A rare glimpse into how an ‘underground’ Chinese Catholic church celebrates Christmas
Worshippers gather for a secret mass in a factory compound while Vatican and Beijing explore ways of healing fractured ties
It was eerily quiet on Christmas Eve in a manufacturing hub city in Pearl River Delta, with machinery silent, except at one factory compound, the temporary gathering point for Catholics who were singing carols.
About three hundred people came to the site to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
Dazzling fireworks were set off within the plant at about 11pm. The crowd then went to a factory canteen for a quick meal and at midnight mass began in a prayer hall converted from a workshop.
The location of the underground mass was kept secret fearing a crackdown from the government. Only referrals were allowed to attend the mass, and photographs were banned for security reasons
But despite the humble setting of the mass compared to the cathedrals endorsed by the government, there was a sense of peace and joy in the air. The congregation shared home-made soup to warm themselves before the midnight mass while many chatted and caught up with each other as they live in different parts of Guangdong. Some only see each other at important festivals like Easter and Christmas.
A dozen rows of benches to kneel at were installed last year and a priest invited at the last minute heard confessions, according to a member of the congregation who refused to be named for fear of persecution.