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"Foreigners have come in increased numbers as those from France and the Republic of Korea at masses at our Xishiku Cathedral. This has made no difference with other Roman Catholic activities in other places and our English mass as well every week as a part of our religious activities," said Feng Guoxin, priest with Xishiku Cathedral.
Bishop Michael Fu Tieshan, also chairman of the Catholic Patriotic Association of China told that China Catholic Patriots Association are having preparations made by sending priests and nuns along with the others on a language study program to study such statelet languages as Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.
Efforts are being made as lately reported for conditions to be created to convenience foreigners carrying out religious activities in Beijing as a metropolis being built. An official with the Municipal Religions Administration of Beijing said that providing services conveniencing foreign believers' religious activities fully accords with the religious policy of the Chinese Government. Constructive efforts to ensure satisfactory services as those being placed in ordinary times at the service of foreign religious believers from China's Buddhist, Catholic, Christian and Islamic groups have already been underway according to plans in Beijing.
Foreigners must be in an enormous number when Beijing hosts the Olympic Games in 2008. A wide range of conveniences as those from various Chinese religious groups in ordinary times in Beijing will be demanded to ensure foreigners a normal religious life, said Fu.
Using foreign languages to convenience foreigners performing service and other religious activities would pose no problem by 2008 according to preparations being made. As assured by concerned authoritative departments, intense preparations are being made with many Catholic, Christian and Islamic personnel being trained under a language study program abroad.
So far, there are already over 40,000 foreign nationals as diplomats, foreign students and other personnel residing in Beijing. Visitors number over three million and most of these are devotees to a different religious faith.
( August 6, 2002)
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