China's transformation since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949 has been dramatic. What have been the implications of this transformation for the Church in China? How has this affected relations with the Vatican and the wider Christian community? Fr. Mariani provides an overview of leadership policy in China, then focus on how its current leaders see their "historical mission." How does this backdrop help us to better understand the developments of th

Fr. Drew Christiansen, SJ, Ph.D., director emeritus of the USCCA, died on April 6, 2022 in Washington, D.C. He was 77. Until his passing, Fr. Christiansen served as a distinguished professor of ethics and human development in Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and he was senior fellow at Georgetown's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs. Formerly, he was the head of the U.S. bishops' Office of International Justice and Peace and was well known f

The USCCA Book Circle is reading a pre-publication version of the manuscript, “For A Christian Reading of The Core Values of The China Dream: Different Prospects in a Light of the Culture of Unity” by Kin Sheung Chiaretto Yan. The manuscript focuses on themes such as, harmony and the trinitarian relationship, ecological civilization and integral ecology, fraternity and social friendship, poverty alleviation and sharing economy, and the freedom of religion and the golden rule

The Institute for the Study of Christianity and Culture in Beijing, which promotes academic research on Christianity and culture and the promotion of evangelization in China and beyond, is celebrating its 20-year anniversary in 2022. The institute was founded in 2002 by Father Peter Zhao Jianmin, vicar of the Archdiocese of Beijing, who graduated with a degree in canon law from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Father Zhao was the first Chinese priest to obtain a d

The XXIV Winter Olympics have commenced in Beijing. This is a time when we come together in friendly competition as a world community. With that in mind, let us pray that the Olympics be the occasion for all people to work together for unity and peace, rather than grandstanding and false nationalism. At this time, Pope Francis also calls our attention to working together for a world community based on fraternity and welcome. In his reflections on the Olympic and Paralympic Ga

Dear friends in Christ, As we celebrate the Year of the Tiger, I write to share a post from a brother Jesuit, Fr. Francis Lim Chin Choy, SJ. Fr. Lim is the Communications Officer of the Malaysia-Singapore (MAS) Jesuit Region. Blessings, Fr. Michael Tigers are considered the most iconic of the big cats. Tigers, being the largest felines in the world, are considered by many cultures to be a symbol of strength, courage, independence, and majestic dignity. The tiger is careful, c

Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan was ordained a bishop in Hong Kong’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on Saturday, December 4, 2021. Cardinal John Tong Hon, the apostolic administrator of Hong Kong, presided over the Mass. Cardinal Joseph Zen and auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha co-presided. Reflecting on his duties, Bishop Chow said, “As a successor to the Apostles by the grace of Almighty God, I request your constant prayers that I may always be loyal to God’s will as a shepher

A new book entitled, The Catholic Church, The Bible, and Evangelization in China , which was edited by Cindy Yik-yi Chu, was recently released and contains writings from authors in Italy, the United States, mainland China and Hong Kong. It provides various perspectives covering the Chinese Church in the contemporary period and considers the Church on the different levels -the diplomatic, the governmental, the communal, and the individual. From the publisher’s website, “This e

The Ricci Institute for Chinese-Western Cultural History, a highly regarded research center for the study of Chinese-Western cultural exchange, has moved to Boston College from the University of San Francisco (where it has been since its founding in 1984). The anticipated inauguration is February 2022. The Ricci Institute is recognized as an international leader in the study of missionary history. Its early focus was the Jesuit missions from the 16th to the early 20th century

On November 14, 2021, John Barwick, Ph.D. presented “Chinese Christians and the Path to Liberal Modernity in China, 1900-1949”. China's encounter with the modern world in the first half of the twentieth century occurred at the same time that the small community of Christians was beginning to increase rapidly in numbers and influence. Christianity was in fact an integral part of this process, and particularly in advancing a liberal vision of modernity. By examining the lives o

On November 10, 2021, Fr. Michael Agliardo, Executive Director of the USCCA, spoke on “The Church in China Today” as part of a three-part series on the Church in Asia. This series of three talks was sponsored by the University of Notre Dame as part of its Global Church program. The discussion, led by Professors Gabriel Said Reynolds and Xueying Wang, ranged across a wide variety of topics. How can one get a handle on the Church in China, which has over 400 years of history a

We are very excited to announce that last week, Kathleen O’Brien, who has joined the USCCA’s Campus Engagement Initiative (CEI) effort part-time, came out to the Bay Area to meet with local partners. She is preparing for spring 2022, when she will come out to work on this effort full-time. “We met with high school representatives, a local Chinese Catholic young adult group, university campus ministers, Protestant partners of the USCCA, and other potential colleagues,” Kathle

In our day, Chinese priests, sisters, and lay people are actively reflecting on their faith and how to meet the challenges of our times. In addition, they enrich our own Christian theology by drawing on their heritage and experience as members of Chinese society. Sr. Lina Rong, who recently published “Exploring a Theology of Relationships from a Biblical Perspective in the Context of China,” is no stranger to this effort. She is a Missionary Sister of Holy Hope (圣望会) and a pr

It is with great gratitude that we announce that our 2021 Annual Appeal received $61,577, surpassing our goal of $60,000. We add a special note of thanks to Father Ron Chochol (pictured left) who, through his “Chochol Challenge,” matched donations up to $5,000 and pushed us over the finish line. And we acknowledge with gratitude the alumni of the Maryknoll Sisters School who supported our appeal. Our Board of Directors also made all the difference as the campaign moved forwar

Recently, two events took place in China under the auspices of the Bishops' Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC) and Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) that reflect the policy of harmony and cooperation between the Church and the Party in China known as “Sinicization.” On September 24, Catholics from two churches in Zibo city in Shandong province attended an event called “One Hundred Sermons.” In this event, speakers explained the instructions of Pres

On November 10, 2021, Father Michael Agliardo, Executive Director of the USCCA, will participate in a speaker series hosted by the University of Notre Dame, entitled "The Global Church." The specific talk he will be participating in is "The Church in Asia.” “The Church in Asia” introduces Christianity in China from its entry in the 7th century to the present. From the very beginning, Christian evangelization has been a process of inculturation and of negotiation with other re

Hosted by the Asia Research Institute at the National University of Singapore, the Initiative for the Study of Asian Catholics (ISAC) seeks to foster and better propagate social scientific research on Catholics in contemporary Asia. The official launch of the program was announced October 1, 2021. ISAC already has a few collaborators working on mainland China cases. Their upcoming conference “ Catholicism, Family and Asian Societies ” will have three presenters (out of 18) sp

Special thanks to Daniel Lindbergh Lang for providing this reflection on his experience at the USCCA's 28th International Conference, "China, Christianity, and the Dialogue of Civilizations." Attending the 2021 U.S.-China Catholic Association conference has been for me, one grace after another in a hopeful start to engage further with the Church in China. I’m Catholic, through generations of my dad’s family, Austrian-Americans. I’m Chinese, through my late mother, who immigra

A young Chinese priest in China is studying English and preparing for the TOFEL exam. His hope is to come to the US or the Philippines to pursue a master’s degree so that he can better serve in his diocese. This priest belongs to the Wenzhou Diocese (温州教区), where he has taught math at a junior seminary school in China for the past 6 years. Currently, he has been given leave to focus on studying English so that he can continue his education abroad. He would like a native Engl

This book is the first scholarly study of the Four Character Classic , a children’s primer written by Giulio Aleni, SJ (1582–1649) when the famous Jesuit missionary was living in Fujian, China. Clark underscores how Aleni’s published work made creative use of existing pedagogical styles in Chinese culture to serve the catechetical exigencies of the Catholic mission in East Asia. He meticulously followed the expositional style of Confucian children’s primers, wedding them wi