ASIA/TAIWAN - Message for Chinese New Year from the President of the Regional Bishops' Conference of Taiwan: “remain joyful, remember charity, blessed are the poor”

Tai Pei (Agenzia Fides) - “Do not forget your Christian identity.” This is what Archbishop John Hung, SVD of Tai Pei, President of the Regional Bishops' Conference of Taiwan, has told his faithful in his message for the Chinese New Year. In his message, he mentions three main ideas: “remain joyful,” “remember charity,” and “blessed are the poor,” to confirm their Christian identity. In his message, he says that “there is a global crisis...but if we believe that the Lord is with us, the economic issues will not disturb are interior peace...Nothing can take God's peace away from us! Christians, when they are filled with the Lord's grace, bring this joy to others.”
“When we pray the Our Father,” he says, “we should remember that the Lord holds all His needy children in His Heart...Thus, it is in sharing what we have with our needy brothers and sisters, helping the weakest among us, that we make Our Father in heaven happy.” Lastly, the President of the Regional Bishops' Conference explained the beatitude “Blessed are the poor...” “This is the best time to evangelize, because what is the end for man is the beginning for God. True satisfaction is having the Lord; the only key to resolving the social question is Charity.” The Archbishop then asked everyone to live this new year in prayer, mutual support, and unity in their families, invoking the Lord's blessing. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 28/01/2009)