Address of Monsignor Mirosław S. Wachowski, Undersecretary for Relations with States, 11th European Catholic China Colloquium Siegburg, 25 August 2024

I sincerely thank the organizers of the Conference for the invitation to participate in these days of study and shared reflection on the theme of the Church in China. It seems almost unnecessary to recall how much that country and its Catholic community are at the centre of the pastoral concern of Pope Francis and of the Holy See. I am certain that the same is true for all of you present.
Since no one can fully anticipate how events and situations will evolve over time, it is difficult to know what the future of the Church in China will be like. Nevertheless, this is the topic on which I was asked to speak. I can affirm, however, that what is true for other ecclesial situations is also valid for the Church in China, namely, that if some elements are more predictable, others are instead entrusted to the action of the Spirit, who blows where he wills.
In order to set our sights beyond the present situation, let us use some recent insights offered recently by Pope Francis as our point of reference: “In China, the Lord has preserved the faith of the people of God along the way. The faith of the people of God has been a compass pointing the way throughout history [...] until today” (Video Message of Pope Francis to the International Conference “100 years since the Concilium Sinense: between history and the present”, 21 May 2024). In my opinion, we can also add that the same will be true for the future: just as the Spirit has always sustained the life of the Church, he will continue to do so in the future, enlightening clergy and lay faithful along the way. Among the many elements that must be taken into account, it is certain that the faith of Chinese Catholics, their missionary openness and their desire to live the Gospel will be the most decisive resources for their future. Today, there is no lack of encouraging signs in this regard. The Church in China is a community that celebrates its faith and devotion, including a particular love for the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart of Christ. It is a community that proclaims the Gospel, baptizes and lives charity. Here it is important to mention the edifying testimonies concerning the aid given to flood and earthquake victims, the assistance given to the sick, orphans and those who live in the so-called “existential peripheries”. To a certain extent, the Chinese Church challenges the current way of thinking in order to deal with new social emergencies, for instance by promoting so-called “zero dowry marriages”. It is a community that studies its own history and wants to become ever more aware of it. Precisely because of their love for their own land and country, Chinese Catholics nurture a sincere and widespread desire to live their faith in full communion with the universal Church and the Successor of Peter. This rich ecclesial experience is certainly a treasure to be preserved, but it is above all a resource from which to draw in the future, a “pledge of future happiness”, to use Saint Paul’s definition of the Holy Spirit and the fruits he scatters among the faithful (cf. Eph 1:13-14; 2 Cor 1:22).
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