Press Releases
Archbishop Neill to meet Chinese church leaders
The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr John Neill, is to visit China later this week, meeting Church leaders and visiting theological colleges. The visit has been organised by the Dublin University Far Eastern Mission as part of a continuing programme to build links between the Church of Ireland and the Church in China.
Dr Neill and his wife, Mrs Betty Neill, are visiting Shanghai and Hong Kong with the Revd Dr Alan McCormack and the Revd Patrick Comerford, chair and secretary of the Dublin University Far Eastern Mission. Dr Neill is a patron of DUFEM, which was founded in 1885.
The DUFEM group, which leaves Dublin on Thursday, is visiting Shanghai and Hong Kong. In Shanghai, they are expected to meet leaders of the China Christian Council, the main representative body of Chinese Protestant churches, and to visit Shanghai YMCA, theological colleges and Holy Trinity Cathedral. The former Anglican cathedral was confiscated in the 1950s but was returned by the state to the China Christian Council two years ago, and is now being restored.
In Hong Kong, the group is meeting the four Anglican bishops, the Irish-born Vatican representative, Monsignor Eugene Nugent, and the Greek Orthodox Archbishop, Metropolitan Nikitas Lulias. As the visit coincides with Saint Patrick's Day, they have also arranged to meet members of the Irish community in both cities. DUFEM recently appointed Miss Kate Xiang-rong, a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, as its Shanghai liaison officer.
"In the past year, DUFEM has been able to open new opportunities for co-operating in China," the Revd Patrick Comerford said before leaving Dublin. "This is an important opportunity to build on those opportunities and to consolidate our new links with the Church in China."
Archbishop Rowan Williams is expected to visit China in October, and there is strong speculation that the China Christian Council is preparing for the consecration of four new bishops.
"This visit comes as DUFEM is expanding its programme for student exchanges between Ireland China, and as a goodwill visit to both the Church in China and to the Anglican Church in Hong Kong ahead of the consecration of a new bishop," Patrick Comerford said. "This is a crucial time to develop goodwill and fellowship between the Church of Ireland and the Church in China." He added that DUFEM is discussing how best to need the pastoral needs of the Chinese Christians among the 60,000 Chinese now living in Ireland.
For further information contact:
The Revd Patrick Comerford,
Southern Regional Co-ordinator, CMS Ireland
Tel: +353 (0)1 4950934 (home) or +353 (0)1 4970931 (office, CMS Ireland)
Mobile: +353 (0)87 6635116
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Mr Garrett Casey,
Diocesan Communications Officer,
Dublin and Glendalough,
Tel: +353 1 6106447
Mob: + 353 87 2356472