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| St Ignatius Church, Shanghai |
I visited Shanghai and Hangzhou in China from 9-19 October this year. In both cities I had the privilege of seeing the Cathedrals there – St. Ignatius in Shanghai and Immaculate Conception in Hangzhou.
St. Ignatius Cathedral was built by French Jesuits between 1905 and 1910 and was vandalized by the Red Guards during the cultural revolution that began in 1966. Returned later to the Catholic Church, the Cathedral went through restoration. It now stands tall and proud as a testimony to the faith of the Chinese Catholics in Shanghai.
The Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Hangzhou was built in 1659 by the Italian Jesuit, Martino Martini, from Trent (Italy). The Cathedral faced several storms in its history. When a royal edict prohibited the propagation of the Catholic faith in 1723, the building was converted into a temple for ancestral worship. Later it was turned into the “Temple of the Celestial Empress”. In 1862, it was occupied by rebels known as the Taiping Army. Returned in 1864 to the Catholic Bishop, Louis Gabriel Delaplace from France, the Cathedral underwent expansion. In November 1912, it was damaged by fire, but very quickly restored. During the cultural revolution it was used for housing and prison cells. In May 1982, it was returned to the Diocese of Hangzhou. Now it is the bastion of faith for all Catholics in the Diocese.
Among the many thoughts that struck me as I visited these two Cathedrals, the faith of the Catholics in China made the deepest cut. This faith survived all persecution that came from the powers-that-be including the communist regime. Many suffered martyrdom. Such faith could only come from the Holy Spirit. Indeed, physical life could be terminated; freedom could be restricted; but faith could not be destroyed. That is because faith is relationship with God and in this relationship eternal life is found.
Archbishop John Ha
