Book Review: Letter to the Church in China by Pope Benedict XVI

While not exactly a "book", Pope Benedict XVI explores & explains what is a church in the context of the Chinese government’s suppression of the independent, Rome-aligned church & the upholding of a government-run state church. Although written to the Church in China, the pope obliquely addresses the eaves-dropping Chinese government with the message that the Church is good for man & society, and that the attempt of government authorities to stifle & control it run counter to the very purposes of government – the betterment of its constituents.

The letter is also of interest to all Christians & Catholics because it deals not only with the characteristics proper to a church within itself, but also the obligations of the church to engage society, lessons that are always worth repeating. The letter particularly focuses on the role of the bishop as the visible head of the local church & insists that the state has no right to attempt to control the bishops & their message. History has shown time & time again that no human power can appease, stifle, or eliminate the Gospel.

...

Perhaps the world will yet witness the rebirth of China as the next great Christian nation. Perhaps attending to this message would help western Christendom to rediscover its greatness, as well.