BEIJING (Agenzia Fides): Fifteen Chinese bishops came together for an annual spiritual retreat with the theme, ‘Synodality and Encounter with the Lord’, at the National Seminary in Beijing from October 15 to 18.
The retreat was led by Father John Baptist Zhang, founder of the digital and print communication platform Xinde.org, and also responsible for Jinde Charities, the main Catholic charitable work in China.
The bishops listened to meditations on the obedience of the Virgin Mary, and how asking that the mercy and healing given by Jesus can animate the pastoral work associated with episcopal ministry.
During the evening Spiritual Conversations, the bishops also openly discussed how to face and overcome the sense of loneliness that sometimes marks their condition, and also how to make an appropriate discernment in the face of the different and sometimes conflicting opinions and requests of the members of the Church community.
The annual retreat was strongly supported by the leaders of the College of Chinese Bishops, led by Bishop Joseph Shen Bin of Shanghai.
Bishop Shen also took part in the final day of the retreat and presided over the evening Eucharistic concelebration.
During the retreat, the bishops present put aside hesitations and indecisions, enthusiastically embracing the mission of proclaiming the gospel in the situations in which they find themselves.
