Bay Area bishop: Church must help Chinese-American youths keep values

Published: 2007-05-22

SAN FRANCISCO (CNS) -- The United States' only Chinese-born Catholic bishop said he is concerned about cultural influences on Chinese-American families. "We have to work hard to help the young generation preserve their values," said San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop Ignatius C. Wang, underscoring respect for family. "There are a lot of good things to learn in the U.S." he said, "but there is a lot of not so good, too." Among the latter, he listed "spending too much money, disrespect of elders and the sexual revolution." "We have to give our youth hope and courage, and encourage them," he said, "because if we do not let them use their talents, the Protestants certainly will." He said social evangelization by Protestant churches often outstrips Catholic efforts. Bishop Wang is in the unique position of having raised a Chinese family in the United States. He traveled to San Francisco in 1974 to visit his widowed sister, Anna Yeun, who had cancer. Discovering she was too ill to care for her three children, then ages 18, 16 and 9, Bishop Wang decided to stay, obtaining an assignment in the archdiocese's tribunal. Yuen died in 1978 and Bishop Wang became the children's guardian.

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