Saturday, April 05, 2008

Picketing the torch


A few of my older parishioners are going up to London to demonstrate against Chinese oppression in Tibet, as the Olympic torch is caried through London.

I would have gone up if it was a weekday to protest about that, about the killing and imprisonment o0f bishops, priests, and laity, I heard recently that 30,000 Christians have been killed since China won the Olympic bid; about enforced abortion and infanticide; about the imprisonment, torture and killing of pro-democracy activists.

6 comments:

Volpius Leonius said...

That is quite sad really Father, they are going to protest over Tibet, what about the Catholics in China, anyone protesting about that?

At least the people in Tibet have rebelled against the Chinese what have the Catholics done to deserve their treatment?

Would the UK treat breakaway rebels in this country any different if say for example someone tried to declare Brighton and Hove independant from the UK government?

Would any government for that matter?

People in the UK have enough blood on their hands without pointing the finger at others.

Put I suppose it will make them feel good about themselves.

Physiocrat said...

The whole Olympics concept always was dubious, from its origins in nineteenth century Darwinist theory to the enthusiastic support given by totalitarian regimes to competitive sport, itself, in its present form, a late nineteenth century invention with the same tainted provenance.

Volpius Leonius said...

Anyone who really wants to make a difference in China go to:

http://www.acn.org.uk/shop/frameset.asp

Anonymous said...

"Would the UK treat breakaway rebels in this country any different if say for example someone tried to declare Brighton and Hove independant from the UK government?"

If it were a violent rebellion, almost certainly yes. But China is morally distinct on two grounds.

(1) China's invasion of and presence in Tibet in 1949-50 was and remains a crime of aggression, and incurably so, since Tibet was then independent and not threatening international peace and security;

(2) China's leaders are a bunch of Bolsheviks anyway.

Anonymous said...

I've just been watching the BBC programme on sacred music. Although it was about music, it reminded us what Catholics suffered in Tudor times in our own country. It was very moving and I wept when I thought of what Catholics are suffering today in other parts of the world. We cant all protest but we can certainly pray.

Physiocrat said...

The Catholics have been guilty of THOUGHTCRIME which is more serious to Marxists than rebellion. Because Marxists are well aware of the power of God that is why they fight it so hard but eventually some switch and become good Catholics. The Dalai Lama plays things softly because he sees the whole of Communist China as mission territory and so it is for both religions.

The Lord’s descent into the underworld

At Matins/the Office of Readings on Holy Saturday the Church gives us this 'ancient homily', I find it incredibly moving, it is abou...