鄧永鏘（DavidTang）
中國會、上海灘創辦人
1.1billionCatholics.1.3billionChinese.Yetnodiplomaticrelationsbetweenthetwo.Thismustbethemostsignificantstandoffbetweentwoofthelargestcommunitiesonearth.SoitwassadthatatperhapsthegreatestfuneralinrecenthistoryofPopeJohnPaulII,theChineseGovernmentwasnowheretobeseen.Onthecontrary,inthesameweek,twoChineseCatholicbishops,recognizedbytheVatican,werearrestedinChina.HowIwishedPopeJohnPaulhaddonemorewithChina.HewasabeaconofhopeandsatisfactionforhiscompatriotPoleswho,throughSolidarity,freedthemselvesfromatotalitarianregime.ThisdramatictransitionalsobroughtaboutadominoeffectacrossEuropeofincreasingfreedom.Ifanyoneonearthwhohadthebestpowerandinfluence,andmostofalldignity,tochangethestateofaffairsinChinaandAsia,itwouldhavebeenPopeJohnPaul.Buthehadtoomuchtodo.WemustnowlooktohissuccessortodosomethingabouttheCatholicsinChinaandAsia.
Imarriedina"Catholic"churchinPekinginl983-inthecathedralatXuanwumen.ItwasofcoursenotrecognizedbytheVatican,butIfeltitwasthenextbestthingformyweddingtotakeplaceinachurchinChina.WehadmassandbenedictionsaidinLatin;theincensewasinfullswing;thepriestandacolytesalldressedinCatholicvestments;andourmarriagecertificatewaswritteninLatin.Itwasthefirsttimeforover30yearsthatthechurchhadconductedamarriageceremony.Inmyeyes,IwasmarriedintheCatholicChurch.AndInoticedhowferventalltheChinesebelieverswere.EverySunday,crowdsjammedintothechurchformass,andthatwasinl983.Today,Iunderstandalotmorepeoplegoworshipping.ButuntiltheChineseGovernmentallowtheVaticantoappointChinesebishops,the"Catholic"ChurchinChinais,atleastindiplomaticterms,aschism.Nomatter.FortheCatholicsinChinaneednoformaldiplomaticrelationsbetweentheVaticanandtheirgovernmentinordertoworshiptheirgod,andtheyshouldcarryondoingso.It'salreadyaluxurythattheyareabletogotochurchfairlyfreelynowadays.Theirheartscanpray;theirthoughtscanbuildtheirfaith;andtheirspiritcantakeflight.Thesearetheinnerfreedomstheycanalwayspractise.Theymustnowaspiretothedaywhenouterfreedomsbecomepossible.
DuringtheJapaneseoccupationofHongKongfor3years8months,theJapanesekilledoverhalfoftheHongKongpopulation,nottomentionunleashingaplethoraoftortureandinsidioustreatmentswhichbroughtuntoldmisery.ShouldweforgivetheJapanesenow?ShouldweinsistthatwhenourschoolchildrenreadabouttheSecondWorldWar,theyshouldbetoldofthehorrorsofwhathappened?Myanswertobothisyes.Butwhilstforgivenessisimportant,Iamnotsureiftheeducationofhistoryisasimportant.ImentionthisofcoursewithreferencetotherecentincidencesofviolentprotestsinChinaagainsttheJapanese,whoseeducationministersanctionedthepublicationofschoolbooksinwhichtheNankingmassacrewasmerelydescribedasan"incident".ButdoesitreallymatterinChina?It'snotasiftheChineseGovernmentherselfisparticularlytruthfulabouttheGreatLeapForwardortheCulturalRevolution.Indeed,themanbehindthoseatrocitiesstillhasahugeportraithanginginthecentreofthecapital,stillcommandingrespectanddemandingreverence.Thereareclearlydoublestandards.Butthemostimportantlessonisthatifweeverwishtobecomemorecivilized,wemustforevergrabholdtightlyofforgivenessandcompassionandequallyforcefullyresistanddesistfromviolence.Inanyevent,JapanhascontinuallygiventoChinabillionsofdollarsofaid,andthismustcountforsomething,ifnotinrealterms,thenatleastinsymbolism.
MyfamilyandfriendswerebadlytreatedbytheJapaneseduringtheirHongKongoccupation.ButIwouldn'tdreamofnotforgivingthem.SomeofmyverygoodfriendsareJapanese.TheyarenotinanywayconnectedwiththehistorythatothersandIabhor.Thisdistinctionisimportantbecauseitisdangerousforustobexenophobic.That'swhyitisimportantforustoreadhistoryaswegrowolder.Readingitatschoolisnotenough;andpractisinghistoryisnotjustdigestingthefacts,butratherthedisseminationandanalysisoffactsusuallytoldfromdifferentperspectives.TherelationshipbetweentheChineseandtheJapanesedeservesapeacefulandcordialexistence,forthatisthebestguaranteeforfuturepeace.