RSSCHENGDU, China (UCAN) — The rebuilding of churches badly damaged by the Sichuan earthquake nearly two years ago, is progressing slowly due to a lack of funds.
Father Peter Wu Xianliang from Chengdu diocese’s Church Reconstruction Office told UCA News the diocese has only rebuilt two churches in Jiangyou city and Baolin township.
They have repaired most of the churches that suffered slight damage but have not started on the seriously damaged ones due to insufficient funds, he said.
In the second half of 2009, the Sichuan provincial government agreed to help the five government-recognized religious groups — Buddhists, Catholics, Muslims, Protestants and Daoists — repair and rebuild their places of worship damaged in the 8.0-magnitude quake in 2008.
Father Paul Lei Shiyin of Leshan said more than a billion yuan has been allotted to about 470 religious places belonging to the five religions, but the Catholic Church has received only a small amount so far.
He said he has submitted a proposal to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) to urge the provincial government to quicken steps to use the entire 110 million yuan (US$16.1 million) government fund to rebuild Catholic buildings as quickly as possible.
The CPPCC, China’s top political advisory body, is holding its annual session in Beijing March 3-13. Father Lei is the only Catholic representative of the CPPCC from Sichuan.
Father Lei, who is also chairman of the Sichuan Catholic Patriotic Association, told UCA News the money will be used on 37 Catholic churches in severely-hit areas in Chengdu and Leshan dioceses.
Father Wu also said that they have almost spent a HK$300,000 (about US$38,000) donation from the Hong Kong-based “Sichuan Catholic Churches Reconstruction Fun” as well as the more than two million yuan the diocese received from overseas and domestic donors.
Chengdu diocese would be able to continue with its rebuilding work if the government allocates funds soon, he said.
As of Dec. 31, the Sichuan Catholic Churches Reconstruction Fund, set up by some Hong Kong laypeople, has raised about HK$1.18 million, according to an interim report of the Fund released on Feb. 28.
One of its members confirmed to UCA News that the HK$300,000 donation had been made.
“Now we are waiting for the diocese to inform us how much funding the government will provide before making further decisions on the distribution of the remaining money,” he said.
Chengdu diocese suffered badly in the quake due to its close proximity to the epicenter. Of the 59 churches in Chengdu diocese, 25 collapsed and 22 were seriously damaged.
CH09007.1591 March 4, 2010 43 EM-lines (422 words)
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