By Father Francis Clougherty, O.S.B.

(Editor’s Note: Father Francis Clougherty, an 82 year old Benedictine priest now living in retirement at St. Procopius Abbey in Lisle, Illinois, was the first American Catholic priest ordained for service in a diocese in China in 1920. He was a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II, spending the entire war years in a prison camp with 1,800 people, mostly missionaries. He served as Director of the Newman Club at the University of Georgia from 1947 to 1957, when he joined the Benedictines at the abbey in Lisle. In 1965, at age 70, he went to Taiwan on a mission to purchase property there for a priory, remaining three years to bring the project to fruition. He has continued his residence at the abbey since his return to the United States in 1968 and was contacted there by the BULLETIN and asked to share the following thoughts on Church relations in Communist China.)

As the first American priest ordained for a Vicariate in Central China nearly 60 years ago, I have been asked by the GEORGIA BULLETIN to gaze into the crystal ball and foresee the status of the Catholic Church therein, in the light of the recognition of Communist China by the United States of America.

With regard to freedom of worship, the growth of its native hierarchy, its educational and charitable institutions and its rich harvest of converts, the Catholic Church in China was flourishing two decades before the advent of the Communist Government. The seminaries were crowded and the native Sisterhoods were rapidly increasing, while Cardinal Thomas, Cardinal Tien and the then Archbishop Paul Yu Pin of Nanking were highly esteemed by government officials and deeply loved by Christians, and unfeignedly respected by all classes of people.

With the incursion of the Chinese Communist from the northwest, abetted by the Russian Soviet military extensive aid, China fell under Communism rule and the Bamboo Curtain immediately rolled down.

In a relatively short time persecution of Christians and the confiscation of their churches and properties became the order of the day. Bishops and priests were imprisoned and nuns sent out of their convents to do manual labor in factories, fields an on the streets. The Reds argued, as does all Soviet satellites that there is freedom to worship in China, and likewise freedom not to worship.

“Communism abolishes eternal truths, it abolishes all religion and all morality” wrote Karl Marx in his Manifesto of the Communist Party in February 1848. All foreign missionaries were expelled, with the exception of Bishop James Walsh of the Maryknoll, my schoolmate, who was held a prisoner for more than a decade.

So, now, what may we expect regarding the Church and its missionaries since the United States of America has recognized the Communist People’s Republic of China as the sole representative of the Chinese people? In view of the extremely and pitifully skimpy outline of pre-Communist rule above, we are at least aware of the tremendous problem facing the Church’s rehabilitation, if such an opportunity, very unlikely, is to be offered her.

Contrary to expectations of some of the more ardent champions of the detente with Red China, it is highly questionable that any foreign missionaries, especially Christian, will ever set foot on Chinese soil to spread the Good News. There may be a token opening of some of our churches in cities to impress gullible tourists. With the notable exception of a church for foreigners to worship in Peking, all churches, monasteries (both Catholic and Buddhist), and mosques were confiscated, and one cannot be unduly optimistic that they will be restored to their original owners by the atheistic rulers, who stabled their horses and used the buildings for granaries and other mundane purposes.

The spiritual vacuum in Communist China since 1950 opened the floodgates for the flow of the materialistic philosophy of Marxism. However, the charm of Chinese life is largely due to its emphasis on moral and spiritual values, and to the Chinese, civilization can never be measured merely by material progress. By nature, the Chinese hate regimentation, or any kind of control which runs counter to the natural expression of their life and manner of thought. The eventual failure of Communism in China was brought about by its essentially false relationship to the Chinese people themselves.

It is by all means, too early to read into the future the immediate or ultimate effect of our President’s announcement of the USA recognition of Communist China upon the Church and religion in general. One can almost rule out with certainty the possibility of our government demanding a return of Church properties and the return of our and other foreign missionaries to carry on an apostolate there in the interest of Christianity. Of the hundred and more Chinese Bishops shepherding over a hundred dioceses, probably only a few remain living and in good health, many dying in prison and from forced labor and other hardships, not the least of which was their constant sorrow in being deprived of their spiritual flock. It seems that in the coming decade only a miracle will, through hope and prayer, bring about the lifting of the Bamboo Curtain sufficiently to relax the total prohibition against religion, and the opening again of many of the churches and related institutions.

Our firm hope rests upon the Chinese people themselves, with their deeply rooted cultural heritage, which will never accept ultimate Communist rule, which tramples ruthlessly upon all human dignity and upon most elementary rights of man. The trials and sufferings the Chinese people have endured these several decades under Red rule, has prepared them for a more full and perfect religious life, which awaits them in God’s own good time.

There is another spark of hope in the fact that from American, engineers, teachers, doctors, nurses, yes, and even social workers, are needed to answer the call from China in its quest for progress. They will be able not merely to give technical aid or assistance, but also, to satisfy a deeper desire of the Chinese people -- a desire for Christian understanding and sympathy-the basic spiritual needs of the people. In lieu of direct foreign missionary evangelization, by their example of Christian living, these lay people can be a tremendous influence in mission areas. They can help to form minds and consciences by mingling with the local people and entering where a priest or other religious persons would be too conspicuous.

China has had a long and unique experience in its struggle against the demoralizing forces of atheism. The suffering Church there can repeat with St. Paul: “We glory also in tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; patience, trial; and trial, hope.” In the crisis of suffering, nature suggests pain and despair; but faith offers hope and opportunity.

Mention of the word “crisis” brings us to a very profound meaning to the word as it is written in the Chinese language (which is ideo-graphic). In Greek it means “Judgment”. But the Chinese word is made up of two characters (drawings) one above the other. The top character displays a man standing at the very edge of a cliff and it means, by itself “danger,” while the lower character shows three trees (plenty of wood, so useful for construction and even chopsticks) and means “opportunity.” Now when these two factors exist, there is a crisis. Where there is a grave danger there will be found unusual opportunity. Witness Christ’s Passion and Salvation of Mankind!

A crisis can be the sharpest goad to man’s creative energies, so also to a nation’s such as China, the world’s oldest civilization and the most populace today, with one-fourth of the world’s population. For China the danger is very real, we know, it may challenge all the resources of prayer and sacrifice on the part of China and the Church militant throughout Christendom.

With the rolling up of the Bamboo Curtain in mainland China, all Christians throughout the world will offer prayers for religious freedom to enable sons and daughters of the ancient sorrow-stricken land to follow, like the Magi, the star of grace until it brings them to the heart of the great King.