In a world where courage is in short supply, Lithuania stands out. The tiny Baltic country of 2.8 million people bordering Russia is standing up to both its big neighbor and Communist China with surprising results. It is determined not to be occupied again despite great challenges. To this effect, Lithuania has … Read more
The book China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower is a behind-the-scenes chronicle of China’s rise to world power. Award-winning Dutch author Frank Dikötter is a China expert who bases his research on access to government documents and what he witnessed. His story is compelling because he has no agenda beyond … Read more
“Right now, those who are best implementing the social doctrine of the Church are the Chinese.” The Chinese here means the Communist Party and the government of the People’s Republic of China. These words are from Archbishop Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of … Read more
An estimated 190,000 to 2 million Chinese are incarcerated for various reasons. The prisoners include religious and political dissidents, unregistered Christians and counter-revolutionaries. They are victims of trumped-up charges brought against them by local police, who then place them in horrible “re-education camps” with sentences of up to four years without a … Read more
The consecration of the new auxiliary Bishop of Shanghai agreed upon by both the Holy See and the Chinese Communist government, had a very unexpected outcome. Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin refused the imposition of hands of Bishop Zhan Silu, “official” bishop of Mindong affiliated with the anti-Christian dictatorship and not recognized by … Read more
The Union of Catholic Asian News has reported that Coadjutor Bishop Peter Shaos Zhumin of Wenzhou and his chancellor Father Paul Jiang Sunian were kidnapped this week and forced to attend state run “learning classes.” Local Church sources quoted government officials as saying, “if Bishop Shao and Father Jiang are ‘intelligent enough … Read more
Everyone’s eyes are turned to China, the Middle Kingdom, whose dizzying economic growth never ceases to draw exaggerated praise. However, we are also facing the growing military might of a government that not only has not renounced the Marxist ideology but still maintains the relentless repression typical of Communist police states. Thus, … Read more
September 4, 1967, Quong Tin Province, Republic of Vietnam. A routine, pre-dawn, sweeping operation by a Marine company was turning into a major battle with a large force of the North Vietnamese Army. Three additional companies of Marines were committed. Fr. Vincent Capodanno, M.M. was granted permission to accompany the reinforcements, as … Read more
At 1:15 am, on June 6, 1944, most people in German-occupied Normandy were asleep. Then, from the west, came the increasing drone of aircraft engines and of anti-aircraft fire. The largest air armada ever assembled was passing over — 882 U.S. planes, which now began to disgorge their contents: thirteen thousand paratroopers … Read more
On Easter morning, March 25, 1951, the Catholic priest mounted the steps of a partially destroyed church, and turned to face his congregation, some 60 men–gaunt, foul-smelling, in tattered clothing. Fr. Emil Kapaun raised a small, homemade, wooden cross to begin a prayer service, led the men in the Rosary, heard the … Read more