Youths act against commercialized Christmas

Some young Catholics fed up with the consumerism surrounding Christmas are trying to put Christ back into the season by performing a Nativity drama at a railway station in Taipei.

Father Felice Chech shows a postcard with an illustration of the Nativity scene to be given out to people of other faiths

Youth leader Liu Hsien-han, 19, feels the religious significance of Christmas has been lost in society.

Searching for Christmas cards with illustrations of Jesus or the manger has only deepened his disappointment, since almost all the cards he found in bookstores depicted “reindeer, snowmen, Christmas trees and Santa Claus.”

The university student from Taipei archdiocese´s Miraculous Medal Church will try to redress the balance with his group, God Lead Our Way (GLOW). On Dec. 19, they will put on a Nativity play and a caroling program at the busy Panchiao station to tell the public the true meaning of Christmas.

A group of young Catholics set up GLOW two years ago to inspire their peers to evangelize and make a difference in society.

The Nativity drama is the brainchild of Italian Father Felice Chech, director in Taiwan of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith.

The Camillian priest told UCA News he had long been dismayed by the commercialization of Christmas but the final straw was when he overheard high school students shouting out during a school assembly that Christmas was about the coming of Santa Claus. “I said to myself, ´Oh, that´s too bad!´”

Many parishes put up Nativity scenes during Advent, he said. But besides Catholics, “who will go and see them?”

So he invited GLOW and local parishes to perform Nativity plays in public places, such as department stores, schools, hospitals and youth centers.

Thus far only GLOW has taken up the challenge. The pontifical society is helping them with the script and providing supporting materials explaining the meaning of Christmas.

Father Chech hopes one day all Taiwan parishes will get involved.

Liu pointed out that the local Church is celebrating the 150th anniversary of evangelization in Taiwan this year. “We Catholics should be more active in spreading the Good News of the birth of Christ,” he said.

Dec. 25 is a public holiday in Taiwan, not because it is Christmas but because it is Constitution Day.