“In the most difficult periods of the recent history of the Catholic Church in China, the lay faithful, both as individuals and families and as members of spiritual and apostolic movements, have shown total fidelity to the Gospel, even paying a personal price for their faithfulness to Christ. My dear lay people, you are called, today too, to incarnate the Gospel in your lives and to bear witness to it by means of generous and effective service for the good of the people and for the development of the country: and you will accomplish this mission by living as honest citizens and by operating as active and responsible co-workers in spreading the word of God to those around you, in the country or in the city. You, who in recent times have been courageous witnesses of the faith, must remain the hope of the Church for the future!”

–Pope Benedict XVI

Letter to the Bishops, Priests, Consecrated Persons
and Lay Faithful of the Catholic Church
in the People’s Republic of China