THE FLOWERY KINGDOM.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 7, 14 February 1901, Page 29

THE FLOWERY KINGDOM.

* BITS OF CHINA OLD AND NEW.

THE PERSECUTION OF CATHOLICS IN CHINA. Cardinal Vaughan has issued a pastoral letter on • the persecution of the Church iv CLina." lie says . The social upheaval in China is mainly and primarily a revolt againHt Christianity. The Ambassadors of the King oi Heaven had been maltreated and massacred long before those of earthly Powers were threatened in the historic siege of the Legations. Persecution is, indeed, always latent in China, and in its most recent phase was roused into activity by the encroachments of foreign Powers, notaby Russia and Germany on Chinese territory, by the reactionary policy of the Empress Dowager, and by the encouragement given to secret societies as instruments for combating the reforms promulgated by the reigning Emperor, Kwang Su. The murder of the two German missionaries in bhantuner— made the pretext for seizure by Germany of a Chinese port— shows how well the soil was prepared, even antecedently to these causes, for the more extensive movements that followed. The danger to which Christians in China were likely to be exposed in consequence of foreign aggression was thoroughly realised by those interested in the missions, and was pointed out in a leading article of Illustrated Catholic Mission* as far back as the number of that journal of May, 1898. The Cardinal gives distressing details of recent occurrences, and proceeds : — Throughout a great part of China all the work of the Catholic Church has been swept away in one universal catastrophe. The amount of the loss may be inferred from the statistics recently published. The material framework of the missions was represented by 4348 churches and chapels, over 4000 elementary schools with nearly 56,000 pupils, by 26,8.35 orphans, 47 seminaries, with 86!) students, 47 boys' high Bchools and colleges, and a number of agricultural and trade schools, with over 2000 pupils. There are 39 vicariates apostolic, with 942 European and 445 native priests. The Catholics number over three-quarter of a million, and there are' at least 10,000 catechumens, the figures not being complete. The staff includes, iv addition, 90 European and 20 lay and teaching Brothers, 3709 native catecbists and school teachers, H3<> European and 720 native Sisters, besides 239H holy women consecrated to religion, though living singly in the different missions, like the virgins of the early Christian Church. The scale of these figures enables us to judge of tre portentous nature of the catastrophe which baa utterly annihilated much of the fruit of the effort they represent. Add to this the material distress of hundreds of thousands deprived of everything in the world aud reduced in a moment to utter destitution, aud we cm form Home faint idea of what is now happening in China. Tne terrors of the apocalyptic vision, indeed, seem realised in the woea with which the century has clo6ed for that unhappy country. THE REAL ORIGIN OF THE TROUBLE. Mgr. Favier, after hia arrival at Marseilles from Tongking was asked what was the real origin of the Chinese troubles. He replied that they were the work of Prince Tuan, but without the complicity of tbe Dowager Empress. Prince Tuau hoped by the jjd of the Boxers, the dregs of Chinese society, to attain supreme power. The Empress had acted in good faith, but has lacked energy. DEVASTATION IN EASTERN MONGOLIA. The Apostolic Missions of Scheut have received a telegram from the Vicar-Apostolic of Eastern Mongolia, dated Vladivostock, December 18, staring that the district of Pines has been completely laid waste. The Bishop and 111 Belgian missionaries, four Chinese priests, and 3000 native Christians were rescued by the Russian troops under General Tserpitzky. BAD NEWS FROM CENTRAL MONGOLIA. The reports from China of the outrages inflicted on the Chrißtians rival each other in horror. One of the Litest tells of the martyrdom of Fathers Dobbe and Zylomans and many fellowChristians in the Vicariate of Central Mongolia. Mgr. Aertselaer, the Vicar-Apostolic, relates the awful details. In the numerous villages of the district there were about 10,000 Christians, and prior to the outbreak of the Boxers the prospects were mobt promising. But in the early part of July the feeling against Europeans became very bitter and soon the situation was critical. Fathers Dobbe and Zylomans found themselves compelled to move northwards for t-afety. For six weeks they enjoyed peace in their new quarters. Three Protestant missionaries with ■ their wives and seven children, who were making their way to Siberia and were almost dying of starvation, appealed to them for food and shelter and were most willingly offered hospitality. The tranquility in which they lived was soon at an end. On tbe 22nd of Autrust three squadrons of Chinese soldiers appeared before their residence at Tie-Ko-tau-Kou and set it on fire, 'ihe Christiana fled to the church, and this, too was soon in flames. Of the Christians some were asphyxiated, others v» ere burnt to death, and others who tried to escape were brutally slaughtered. The number of Christians killed in the whole region waa not less than 5000.