Greg Burke, director of the Vatican press office, said in a statement that the Holy See has expressed “grave concern” over the situation of Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin of Wenzhou. The Vatican noted that the bishop, who is recognised by the Vatican but not by the Chinese, was forcibly removed from his diocese some time ago. His whereabouts are unknown.

The spokesman for the Vatican said: “The Holy See, profoundly saddened for this and other similar episodes that unfortunately do not facilitate ways of understanding, expresses the hope that Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin may return as soon as possible to the diocese and that he can be assured the possibility of serenely exercising his episcopal ministry.”

Many observers said he is being put under heavy pressure to join the Catholic Patriotic Association.

‘The Christian must expect persecution’

In his reflection during his June 25 Angelus address, Pope Francis said: “The disciple is called to conform his life to that of Christ, who was persecuted by men, who knew rejection, abandonment and death on the cross. Difficulties and tribulations form part of the work of evangelisation, and we are called to find in them the opportunity to confirm the authenticity of our faith and of our relationship with Jesus.

“In fact, a form of test could also be the absence of hostilities and tribulations. In addition to being ‘sheep in the midst of wolves’, in our time also the Lord sends us as watchmen in the midst of people who do not want to be awakened from worldly torpor, who ignore the words of the truth of the Gospel, constructing their own ephemeral truths. And if we move and live in these contexts and say the words of the Gospel, this is bothersome and we will not be well regarded.”

Fight drugs. Invest in formation

Cardinal Peter Turkson, prefect of the Vatican dicastery for Integral Human Development, said: “The scenario which we must all face is marked by the loss of the ancient primacy of the family and the school, the emptying of authority of adult figures and the difficulties that arise in terms of parenting; this proves that this is not time for ‘protagonism’, but rather for ‘networks’ capable of reactivating social educational synergies by overcoming unnecessary competition, delegation and forms of dereliction. To prevent young people from growing up without ‘care’, bred rather than educated, attracted by ‘healing prosthetics’, as drugs appear to them, all social actors must connect and invest in the shared ground of basic and indispensable education values aiming at the integral formation of the person.”

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)

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