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A Matter of Great ImportanceLeaning from Matteo Ricci for the Mission tothe Chinese in the Third Millennium

Cebu - September 11, 2010

By Gianni Criveller


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Memorial Antoine Thomas (1695):

This is about the conversion of a whole newworld, so enormous and populated, that itsemperor can claim more people under hisauthority than the all the faithful of the RomanChurch together on the entire planet. Thereare more: even the salvation of the

neighboring nations depends upon theconversion of the Tartar-Chinese Empire. ()


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S ince the beginning of the Church of Christ, there was never a matter of greater importance.

To promote such a grave matter we havespared no efforts, and have we approached,suppliantly, the common father of theuniversal Church: may he kindly concedewhat he can concede for the expansion of theChinese church.


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Th omas first request:

Ch

inese clergy

Thomas argues that the Churchof China needs Chinese priestsand bishops to convert Chinaand save the Church in time of

persecution.


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S econd petition of Th omasLiturgy in C h inese language.

Thomas goes back to the practice of the firstmillennium, when Mass was celebrated invarious national languages, for the sake of theevangelization. This rule, notices Thomas,applies to China even more stringently andurgently.


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H istorical t h orny issues in C h ina Mission

L iturgy in Chinese; Chinese liturgyInculturation

Promotion of Chinese clergyChinese Rites Controversy


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A foreign religion?

W as Christianity to look like aforeign religion or a Chinese

religion?

Since the beginning, and for manyyears to come, it appears as aforeign, western religion (see thebooks of Aleni)


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Learning from Matteo Ricci

The missionary must be foreign: the faith is agift from above, from outside, andunexpected.

The pastors and the cultural expressions of the faith must be local.


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P ortrait by Yu Wen h ui

ManuelP

ereira (1610)anuelP

ereira (1610)


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Learning from Matteo Ricci

Inculturation: first with Buddhism, then withConfucianism.Promotion of Chinese to the priesthoodUse of Chinese classical terms to name God:Shangti Sovereign from Above,Tian Heaven , Da Fumu GreatFather Mother, W anwu ZhenyuanTrue Origin of All Things .


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Zhaoqing: Ricci lived near the Xianhua TempleZhaoqing: Ricci lived near the Xianhua Temple(the temple of Fairy Flower(the temple of Fairy Flower ))


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S cience as way of evangelization

Faith and science are in reciprocal relationshipand not in contradiction.The concept of Tianxue , Heavenly Studies.Riccis formation at Roman College.

Galileo and the language of mathematics.Riccis W orld Map (description of the Creation)

This is much important in contemporary China,were formal education is still imbued of atheistscientism .


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Th e map of 1602 (later reproduction) Th e map of 1602 (later reproduction)


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Culture as way of evangelization

How easy it will be to propagate our holy ChristianHow easy it will be to propagate our holy Christianreligion through books. They reach everywherereligion through books. They reach everywherewithout impediment and talk to more people.without impediment and talk to more people.

I do everything possible so that all our fathersI do everything possible so that all our fathersdiligently study the Chinese books and strive todiligently study the Chinese books and strive tolearn to write in Chinese. Because, indeed in Chinalearn to write in Chinese. Because, indeed in Chinaone can do more with books than with speechone can do more with books than with speech ..

K nowing our own things but not knowing theirs,K nowing our own things but not knowing theirs,does not help much, and You, Father, will clearly does not help much, and You, Father, will clearly see how important this point issee how important this point is ..


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Th e Lig h t of Reason Th e Lig h t of Reason

By carefully examining all these books, weBy carefully examining all these books, weshall find very few matters against the light of shall find very few matters against the light of reason and very many conformable to it. reason and very many conformable to it.

And we can very much hope in the divine And we can very much hope in the divinemercy that many of their ancestors havemercy that many of their ancestors havebeen saved by observing the natural law withbeen saved by observing the natural law with

the help that God shall grant for histhe help that God shall grant for hisgoodness.goodness.


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In C h ina today

The phenomena of Christianity Fever andCultural Christians in contemporary Chinaacademic institutions.

The role of the internet and media, so popular among young people.


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Matteo and P aul

Matteo, like Paul, did not baptize everyone hehappened to meet.He created small but strong communities inmain cities, on the direction of Beijing ( L ikePaul toward Rome).These communities were centers of witness

for the society.


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Th e way of Friends h ip

Alessandro Valignano modo soave sweetway. The only serious alternative to themethod of tabula rasa and oppression.

1595 On Friendship the first book of Ricci inChinese J iaoyou lun. This is really a

sort of manifesto for Riccis mission


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O n Friends h ip 1595


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Riccis martyr for friends h ip

Confucian valueL ate Ming China especially valued friendship

Humanistic valueEvangelical valueThe is no greater love than offer ones life for friends: Matteo died of fatigue in receivingguests in May 1610 , during Imperialexaminations.


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W h at friends can do

Matteo learned almost everything from hisChinese friends and collaborators. All major decisions were made on their suggestions.Books were written together.Friendship was not only a values, butmissionary experience.


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Matteos Friends

Paolo Xu GuangqiL eone L i ZhizaoQ u TaisuFeng YingjingM ay God count as baptism and grant himthe salvation of his soul the good he did to us,

the great desire he showed to participate inthe propagation of our Holy Faith and actually to follow it.


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Matteo Ricci and P aul Xu GuangqiMatteo Ricci and P aul Xu Guangqi At h anasius Kirc h ers At h anasius Kirc h ers China Illustrata China Illustrata (Amsterdam, 1667).(Amsterdam, 1667).


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P ost modern C h ina

Postmodernity is the age when people do notbelieve in ideologies and doctrines; whentraditional social, religious, political andpsychological structures had collapsed andbeen refuted.But people do look for space of acceptance;

of aggregation; where they can experiencebelonging.


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The Christian groups fast developingin China offer participation and

emotional support.

W e might need to offer space andexperience of friendship, makepeople feel accepted for what theyare.


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Th e Gospel of Friends h ip

Friendship is often present in the teaching of Benedict XVIBeing friends of Jesus: personal experienceand credibility matter.Offer the experience of friendship to other.This was the style, the method, theexperience and the life of Matteo Ricci, and isstill very meaningful for us today.


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The endThank you for your attention

Your questions, please


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Th e dialogue of Jesus and Matteo Th e dialogue of Jesus and Matteo

Then I threw myself at his feet, and weeping Then I threw myself at his feet, and weeping bitterly, I said: S o, Lord, since you know this,bitterly, I said: S o, Lord, since you know this,why you did not help me until now? Hewhy you did not help me until now? Heanswered: You will go in that city answered: You will go in that city - -and it and it seems that he showed me Beijing seems that he showed me Beijing- - and I will and I will help you therehelp you there ..

Ricci to Costa, Nanchang 28 October 1595 ,Ricci to Costa, Nanchang 28 October 1595 ,in Ricci,in Ricci, LettereLettere , 2 90 ., 2 90 .

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