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Snowstorm in the South of China In January this year more than a dozen provinces in the South of China were struck by the most severe snowstorm for a century. The snowstorm was followed by persistent freezing temperatures. Two Chinese organizations, the Catholic Church based “Jinde Charities” in Shijiazhuang, and the Protestant “Amity Foundation” in Nanjing, were involved in relief work. Taizé contacted them in mid-February. Since brothers of the community had visited Jinde and Amity two years ago, collaboration was established very quickly. Before Easter, together with Caritas Germany, Taizé’s Operation Hope provided support for Jinde Charities’ relief work in Guizhou province, coordinated by the local bishop and financed also by local donations and Jinde’s own funds. Based on suggestions from disaster victims, local government officials, and local Church partners, the Jinde Relief Team offered emergency aid to 10,000 people in three remote villages where no outside help had so far reached. The aid included food supplies, seeds and fertilizer for replanting suitable crops, and material for repair and reconstruction of the damaged and destroyed houses. Operation Hope’s other target was the city of Changde in Hunan province. Through the Amity Foundation, the biggest Christian NGO in China, and the Hunan Christian Council, the aid from Taizé enabled families whose houses had collapsed under the heavy snow to construct very simple replacement accommodation. The great ordeals of the peoples of Myanmar and China May 2008: These last weeks have been overshadowed by the grave news from Myanmar and China. As Brother Alois said in one of his Saturday evening meditations, “In the face of situations of suffering close to us or far away, we cannot remain indifferent.” We want to try to be close to these people, both now and in the future, when everyone’s attention has moved on to other news. In both these countries, sorely afflicted by the cyclone and the earthquake, brothers were visiting Christian communities just a few weeks ago. The communion with those who have been affected has only been increased by what has happened. Our solidarity has been expressed in a practical way by humanitarian aid sent by Operation Hope to two non-governmental organizations in China: Jinde Charities and the Amity Foundation who are involved in relief activity in the disaster area. (According to Xinde, the Chinese Catholic newspaper, this was the first humanitarian aid to arrive from abroad). This spring, these two important NGOs, whose social activity is Christian inspired, already collaborated with Taizé following the natural disaster that occurred in the South of China and they remain in close contact with us. On May 24, which was proposed this year as a special day of prayer for China, two groups of Chinese were in Taizé: one from Beijing, and the other a group of young people studying in France. For this special day, Brother Alois wrote the following prayer: “Together with young people of all continents gathered together on our hill of Taizé, we pray today for China, this country well beloved by us all. God, our hope, pour out your compassion on all those who are going through the great trial of the earthquake in China. When we are disconcerted by the incomprehensible suffering of the innocent, enable us to be witnesses to the gospel by our lives and to make the consolation of your Holy Spirit more visible. You want neither human distress nor misfortune on earth, and your love for each of us will never fade away. We entrust the Christians in China to you: support them by the continual presence of your Holy Spirit. Pilgrimage of trust in Hong Kong On Tuesday evening 13 November 2007 Christians of different denominations came together for prayer in Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Hong Kong. At midday the same day, there was a gathering at St John’s Anglican Cathedral, for those who work in the centre of Hong Kong. Brother Alois and other brothers of Taizé took part in both of these events. “The leader of the France-based Taizé religious community who is visiting Hong Kong has praised the faith of Chinese Christians but at the same time warned against certain negative effects of China’s rapid economic development. ‘In China there is a long tradition, a very ancient civilisation, in which the gospel has been able to find an echo and an underlying meaning,’ Brother Alois, prior of the Taizé Community, told more than 700 Christians at an ecumenical prayer meeting at Hong Kong’s Roman Catholic Cathedral. At the same time, however, he warned against some of the consequences of China’s rapid economic and technological development. ‘If these innovations bear within them many promises for the future, they must not make us forget what is essential,’ he said.” Ecumenical News International 14 nov 07. Every month, St John’s, the Anglican Cathedral of Hong Kong, welcomes Christians who work in “Central”, the financial district. During the mid day break, they come together to meet and listen to a guest. Knowing that Brother Alois was coming to Hong Kong, the “Christians in Central” group invited him to join them and, judging by the questions that were put to him, the meeting aroused much interest in a very warm atmosphere. The Archbishop, the Most Revd Paul Kwong, took part in the meeting. “It is a great joy to come to pray with you in Hong Kong. Our Brother Roger, the founder of our community, came here thirty years ago. He lived for several weeks in a shack, beside the sea at Aberdeen, sharing the life of the poor people living on the junks, not far from the Little Sisters of Jesus. Since then, some of my brothers have lived as a small fraternity in Taipo. Others have come back frequently to Hong Kong. They have also visited Christians in mainland China, who are so present in the prayer of our Community. And young people from Hong Kong come to Taizé on pilgrimage.” Brother Alois on the evening of 13 November. The Bishop of Hong Kong, Cardinal Zen, was present for the prayer. This was a very joyful occasion, not least because it gave an opportunity for Christians of different churches to work together, especially Catholics and Anglicans. For several months prior to the 13 November gatherings, there had been a series of prayers in churches of different denominations. “When we heard that the pilgrimage of trust was to visit Hong Kong, we were all thrilled. To prepare for the prayer on 13 November, our choir members and the young people from the prayer group, in communion with brothers and sisters of other protestant churches had a series of prayer meetings with practices and rehearsal of songs. This is the first stage of communion in Christ.” Eleonor Lam, of the Catholic Cathedral. “The message was one of hope and truly mirrored the problems faced by many today in Asia”, commented Maggie, from Kowloon Union Church: “Brother Alois gave us much to think about. He said: For God, every human being is sacred. Christ stretched out his arms on the Cross to gather together all of humanity. And he sends us out to pass on the love of God to the very ends of the earth.” Eleonor Lam The next day, Brother Alois was eager to go on pilgrimage to the places where Brother Roger and the others - with a team of young adults from every continent - had stayed beside the South China Sea in November 1977. Even if the neighbourhood has now completely changed and the shack has long since been replaced by high rise buildings, it was possible by boat to get a glimpse of how Aberdeen was then, filled with junks with refugees from continental China. Later, a visit to the Holy Spirit Study Centre gave an insight into China today. Headed by Bishop John Tong Hon, the centre is made up of priests, sisters, laypeople, and professionals doing in depth research on China, particularly in what concerns the life of Christians there. The centre has become a reference for people seeking to understand the reality of modern China.
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Snježna oluja na jugu Kine U siječnju ove godine više od desetak provincija na jugu Kine pogođeno je najozbiljnijom snježnom olujom stoljeća. Snježna je oluja bila praćena stalnim vrlo niskim temperaturama. U pomaganju su bile uključene dvije kineske organizacije; «Jinde Charities» koju je ustanovila katolička Crkva u Shijiazhuangu, i protestantski «Amity Foundation» u Nanjingu. Taizé je stupio u kontakt s njima sredinom veljače. Kako su braća Zajednice posjetila Jinde i Amity prije dvije godine, suradnja je vrlo brzo uspostavljena. Prije Uskrsa, zajedno s njemačkim Caritasom, Taizé Operacija Nada je podržala rad organizacije Jinde Charities u provinciji Guizhou, koji je koordinirao lokalni biskup, a rad je također financiran i iz lokalnih donacija i vlastitih sredstava organizacije. Temeljem prijedloga žrtava katastrofe, predstavnika lokalne vlasti i suradnika lokalne Crkve, tim Jinde Relief ponudio je pomoć za 10.000 osoba u tri udaljena sela gdje još nije došla nikakva vanjska pomoć. Pomoć je sadržavala zalihe hrane, sjeme i gnojivo za ponovnu sadnju prikladnih biljaka te materijal za popravak i rekonstrukciju oštećenih i uništenih kuća. Drugi cilj Operacije Nade bio je grad Changde u provinciji Hunan. Preko organizacije Amity Foundation, najveće kršćanske nevladine udruge u Kini, i Kršćanskog Koncila u Hunanu, pomoć iz Taizéa omogućila je obiteljima čije su se kuće srušile zbog težine snijega da izgrade vrlo jednostavan zamjenski smještaj. Veliki patnje osoba u Myanmaru i Kini Svibanj 2008: Zadnjih nekoliko tjedana bili su zasjenjeni teškim novostima iz Myanmara i Kine. Kako je brat Alois rekao u jednom od svojih subotnjih razmatranja, «pred događajima patnje, bilo da nam je blizu ili daleko, ne možemo ostati ravnodušni.» Želimo biti blizu ljudima, i sada i u budućnosti, kada se pažnja sviju okrene drugim vijestima. U obje ove zemlje teško pogođene ciklonom i potresom, braća su posjećivala kršćanske zajednice prije samo nekoliko tjedana. Zajedništvo s pogođenima bilo je dodatno povećano onim što se dogodilo. Naša je solidarnost bila izražena na praktičan način kroz humanitarnu pomoć poslanu kroz Operaciju Nadu dvjema nevladinim organizacijama u Kini: Jinde Charities i Amity Foundation, koje su uključene u aktivnosti pomaganja u pogođenim područjima. (prema Xinde, kineskim katoličkim novinama, ovo je prva humanitarna pomoć koja je stigla izvana). Ovog proljeća, ove su dvije važne nevladine organizacije, čija je društvena aktivnost kršćanski inspirirana, već surađivale s Taizéom, nakon prirodne katastrofe koja se dogodila na jugu Kine, i ostali su s nama u bliskom kontaktu. Datum 24. svibnja je ove godine bio predložen kao poseban dan za molitvu Kinu. Toga dana su dvije grupe Kineza bile u Taizéu: jedna iz Pekinga, a druga je bila grupa mladih koji studiraju u Francuskoj. Za ovaj poseban dan, brat Alois je napisano sljedeću molitvu: «Zajedno s mladima svih kontinenata sakupljenih ovdje na brežuljku Taizéa, danas molimo za Kinu, zemlju koju svi mi jako volimo. Bože, naša nado, izlij svoje milosrđe na sve one koji prolaze kroz velika iskušenja potresa u Kini. Kada smo zbunjeni nerazumljivom patnjom nevinih, pomozi nam da svojim životom svjedočimo Evanđelje i učinimo vidljivijom utjehu tvoga Duha Svetoga. Ti ne želiš ljudsku patnju niti nesreću na zemlji, i tvoja ljubav za svakoga od nas neće nikada prestati. Povjeravamo ti kršćane u Kini: podrži ih stalnom prisutnošću svog Duha Svetoga.» Hodočašće povjerenja u Hong Kongu U utorak navečer, 13. studenog 2007. kršćani različitih denominacija sakupili su se na molitvu u katedrali Bezgrešnog Začeća, u Hong Kongu. _ U podne istog dana, održan je susrat u anglikanskoj katedrali sv. Ivana, za one koji rade u centru Hong Konga. Brat Alois i druga braća u Taizéu sudjelovali su na oba ova događaja. «Vođa vjerske zajednice Taizé koja se nalazi u Francuskoj posjetio je Hong Kong i pohvalio vjeru kineskih kršćana ali je istovremeno upozorio na neke negativne učinke kineskog brzog ekonomskog razvoja. ’U Kini postoji duga tradicija, vrlo stara civilizacija, u kojoj Evanđelje može odjeknuti i imati dodatno značenje’, rekao je Brat Alois, prior zajednice Taizé, pred više od 700 kršćana na ekumenskom molitvenom susretu u rimokatoličkoj katedrali u Hong Kongu. Ipak, u isto je vrijeme upozorio na neke posljedice kineskog brzog ekonomskog i tehnološkoga razvitka, ’Iako ove novosti u sebi nose mnoga obećanja za budućnost, ne smijemo zaboraviti ono što je osnovno’, rekao je.» Ecumenical News International, 14. studeni 2007. Svakog mjeseca, anglikanska katedrala sv. Ivana u Hong Kongu prima kršćane koji u rade u «Centralu», financijskoj četvrti. Tijekom podnevne pauze, zajedno se susreću i slušaju nekog gosta. Znajući da brat Alois dolazi u Hong Kong, grupa «kršćana iz Centrala» pozvala ga je da im se pridruži. Sudeći po pitanjima koja su mu postavili, susret je izazvao velik interes, i prošao u vrlo toploj atmosferi. Nadbiskup, prečasni Paul Kwong, sudjelovao je u susretu. «Velika je radost doći i moliti s vama u Hong Kongu. Naš brat Roger, osnivač naše zajednice, ovdje je bio prije trideset godina. Živio je nekoliko tjedana u kolibi, pored mora u Aberdeenu, dijeleći život siromašnih ljudi koji žive na smetlištima, nedaleko od Malih sestara Isusa. Od tada, neki od moje braće žive u maloj zajednici u Taipou. Drugi često navraćaju u Hong Kong. Također su posjetili kršćane u kontinentalnom dijelu Kine, koji su tako prisutni u molitvi naše Zajednice. I mladi iz Hong Konga hodočaste u Taizé.» Brat Alois, 13. studenog navečer. Biskup Hong Konga, kardinal Zen, bio je prisutan na molitvi. Bila je to vrlo radosna prilika, ne samo zato što je pružena prilika kršćanima različitih crkava da zajedno rade, posebno katolicima i anglikanceima. Nekoliko mjeseci prije susreta 13. studenog, održan je niz molitvi u crkvama različitih denominacija. «Kada smo čuli da će Hodočašće povjerenja posjetiti Hong Kong, svi smo bili uzbuđeni. Kako bi se pripravili za molitvu 13. studenog, članovi našeg zbora i mladi iz molitvene grupe, u zajedništvu s braćom i sestrama drugih protestantskih crkava, održali su niz molitvenih susreta s probom pjevanja. Ovo je prva faza zajedništva u Kristu.» Eleonor Lam, iz župe katoličke katedrale. «Poruka je bila poruka nade i točno je ocrtavala probleme s kojima su danas u Aziji mnogi suočeni», komentirala je Maggie, iz crkve Kowloon Union: «Brat Alois dao nam je misliti o mnogo čemu. Rekao je: Za Boga, svako je ljudsko biće sveto. Krist je raširio svoje ruke na Križu kako bi sakupio svo čovječanstvo. I on nas šalje da proširimo Božju ljubav do samih krajeva zemlje.» Eleonor Lam Sljedećeg dana, brat Alois je želio hodočastiti u mjesta gdje su brat Roger i ostali – sa skupinom mladih sa svih kontinenata – bili smješteni u studenom 1977., pored Južnog kineskoga mora. Iako je okolica potpuno promijenjena i koliba je odavno zamijenjena visokim zgradama, bilo je moguće putovanjem brodom djelomično vidjeti kakav je Aberdeen tada bio, sa smetlištima i izbjeglicima iz kontinentalne Kine. Kasnije, posjetom obrazovnom centru Duha Svetoga, dobili smo uvid u današnju Kinu. U centru kojeg vodi biskup John Tong Hon, nalaze se svećenici, sestre, laici i profesionalci koji temeljito proučavaju Kinu, posebno životne brige tamošnjih kršćana. Centar je postao polazna točka za osobe koje žele razumjeti realnost moderne Kine.