Subject: [79attendees] Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

From: Ed Jankiewicz <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 2010 16:17:49 +0800

The oldest Christian church in Beijing is the Cathedral of the 
Immaculate Conception, also known as the South Church, located at the 
Xuanwumen subway stop on the number 4 line, a few blocks from Tianamen.  
The current church dates to 1904, after several earlier churches going 
back to 1605 were lost over the centuries to fire and earthquakes.  The 
Catholic Church in China has had some political problems, with the PRC 
establishing a national church (The Patriotic Catholic Church) without 
the authority of Rome, and has consecrated its own bishops.  Recently 
there is some reconciliation, and the current Bishop of Beijing, the 
head of this cathedral, is recognized by both Roman Catholic Church and 
the Patriotic Church.

The church is beautiful inside, though rather plain exterior.  It is one 
of the few old buildings in center Beijing, outside of the monuments.  
It is an active church, so check the schedule of services if you want to 
go inside to take pictures, or in fact would like to attend a service.  
Mass in English is offered on Sunday at 10:30 and 4:00PM.

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=&rlz=1B3GGLL_enUS389US389&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=immaculate+conception+beijing&fb=1&gl=us&hq=immaculate+conception&hnear=Beijing,+China&cid=12282257394946781694

We attended mass this morning in English.  We got there early and heard 
the last part of mass in Mandarin, and both masses were full.  I've 
attended mass in most of the IETF locations around the world, and I must 
say this seemed to be the most active church I've been to.  Sadly, 
Catholic churches in Europe tend to be nearly empty, even museum-like, 
and attendance in the US has also started to decline.  Apparently, a 
religious revival is part of the new China as well.  Approximately 1% of 
the population is Catholic, which means about 1.3 million.  Even with 
such a small percentage, China is a large Catholic country, and that 
contingent is growing fast.

I enjoy seeking out and visiting churches and other religious sites as 
part of my travel experience, and even when not in English, I find it to 
be a refreshing break from the hustle and bustle of a very busy week at 
IETF.   Whatever your personal beliefs, I hope you find a little time 
this week to stop and reflect on your experience here in Beijing.  It is 
easy to get caught up in the intense scheduling of WG meetings, BoFs and 
other side meetings, rushing out to grab something to eat, and wondering 
where to get cheaper beer than in the hotel (hint: anywhere).  Peace, 
have a great week.