A Pilgrimage to China   Fr Augustine Mundackatt VC      
Our pilgrimage to China was the result of years of waiting and prayer and sacrifice. After the retreat in Singapore in the months of September-October 1996, we went for two days of prayer to Malacca, (Malaysia) the place where St. Francis Xavier had expired. St Francis Xavier had attempted to land in China to preach the Gospel there, but he did not succeed. He met his end in Malacca. I knelt down beneath the tomb wherein he was interred and prayed: "God, if it is your holy will, take us to China with the message of the gospel."
 
On 17th July 1997, we reached Kunming, the capital of the Chinese province of Yunnan. As soon as we landed in the great land of China we were privileged to pray in a Catholic Church, which we did not expect to happen so easily. We went to the Holy Family Church, a church that the communist government had destroyed several times, but which the people had renovated from time to time, and fell on our knees and prayed aloud for China and all the communist countries.
 
When a group of missionaries from Kerala, Singapore and Korea prayed together right in the very heart of communist China, calling aloud the name of Jesus, the Master and Saviour of the whole universe, the power of evil was destroyed and the fortress of satan crumbled down.
 
The numerous Christian churches, throughout the length and breadth of China, are lights that testify to the indestructible, invincible faith in Jesus Christ. The Catholic church in China has been braving violent and tyrannical religious persecution and oppression from 1949 onwards, from the time the communists took over the government of China. During this period all believers in God were oppressed. The denial of God became common place. Several of those who called on the name of Jesus and prayed were shot or imprisoned. Bishops, priests and nuns, along with laymen were cruelly sent to fields and factories for hard labour. For about three decades, faith and the church were suppressed and silenced in unknown centres.
 
Those who looked up at the Cross erected on top of Mount Calvary, have never been in despair. The Church was born at the foot of the Cross, from the blood of Christ. As we crisscrossed the vast mainland of China, I realized more than ever before, that the Church of Christ, nourished on the blood of Christ, can never be destroyed by anyone, at any time. "It will not be crushed even if battered; they will not fall even if shot"- this is what I realized from my experiences about the Christian faith in China. The visit to China was replete with the experience of God's providential care.
 
We had made plans for a group of eight people to visit China-Adv A M Mathew and I from Kerala, Fr Vincent Lee, Xavier Wan and a small group for intercessory prayer from Singapore. Our journey had one purpose in mind: to intercede in the name of Jesus for atleast one hour on the soil of China to create an opening for the Gospel. We came to know that if we went as a small group, we would have to accompany other tourist groups and would be taken only to places of their interest. To have a programme of our own we should have atleast fifteen people in our group.
 
We then roped in twenty- two selfless and zealous people and left Singapore on July 16th 1997, headed for China. For two months we had been preparing ourselves with prayer and fasting. It was as tourists that we landed on the border. Everyone had Bibles, rosaries, prayer books and crucifixes in his or her hands. We had heard that there was the possibility for the frontier security men to confiscate the Bibles, rosaries, prayer books and crucifixes and throw them away and cast the owners into prison. We had braced ourselves to accept whatever might happen. Before we set out we prayed thus: "Our Lord Jesus Christ, when we go to the frontiers of China with the Bible in our hands, blindfold the eyes of the border security officers . Take us to the mainland of China with the accompaniment of angels". We read the word of God which said, "Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea, and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours'" (Mt 11:23-24).
 
We prayed, we believed. Miracles happened. We landed on the international airport of Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province. We walked to the security counter. There has never been a case when anyone who entered the communist empire has been allowed to proceed without being subjected to a physical test and have all his belongings checked. We walked up to the immigration counter where the passports are stamped. Not a single security official was present in that seven-channel security and customs counter! Not one to examine us! All twenty-two of us came out of the air port with our bags as free as larks. Thanks to our great God!
 
We knelt down and kissed the ground. In five minutes, when I looked round I saw rows of officials standing at the customs and border security counter. I was reminded of the incident when the angel brought Peter safely out of the prison (cf Acts 12:6). "After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself..." (Acts 12:10-11).
 
As per prior arrangements, the tourist agency was awaiting us at the air port. As soon as we boarded the bus, the tour guide greeted us with, "Long live communism!" None of us responded. He said again,"Long live the communist leaders!" We remained silent. We fingered our rosary beads fervently. "Are you Catholics?" he asked. "Yes", we answered loudly. "Then I'll take you to a Catholic church." "Amen," we shouted all together. We had desired but never expected that the first hour in communist China would be spent in prayer in the church. In half an hour we reached the Sacred Heart Church. The roof was leaking as it was raining. Dilapidated walls and rust-coated gates! Our eyes searched the interior of the church with expectation and anxiety. We had heard of the Chinese National Church that has severed links with the Holy See and was conducting services and administering Sacraments unauthorized. We examined the arrangements in the interior of the church and on the altar. They were exactly like those in any Catholic church. Fr Hong Ming Huva was the parish priest. We conversed with him for a long time about the church and the life of faith in China. We came to know about the stunning realities that took place during the times of persecution.
 
Kunming is one of the 24 important cities of China. Of the four crores of people in the Yunnan province a hundred thousand are Catholics. There are twenty churches. Out of the two million people in Kunming, two thousand are Catholics. There are two churches here.
 
The church of the Sacred Heart was destroyed by the communists in 1938, but repaired later. It was repeatedly destroyed, but each time was again renovated. It stands erect in the heart of the town, surviving the onslaughts of the blood- smeared hands of communism.
 
The conference hall of the Jin Li hotel in Kunming was kept open for us daily to pray in and celebrate Mass. Every day the hotel residents and staff attentively listened to our morning prayers and Holy Mass that went on for hours. We were able to pray aloud in the name of Jesus and to share the word of God on streets, in the vehicles, and in public places. We freely distributed rosaries and crucifixes to several people. And thus witnessed to Jesus . Though we crossed the Chinese border as tourists, our presence inside China was noticed. The people and the government soon came to know that we were Catholics and that there were priests among us. But no one created any problem for us.
 
Though red shirts and the red flag were seen everywhere, we did come across people who were searching for God. All over China we could hear the laments and signs of a great number of people who were looking beyond the transitory consumerism of this world to the greatness of eternal values, and languishing with a spiritual thirst. A suppressed faith is awaiting a spiritual renewal. From 1987 onwards,one by one, the churches in China are being allowed to function.
 
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