Catholics reflect on faith during solar eclipse

The solar eclipse on July 22 has inspired many Chinese Catholics to reflect on their faith.

Dancing crescent-shaped light cast by the sun on the ground in Ningde city, Fujian province, as it was gradually eclipsed by the moon — UCAN Photo

Francis, a catechumen in Hubei province, central China, said he saw stars in the totally dark sky in the morning and reflected on “the greatness of God and the smallness of humankind.”

The total eclipse of the sun was visible within a narrow corridor stretching from India, through Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China.

It traversed 10,000 kilometers of China territory, covering 11 provinces along the Yangtze River, and lasted for about three hours in the morning.

John, a Catholic journalist in Hangzhou city, eastern China, said he recited the Lord´s Prayer as he experienced the natural wonder.

“I said to God: ´You make us feel our smallness through such miracles,´” he told UCA News.

In Shanghai, at the Yangtze River mouth, Catholic youth Richard Gong could not observe the eclipse due to rainy weather. But when darknesss came, he wondered, “Won´t the coming of Jesus at the end of the world be similar” to this?

He also associated the event with the darkness that covered the earth when Christ died on the cross. He said the eclipse encouraged him to meditate on Christ´s passion.

Laywoman Marry in Fujian province said she saw the day darken outside her office. She added that she was amazed by the “dancing crescent-shaped light” cast by the sun on the ground as it was gradually eclipsed by the moon.

“People can observe an astronomical phenomenon with their eyes and telescope, but who can really understand God´s will?” she asked herself.

Li, a Catholic university student in Sichuan province, southwestern China, said clouds blocked the sun at his location, but he and other passersby were amazed when the darkness fell.

“For people who have no religious belief, they merely watched the event, but I thought of God´s greatness,” he said.

According to the Chinese Astronomical Society, the duration of this eclipse was the longest to be experienced in China since 1814.