Twice during special Mass, Chinese Catholics recite papal prayer

Published: 2008-05-27

SHANGHAI, China (CNS) -- Chinese pilgrims, mainly from the Shanghai Diocese, read aloud Pope Benedict XVI's "Prayer to Our Lady of Sheshan" as they celebrated the Sheshan Marian shrine's feast day on the outskirts of Shanghai. Around 2,500 pilgrims packed the shrine's minor Basilica of St. Mary May 24, the day of prayer for the church in China that the pope called for in his June 2007 letter to mainland Catholics, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News. Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Xing Wenzhi of Shanghai was the main celebrant at the basilica Mass. The pope' prayer, released by the Vatican May 16, was read aloud twice during the Mass, once unexpectedly, priests later confirmed. Bishop Xing told UCA News after the Mass that he believed local Catholics would soon memorize the prayer, despite its length, as they love every word written by the pope. He recalled that when he showed the Chinese version of the prayer, taken from the Internet, to Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian of Shanghai, the 92-year-old prelate immediately responded, "Print it." The diocese printed 2,000 pilgrimage booklets with the pope's prayer and his coat of arms. During remarks at the beginning of Mass, Father Raphael Gao Chaopeng pointed out that Pope Benedict made May 24 special this year by designating it World Day of Prayer for the Church in China. This shows "we are no longer an orphan but a family member in the universal church," said the priest, who teaches at Sheshan Seminary, at the foot of the shrine hill.

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