China and the Vatican

Matteo Ricci . Painted in 1610 by the Chinese brother Emmanuel Pereira (born Yu Wen-hui), who had learned his art from the Italian Jesuit, Giovanni Nicolao. The age is incorrect: Ricci died during his fifty-eighth year. [...] The portrait was taken to Rome in 1616 and displayed at the Jesuit house together with paintings of Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier. It still hangs there.

The recent stories in the press about the recent meetings in the Vatican about Catholicism in China has only highlighted my ignorance about what has being going on in China. A trawl on the Internet has helped to reduce this. I set out some of the links of sites which I looked at if anyone wants to look at the subject.

For the recent stories, see:

International Herald Tribune

Vatican begins talks over China relations
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/19/news/pope.php

Vatican pursuing diplomatic ties with Beijing, as pope prepares message for Chinese flock
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/21/europe/EU-GEN-Vatican-China.php

China welcomes Vatican attempts to mend ties
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/22/asia/AS-GEN-China-Vatican.php

Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen hopes to retire to focus on Sino-Vatican affairs
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/22/asia/AS-REL-Hong-Kong-China-Cardinal.php


For background I have been searching the Internet and found the following links which might be of use to others:


Time Magazine
Behind China's Big Chill
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1531723,00.html

Battle of the Bishops
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1191827,00.html


Catholic Encyclopedia
The Church in China
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03669a.htm


Wikipedia

Christianity in China
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_China

Roman Catholicism in China
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholicism_in_China

Nestorianism in China
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestorianism_in_China

Medieval Roman Catholic Missions in China
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Roman_Catholic_Missions_in_China

Jesuit China missions
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesuit_pre-modern_China_missions

Chinese Rites controversy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Rites_controversy

Chinese Catholic Bishops Conference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Catholic_Bishops_Conference

Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Catholic_Patriotic_Association

Three-Self Patriotic Movement
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-Self_Patriotic_Movement

Chinese house church
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_house_church

List of Roman Catholic missionaries in China
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_Catholic_missionaries_in_China



The Cardinal Kung Foundation

General
http://cardinalkungfoundation.org/index2.html

Religious Freedom in China
http://cardinalkungfoundation.org/index2.html#ReligiousFreedom

Guidelines on China from the Vatican
http://cardinalkungfoundation.org/Guidelines/index.htm

Prisoners of Religious Conscience for the Underground Roman Catholic Church in China
http://cardinalkungfoundation.org/prisoners/index.htm



China's Grave Memories
In the Middle Kingdom, history is all mixed up because of so many periodic revisions, yet a serene cemetery in the center of the city proves that Beijing cannot bury its past
By Ron Gluckman/Beijing
http://www.gluckman.com/Graves.html