose something .”

He was asked about the agreement Sept . 25 during the flight from Tallinn to Rome by Antonio Pelayo of Vida Nueva .

The agreement on the appointment of bishops in mainland China was signed Sept . 22 in Beijing . It will allow for bishops who are in communion with the Holy Father and at the same time are recognized by the Chinese government .

Francis said the agreement was the fruit of a dialogue that has taken several years .

“ The Vatican team worked a lot ,” he said . He noted the efforts of Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli , president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for social Communications ; Fr . Rota Graziosi , an official of the Roman curia ; and Cardinal Pietro Parolin , the Vatican Secretary of State .

Cardinal Parolin , he said , “ has a special devotion to the lens ; he studies all of the documents down to the period , comma , notes , and this gives me a great assurance .”

“ You know that when you make a peace agreement or a negotiation , both sides lose something ,” Pope Francis reflected . “ This is the law . Both sides . And you move ahead .”

The Bishop of Rome said that the dialogue which led to the agreement was a process of going two steps forward and one step back . “ Then , months passed without speaking to each other and then the time of God , which appears to be [ the time of the ] Chinese . Slowly . This is wisdom , the wisdom of the Chinese .”

He said that “ the bishops who were in difficulty were studied case-by-case ,” and that “ dossiers came on to my desk about each one . And I was responsible for signing the case of the bishops .”

Following this , drafts of the agreement were put on his desk , Pope Francis said . They were discussed and “ I gave my ideas .”

“ I think of the resistance , the Catholics who have suffered . It ’ s true . And they will suffer . Always , in an agreement , there is suffering . They have a great faith .”

He said they have written him , saying that “ what the Holy See , what Peter says , is that which Jesus says . The martyrial faith of these people today goes ahead . They are the great ones !”

“ I signed the agreement ,” Pope Francis stated . “ I am responsible .”

“ The others , whom I appointed , in all have worked for more than 10 years . It ’ s not an improvisation . It ’ s a path , a true path .”

Announcing the deal on Saturday , the Holy See had said that “ the shared hope is that this agreement may favor a fruitful and forward-looking process of institutional dialogue and may contribute positively to the life of the Catholic Church in China , to the common good of the Chinese people and to peace in the world .”

Beijing established the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association in 1957 to regulate Catholics living in China , and Catholics in the country have been divided between members of the patriotic Church and the “ underground Church ”.

The agreement between the Holy See and the People ’ s Republic is meant to end the split between the patriotic and underground Churches .

The Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association is under the day-to-day direct supervision of the Chinese Communist Party since a March 2018 decision by which the Chinese government shifted direct control of religious affairs to the Chinese Communist Party ’ s United Front Work Department . ( CNA )

Caritas Manila , the social action arm of the Archdiocese of Manila , plans to build more typhoon-proof three-inone chapels following the onslaught of typhoon ‘ Ompong .’

Rev . Fr . Anton Pascual , executive director of Caritas Manila and Radio Veritas president , said the typhoon-proof thee-in-one ( meaning the structure can be used as a church , training and evacuation center ) came about after the massive destruction caused by super typhoon ‘ Yolanda ’ in 2013 .

“ There are now 74 three-inone chapels in Leyte and Samar . These structures are sturdy and had been tested after typhoon ‘ Sendong ’ hit the Visayas . The chapels , which were built with a comfort room , can withstand strong winds of up to 250 kilometers per hour ( kph ) and can serve as evacuation centers . We want to replicate this in the other provinces ,” Pascual said over Church-run Radio Veritas .

“ During the fury of typhoon ‘ Ompong ,’ several churches in Northern Luzon were destroyed including St . Michael the Archangel Parish in Gattaran ,

Cagayan ,” Pascual said .

“ Caritas Manila has also built a large warehouse , training center , ambulance , and has developed a 40 ft . container van in Tagum , Davao del Norte that can be used for rescue operations during calamities . It can go anywhere in Mindanao . It has a mobile clinic , and an office . We want to position another one of such in the Visayas ,” he said .

Meanwhile , Pascual continues to call on kind-hearted individuals to help the calamity survivors in areas affected by typhoon ‘ Ompong .( C . Hermoso , mb . com . ph )

Rev . Father Anton CT Pascual-President Radio Veritas / Exec . Director Caritas Manila ( Manila Bulletin )

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