By Francis Kuo, Taipei A Church foundation has published two books on the lives of elderly Taiwan Jesuit priests including their experiences with mainland China. The books, launched on Sept. 25 by the Cardinal Tien Cultural Foundation, narrate the experiences of Father Mark Fang Chih-jung, 84, and Father Peter Sun, 86. Father Fang, during the Taipei book launch, recalled that he was blacklisted by mainland Chinese authorities after his 1984 trip there because he had celebrated Sunday Mass. The mainland-born Jesuit was also interrogated by Taiwan security officers after the China government repatriated him to Hong Kong during his 1995 China trip. At that time, Taiwan did not allow its residents to travel to the mainland. As he was forbidden to enter mainland China, Father Fang, the first Chinese to obtain a biblical doctorate in Rome, decided to help in the formation of mainland clergy and nuns who were studying in Europe. Mainland-born Father Peter Sun recalled that his mother, his spiritual director, his bishop and even the apostolic nuncio had tried to dissuade him from becoming a Jesuit. After the Chinese communists took power in 1949, he fled to the Philippines and it was only three months before his ordination in 1957 that his wish was granted by the Holy See. The priest recalled an unhappy episode in which he was accused of using Taiwan Church money to fund his hometown diocese in Handan, northern China. He said that he had forgotten to tell his parishioners at that time that the money came from the Holy See and it was not him but laypeople who took charge of the parish finance. The two books are the latest in a series of books on Jesuits who have been in Taiwan for about half a century. The first two books were published last year. Project coordinator Chang Fan-ren says more than 10 Jesuits have agreed to be interviewed for the project, which aims to publish two books each year.
Fathers Mark Fang Chih-jung (left) and Peter Sun at the book launch