The National Conference on Religious Work was held in Beijing from December 3 to 4. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People’s Republic of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the meeting and delivered an important speech. Haining quickly studied and implemented the spirit of the meeting, and the United Front Work Department of the Municipal Party Committee (Civil Affairs Bureau) organized religious cadres and members of various religious groups in the city to study the spirit of the National Religious Work Conference, especially General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech, for the first time on December 6, 2021. They said that on the new journey of realizing the second centenary goal, it is necessary to fully implement the party’s theory and basic policy on religious work in the new era, adhere to the direction of sinicization of religions in our country, improve the level of management of religious circles and the level of rule of law in the governance of religious affairs, and organize and guide the broad masses of religious believers to unite their hearts, actively act, and contribute positive energy to comprehensively building a modern socialist power and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Qian Lihui, deputy director of the United Front Work Department of the Haining Municipal Party Committee and director of the Civil Affairs Bureau: It is necessary to comprehensively and deeply study the spirit of the National Conference on Religious Work, deeply understand the spirit and essence of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech, fully implement the party’s religious work theory and basic guidelines in the new era, strengthen ideological guidance, build consensus and enhance recognition. It is necessary to take standardization, standardization, and institutionalization as the starting point to comprehensively promote the construction of peace in the religious field. Further strengthen publicity and training on religious policies and regulations, earnestly enhance the awareness of religious circles and clergy of the rule of law, raise the ability of grassroots cadres to do religious work well, give play to the role of religious groups as bridges, and build positive and healthy religious relations. Adhere to the direction of sinicization of religion, give full play to the positive energy of religious culture, promote social harmony and civilization progress, and contribute to the demonstration of high-quality development and common prosperity in Haining.
Shi Tongzheng, president of the Haining Buddhist Association and abbot of Shishan Temple: We must conscientiously study and comprehend the spirit of the conference, constantly enhance the “four awareness”, strengthen the “four self-confidence”, achieve “two safeguards”, consciously unify our thoughts and actions with the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech, constantly create a new situation in Buddhist work, and strive to build a modern socialist country in an all-round way and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It is necessary to fully and accurately comprehend and implement the party’s theories, principles and policies on religious work in the new era, deeply understand the core essence, spiritual essence, rich connotation and practical requirements, and ensure the unity of study, thinking, application, knowledge, faith, and action. It is necessary to adhere to the direction of sinicization of religions in our country, raise awareness of the rule of law, promote the healthy inheritance of Buddhism, and actively guide religions to adapt to socialist society and to the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is necessary to regard the study and implementation of the spirit of the meeting as an important political task, and quickly organize members of the municipal Buddhist association and responsible persons of various venues to further study and implement the spirit of the meeting in depth, ensure that they have a thorough understanding of the meeting, and guide work practice in light of reality.
Shi Renjue, vice president and secretary general of Haining Buddhist Association and abbot of Huili Temple: Through studying General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech on national religious work, we have deeply realized the importance that party and state leaders attach to religious work. China’s development has entered a brand-new era, and religious work has also entered a new period, and the development of religion must be compatible with socialist society. As vice presidents of Buddhist associations and responsible persons of establishments, we must fully implement the party’s basic policy on religious work, adhere to the direction of sinicization of religions in our country, fulfill our duties and responsibilities to manage monasteries according to law, take the lead in promoting the fine traditions of patriotism, love for religion, unity and progress, service to society, harmony and inclusiveness, and contribute to the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Li Chengyi, chairman of the Haining Municipal Christian “Two Societies” and responsible person of Kishi Christian Church: The National Conference on Religious Work is a major event in the nation’s religious work. Regarding religious circles, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that “it is necessary to improve the self-management level of religious circles”, and for representatives of religious circles, the general secretary stressed: “It is necessary to cultivate a team of representatives of religious circles who are politically reliable, religiously accomplished, morally convincing to the public, and play a role when it is critical.” This is what the party and the government demand and expect from us. We must conscientiously study, profoundly comprehend the spirit of the meeting, and still more carefully compare and find out the gaps, analyze the causes, and strive to fill the gaps in our future work, so as to improve our overall quality and management level, satisfy the religious masses, and let the party and government rest assured!
Xu Juhua, Secretary-General of the Haining Municipal Protestant “Two Societies”: General Secretary Xi Jinping’s speech at the National Conference on Religious Work is very encouraging. The speech not only reflects the importance that the party attaches to religious work, but also points out the direction for religious work throughout the country. As a person of Christian faith, I deeply appreciate the Party’s care and guidance for us. Christianity should adhere to the road of sinicization, guide the broad masses of believers to unite around the party and government, implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s speech, and strive to strengthen self-construction. Give play to the strength and role of our religious circles and do our due responsibility for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Shi Zhijian, vice president of the Haining Catholic Patriotic Association and responsible person of the Tanqiao Catholic Church: General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that to adhere to the direction of sinicization of religions in our country, we must fully implement the party’s theory of religious work in the new era, actively guide our religious circles to adapt to socialist society, improve the level of self-management and legal system, and strive to create a new situation in religious work. In connection with the work of the Haining Catholic Patriotic Association and the Catholic churches, we must enhance our self-building, strengthen the building of the ranks of the Catholic Patriotic Association, and cultivate the Catholic Patriotic Association into a contingent of representatives of religious circles who are religiously accomplished, morally convincing, politically reliable, and effective at critical moments. We must firmly unite the religious masses around the party and the government, take the socialist core values as the guide, carry forward the Chinese culture, adhere to the overall concept of national security, comprehensively promote the building of the legal system in our religious circles, carry out in-depth publicity and education on the rule of law, promote healthy inheritance, lead the religious masses to adapt to socialist society, unite and lead all Catholic clergy and the broad masses of religious believers to strive for the comprehensive building of a modern socialist power and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Shi Zhijian, vice president of the Haining Catholic Patriotic Association and responsible person of the Tanqiao Catholic Church: General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that to adhere to the direction of sinicization of religions in our country, we must fully implement the party’s theory of religious work in the new era, actively guide our religious circles to adapt to socialist society, improve the level of self-management and legal system, and strive to create a new situation in religious work. In connection with the work of the Haining Catholic Patriotic Association and the Catholic churches, we must enhance our self-building, strengthen the building of the ranks of the Catholic Patriotic Association, and cultivate the Catholic Patriotic Association into a contingent of representatives of religious circles who are religiously accomplished, morally convincing, politically reliable, and effective at critical moments. We must firmly unite the religious masses around the party and the government, take the socialist core values as the guide, carry forward the Chinese culture, adhere to the overall concept of national security, comprehensively promote the building of the legal system in our religious circles, carry out in-depth publicity and education on the rule of law, promote healthy inheritance, lead the religious masses to adapt to socialist society, unite and lead all Catholic clergy and the broad masses of religious believers to strive for the comprehensive building of a modern socialist power and the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.