November 16, 2012         John W        John W's previous articles

China's new Curia

When I heard the news yesterday that China's new leaders had finally been installed, I found myself experiencing an unexpected feeling of hope and joy, and dare I say it, pride

No doubt Cardinal Joseph Zen would say such feelings are totally unrealistic, and maybe time will prove him right

But I have a gut feeling that China is going to take a turn for the better

President's Xi's daughter is a student at Harvard University. President Xi himself has a soft spot for the US.  Unless Xi is hamstrung by unseen forces, surely relations between China and the US can move forward, for the good of both countries and of the whole world

Xi has seen the worst of Communism....his father having been "purged" during the Cultural Revolution. Surely he has a deep interior desire for China never to return to the CR mentality

Xi has not suddenly arrived at the top. He's been there for many years, and has travelled widely as a Vice-Premier, gaining valuable experience in the knowledge that he would one day become President

Word has it that retired emperor Jiang Zemin was not all that happy about the way President Hu and Premier Wen followed a "reform of the reform"
platform. Jiang is reported to have said he wants China to get back to the vision of Vatican II, I mean the vision of Deng Xiaoping the XXIII in opening up the windows of China to the world, and the world to China

With Jiang's backing, may Xi and the new Curia adopt a platform of reform, subsidiarity, social welfare, democratization etc

Yesterday I felt a sense of pride that China has peacefully put a new set of well-prepared leaders in place. No voting by the people, true. But neither was there all the vitriolic hype and expense of the recent US election. If anything, the China process was much more civilized!

And yesterday I found myself praying for the guidance of the Holy Spirit on Xi and his team. May they be blessed with good health, courage and wisdom.