CNA Staff, Jul 1, 2020 / 10:22 am
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York wrote Sunday that the destruction of monuments is detrimental to the knowledge of history, and warned against a 'cultural revolution' like that of China under Mao Zedong.
"God forbid we'd go through a cultural revolution as China did five decades ago. Beware those who want to purify memories and present a tidy – and inaccurate – history," the cardinal wrote in a June 28 opinion piece at the Wall Street Journal.
China's Cultural Revolution of 1966-76 sought to eradicate traditional elements from Chinese society, particularly old customs, old culture, old habits, and old ideas.
"And who's to say which statues, portraits, books and dedications are spared," the cardinal asked. "Remember when some objected to raising the status of the Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday to a national holiday, citing his self-admitted flaws?"