Saving the Nation and the Spirit

Catholic Relief Work in Macau During World War II

Bibliographic Data

ID19217838
AuthorsHongwei Lin (0000-0002-1111-2660, Macao Polytechnic University), Ziyin Lan (Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts), Ka Ian Cheang (Macao Polytechnic University), Jiajun Hong (Macao Polytechnic University), Iat Chong Vong (Macao Polytechnic University, corresponding author), Xi Wang (0000-0002-2434-2326, Macao Polytechnic University)
Year2026
Publication date2026-05-13
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSociety (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0147-2011 • E-ISSN: 1936-4725
PublisherSpringer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1007/s12115-026-01197-x
OpenAlexW7160997676
LanguageEN
References cited8

After the full-scale outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Japanese forces extended their influence into South China, leading to the gradual normalization of refugee flows in Macau. With many inland refugees stranded in Macau, the Catholic Church in Macau, centered on St. Lazarus’ Church, Macau, carried out relief work for refugees from three aspects: poverty alleviation, educational support, and food relief, in line with the spirit of combining spiritual salvation with national salvation. Overall, by leveraging its social influence, rallying Chinese Catholic parishioners, and collaborating with other social organizations, the Catholic Church in Macau not only integrated relief with education to sustain cultural and educational continuity during the war but also saved the lives of large numbers of civilians. It played a significant role in the process of resisting Japanese aggression and saving the nation, demonstrating the unique form of resistance in Macau as a “neutral zone.”

Normalization (sociology) · Poverty · Refugee · Resistance (ecology) · Spanish Civil War · Work (physics) · World War II · Chinese history and philosophy · Hong Kong and Taiwan Politics · Japanese History and Culture

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