Pope Makes Biggest Gesture Yet to China

Well, ATS. It seems that the Pope is getting cozy with China. I put this in the prophecy forum because Cayce predicted this would happen.

Decades before the rest of the world was thinking about the enormous impact that China would have upon the global stage, Edgar Cayce predicted great things for China and its people. On one occasion, Cayce told a group of people that eventually China would become “the cradle of Christianity, as applied in the lives of men.” (3976-29), suggesting that the personal application of spiritual principles would become paramount to the Chinese people. Cayce then went on to caution that it would take a long time to manifest but that it was the country’s destiny: “Yea, it is far off as man counts time, but only a day in the heart of God – for tomorrow China will awake.”

And now this:

China cut relations with the Vatican in 1951, after the Communist Party took power and set up its own church outside the pope's authority. China persecuted the church for years until restoring a degree of religious freedom and freeing imprisoned priests in the late 1970s. The Vatican under then-Pope Benedict XVI sought to improve ties by seeking to unify the state-sanctioned church with the underground church still loyal to Rome.

Vatican-China ties have already broken new ground on Francis' first Asian trip, with Beijing agreeing to let Francis' Alitalia charter fly through its airspace; when St. John Paul II last came to South Korea in 1989, Beijing refused to let him fly overhead. With the fly-by confirmed, Francis sent the traditional greetings he sends to the leadership of countries he flies over. That said, there have been reports that some Chinese Catholics who wanted to participate in the Asian Catholic youth festival here were prevented from coming.

What says ATS? Prophecy coming true?

news.yahoo.com...

a reply to: lostbook

Makes sense. More people = more Christians.

originally posted by: EA006
a reply to: lostbook

Makes sense. More people = more Christians.

Simply, to the point...

Perhaps. But i wouldn't say that one agreement allowing the pope's charter to fly through Chinese airspace is indicative of the state of China becoming “the cradle of Christianity, as applied in the lives of men.”

It is interesting to note that China is currently looking at developing its own Christian theology aligned with the state's culture and current position. I wouldn't say that such a move brings new hope regarding a deeper relationship between the Vatican and China.

China will construct a "Chinese Christian theology" suitable for the country, state media reported on Thursday, as both the number of believers and tensions with the authorities are on the rise.

China has between 23 million and 40 million Protestants, accounting for 1.7 to 2.9 per cent of the total population, the state-run China Daily said, citing figures given at a seminar in Shanghai.

About 500,000 people are baptised as Protestants every year, it added.

"Over the past decades, the Protestant churches in China have developed very quickly with the implementation of the country's religious policy," the paper quoted Wang Zuoan, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, as saying.

"The construction of Chinese Christian theology should adapt to China's national condition and integrate with Chinese culture."

China's ruling Communist Party is officially atheistic and keeps a tight grip on religion for fear it could challenge its grip on power. It requires believers to worship in places approved by the state and under government supervision.

www.scmp.com...

In a country known for quixotic public campaigns, China’s latest surely ranks among its most creative. The government will create a “Chinese Christian Theology” to guide the practice of Christianity in the country, the China Daily reported Thursday. Although the government has yet to provide any details into what this new theology entails, its purpose is clear: Speaking to China Daily, Wang Zuo, director of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, said, “The construction of Chinese Christian Theology should adapt to China’s national condition and integrate with Chinese culture.”

On the surface, it may seem strange that an officially atheist state would create a new theology. But the endeavor provides a glimpse into an increasingly religious country, and a government’s desire to deflect any potential challenge to its authority.

Since relaxing prohibitions on religious faith in 1982, the Chinese Communist Party now recognizes five official faiths: Protestantism, Catholicism, Taoism, Buddhism and Islam. Because much religious faith remains underground, it is difficult to establish the precise number of worshippers in China. But a 2007 survey estimated that 31 percent of the country’s population, a number exceeding 400 million people, practiced a religious faith of some kind. Each religion has an organized, government-sanctioned hierarchy that is headquartered in Beijing and under the direct supervision of the Chinese Communist Party.

www.ibtimes.com...

a reply to: daaskapital

I gotta hand it to you, Daas. You're very thorough. However, my main point here is that the Pope is making a special trip to Asia to open that region to Christianity. The extent to which this will be allowed by the Chinese remains to be seen but I merely want to showcase this event relative to the prophecy which foretold that it would happen. Thanks for your reply.

originally posted by: lostbook
a reply to: daaskapital

I gotta hand it to you, Daas. You're very thorough. However, my main point here is that the Pope is making a special trip to Asia to open that region to Christianity. The extent to which this will be allowed by the Chinese remains to be seen but I merely want to showcase this event relative to the prophecy which foretold that it would happen. Thanks for your reply.

Thank you, Lostbook.

Indeed, you are correct in your statements. It will be interesting to see what comes of these events.

Thanks for posting the thread, and replying to me.

originally posted by: lostbook
a reply to: daaskapital

I gotta hand it to you, Daas. You're very thorough. However, my main point here is that the Pope is making a special trip to Asia to open that region to Christianity. The extent to which this will be allowed by the Chinese remains to be seen but I merely want to showcase this event relative to the prophecy which foretold that it would happen. Thanks for your reply.

Asia has a large Christian population already in particular in South Korea and the Philiipines. And he is just being allowed to fly through China's airspace. I do not see that as being anything other than what it is.

originally posted by: MrSpad

originally posted by: lostbook
a reply to: daaskapital

I gotta hand it to you, Daas. You're very thorough. However, my main point here is that the Pope is making a special trip to Asia to open that region to Christianity. The extent to which this will be allowed by the Chinese remains to be seen but I merely want to showcase this event relative to the prophecy which foretold that it would happen. Thanks for your reply.

Asia has a large Christian population already in particular in South Korea and the Philiipines. And he is just being allowed to fly through China's airspace. I do not see that as being anything other than what it is.

While it may mean nothing, just what if it is the beginning stages of a type of Christian Renaissance in China?

originally posted by: EA006
Makes sense. More people = more Christians.

1.3 billon new Christians... Hmm

originally posted by: Xtrozero

originally posted by: EA006
Makes sense. More people = more Christians.

1.3 billon new Christians... Hmm

God help us.