Bishop Joseph Gan Junqiu of Guangzhou pointed out that both the coinciding events were a call to say, ‘farewell to the past’
Chinese Catholics sing during a mass at a Catholic church in Tianjin, in northern China on May 24, 2015. (Photo: AFP)
A Catholic bishop in China has urged the faithful to dissolve the apparent contradiction of a coinciding festive Chinese New Year and the penitential Lenten season through a unique Christian vision, says a report.
In his 2024 Lenten pastoral letter, Bishop Joseph Gan Junqiu of Guangzhou Archdiocese drew parallels from both events saying they could go hand in hand, Fides, the Vatican’s news service reported on Feb. 7.
In his pastoral letter titled “O God, create in me a pure heart,” Gan said that “all actions motivated by the intention to love are ultimately directed toward God.”
While the Chinese New Year celebrations mark the return of people to their homes, the Liturgy of the Ashes held on Ash Wednesday was a “call from the Eternal Father… to return home,” Gan said.
The Chinese New Year festivities will begin on Feb. 10, and the Lenten season for Catholics is set to begin on Feb. 14 with the Ash Wednesday.
The Chinese New Year is an annual 15-day festival in China and Chinese communities around the world that begins with the new moon that occurs sometime between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 according to Western calendars.
The festivities typically last until the following full moon.
Since the mid-1990s, people in China have been given seven consecutive days off work during the Chinese New Year.
This week of relaxation has been designated as the Spring Festival, a term that is sometimes used to refer to the Chinese New Year in general.
The holiday season is also the time for family reunions when many people return to their hometowns to meet up with their kith and kin.
Gan pointed out that both the coinciding events were a call to say, “farewell to the past.”
While the New Year celebrations call for a “farewell to the past to welcome the future,” the Christian journey during Lent seeking forgiveness and repentance for one’s sins is also a “farewell to the past,” he said.
In such an experience, “we become full of joy and hope for life, we are made new by the love of Christ, in the grace of God,” Gan added.
While stating that Lent is “the time of preparation for the joy of Easter,” Gan pointed out that the Chinese New Year is an excellent opportunity for the faithful to bear witness to the Catholic faith with their family.
The prelate urged the faithful to attend the Thanksgiving Mass on Chinese New Year’s Eve with their families.
He pointed out that the whole family can “come together to thank God for His protection and blessings during the past year,” and ask God’s blessing for peace and the health of their family members and their work.
“By praying and receiving the sacraments with our loved ones, we can also embrace, in gratitude to Jesus, the festive and grateful mood of the Chinese New Year,” the prelate added.
The prelate also urged the faithful to cherish the uniqueness of the Catholic faith while remaining fully immersed in their traditional culture.
“We can show that the Christian faith is a gift that always remains in our hearts, no matter what,” he added.
The prelate urged the faithful to pray, read, and meditate on the Word of God, and take care of their neighbors during the New Year celebrations.
The prelate insisted that the Chinese New Year is an “auspicious time to care for others, starting with the elderly, the sick, the lonely, and those in difficulty.”
“We can experience God’s blessing and peace during the [Spring Festival Season] by spending time with our families, praying in communion, and caring for others,” he said.
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