SHIJIAZHUANG, CHINA – According to statistics that the Study Centre of Faith in Hebei province collected up to April 19, 22,104 baptisms were administered during Easter 2012 in mainland China.Despite this result, “the community is fully aware of the need for further work of evangelization”, said the head of the study centre, according to a report by Fides, the news agency of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
The newly-baptised Catholics, 75 per cent of whom are adults, belong to 101 dioceses. In Hebei itself 4,410 people were baptised on Easter Day, 615 more than last year.
Fides quoted the head of the study centre as saying that not all dioceses celebrate all their baptisms at Easter.
For example, in Shanghai there were 379 Easter baptisms but the total figure could exceed 1,500 by the end of the year.
According to Sr Li Guo Shuang from the study centre, “there are still some dioceses or communities which, due to communication difficulties, have not yet reported data to us. So we must emphasise that the figures are not complete, they may still increase”. - VIS, FIDES
