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STATE ORGANS | THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CHINA | MULTI-PARTY COOPERATION AND THE POLITICAL CONSULTATIVE SYSTEM | JURISDICTION | HONG KONG | MACAO | TAIWAN | RELIGION | RELATIONS WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES |
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Religion |
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On November 29, 2000, the Chinese Catholic Church celebrated its 50th anniversary of the anti-imperialist patriotic movement. Bishop Liu Yuanren, president of the Chinese Catholic Bishops College, presided over the conference and Fu Tianshan, president of the Patriotic Association of the Catholic Church in China, presented a keynote report. Wang Zhaoguo delivered a speech at the conference. He said that the past 50 years had fully proven that the anti-imperialist patriotic movement was a successful practice of patriotism in Catholic circles. Self-reliance in missionary work was a correct choice of the patriotic clergy and followers of the Chinese Catholic Church in line with the history and national conditions of China. It is also the only road for the Chinese Catholic Church to adapt to the socialist society. The Chinese Catholic Church's experience in the just and patriotic action against the Vatican action in conferring the title of "Saint" fully displayed the patriotic spirit and proper national integrity of Chinese Catholics. While safeguarding the national interests and national dignity, it also maintained the purity of the Catholic Church itself. On November 13, 2000, the China Anti-Cult Association was launched in Beijing by people from various fields including science and technology, medical science and religion. The Rules of the China Anti-Cult Association (draft) were read out at the conference. According to the articles of association, the China Anti-Cult Association is a mass organization, which, comprising volunteers from all walks of life, including science and technology, social sciences, religious circles, legal community and the press, against cult organizations, was registered as a non-profit-making legal entity for public good. Its purpose is to promote the scientific spirit and humanism, safeguard the legal sanctity, respect the freedom of religious belief, unify and connect people from all walks of life, oppose all cult organizations that harm the life and property of people, disrupt social and public orders and sabotage law enforcement and social stability, and strive to raise the capability of the public against cult organizations. The conference discussed and adopted the Rules of the China Anti-Cult Association, and elected the association's first term of committee, standing committee and leadership through democratic procedures. On March 16, 2001, the Committee for Ethnic and Religious Affairs of the CPPCC National Committee held a forum in Beijing on exposing and criticizing the Falun Gong cult. Representatives of all the five major religious organizations unanimously called for an anti-cult campaign in the religious circles and a further exposure of the nature of Falun Gong as a cult. The religious circles should be merciful and save the lost ones, and exterminate evils through righteous actions, they said. |
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