ASIA/CHINA - Day of Prayer for the Church in China: celebration in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, presided by Cardinal Dias with the community of Chinese Catholics in the Diaspora

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - On Saturday, May 24, at 11:30am there will be a Solemn Mass held in Chinese and Italian at the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome, in response to the appeal of the Day of Prayer for the Church in China, as expressed by the Holy Father Benedict XVI in his Letter written last May 27. Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect for the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, will preside the celebration which will include members of the Chinese Catholic community present throughout Italy. According to information from the Italian Bishops’ Office of Immigrants, Chinese Catholics living in Italy - from Milan to Rimini, from Bologna to Naples - are organizing a two-day pilgrimage to Rome.
The Chinese press, official and non-official, have reported on the news of the prayer written by the Pope for May 24, dedicated to Our Lady of Sheshan (see Fides 17/5/2008). For Chinese Catholics, “this prayer helps us to overcome the great tragedy of the earthquake. We pray to Our Lady of Sheshan as the Pope has indicated, that She may protect us and grant us Her strength. We will be especially praying on May 24.” (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 19/5/2008; righe 15, parole 192)