"He's an example of faithfulness to Christ and the Church because he didn't want to be part of the official Chinese church and consequently he had to spend some time in prison or under house arrest," Fr. Joseph said.
However, the priest accepted the sufferings that came to him, Fr. Joseph said, adding that at more than 80 years of age, that priest still wakes up at 3:30 every morning to pray and celebrate Mass.
"His exemplary life was decisive for me in finding my vocation. He is a priest for everyone, with such exemplary dedication."
For more than 60 years, Catholics have faced persecution in China. The government-endorsed church, known as the "Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association" is loyal to Chinese communist authorities, who claim the right to decide whom to appoint as bishops, an authority that the Catholic Church reserves to the Pope.
Catholics who choose to remain loyal to Rome, particularly to the Pope's juridical authority to appoint bishops autonomously, make up the "underground Church," with its own bishops, priests, and lay faithful.
"There are…30 bishops of the underground Church who are not recognized by the state and so they cannot freely exercise their ministry," Fr. Joseph said. "They are under house arrest and under surveillance, there are people who monitor their visits, whom they meet and their topics of conversation. Priestly ordinations are done in secret with no else knowing about it."
Being part of the Catholic Patriotic Association would make life easier – with public Masses, a regular schedule, and the right to worship freely. But Fr. Joseph chooses to remain loyal to Rome despite the hardships.
"Fundamentally it's not the same because the Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic," he said. "The Patriotic Church is independent from Rome and I can't accept that, because of my faith."
Challenges abound, but the life of underground Christians in China is a witness of faith, Fr. Joseph said.
He asked for prayers that Chinese Christians may remain faithful, because "they teach us that the faith is much more precious than life, and that in living the faith we encounter Christ. We have to bear witness to those around us so those who don't know the faith can find it."
This article was originally published by our sister agency, ACI Prensa. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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