Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father Benedict XVI has sent a message to Bishop Claudio Giuliodori of Macerata, on the occasion of the celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of the death of Jesuit missionary Father Matteo Ricci, a native of Macerata. The following is a complete copy of the text:
To the Venerable Brother Claudio Giuliodori
Bishop of Macerata, Tolentino, Recanati, Cingoli, and Treia
I am deeply gratified that in this Diocese, various initiatives have been planned to commemorate, both on an ecclesial and civil level, the 400th anniversary of the death of Fr. Matteo Ricci, of the Company of Jesus, who came to Beijing on May 11, 1610. The occasion of the opening of this special jubilee year, I gladly send you and the entire diocese my cordial greeting.
Born in Macerata on October 6, 1552, Jesuit Father Matteo Ricci was gifted with a deep faith and an extraordinary cultural and scientific knowledge. He dedicated years of his life to establishing effective dialogue between the East and West, while he also performed a great work of sowing the Gospel in the culture of the great Nation of China. His example remains even today a model of the effective encounter between European and Chinese civilizations.
I am therefore greatly pleased to join all those who recall this generous son of your land, obedient minister of the Church, and intrepid and intelligent messenger of the Gospel of Christ. Considering his intense scientific and spiritual work, we are positively amazed by the innovative and unique capacity he had in bringing together Chinese cultural and spiritual traditions in conjunction. That was in fact the characteristic aspect of his mission to find possible harmony between the ancient and noble Chinese civilization and the newness of Christianity, which leads to freedom and true renewal within every society, as the Gospel is the universal message of salvation to the whole world, regardless of their cultural or religious context. What also remains a unique or prophetic aspect of his apostolate was the surely his profound appreciation for the Chinese people, for their history, their culture, and their religious traditions. We can simply remember his Treatise on Friendship (De amicitia – Jiaoyoulun), which was met with great success from the moment of its first edition in print in Nanchino in 1595. Model of dialogue and respect for other beliefs, this fellow compatriot of yours made friendship the trademark of his apostolate in his 28 years in China.
The friendship that he offered was returned by the local people thanks to this climate of respect and esteem that he cultivated, in a constant effort to learn more about the Chinese traditions of the time. In spite of the difficulties and misunderstanding he faced, Father Ricci wished to remain faithful unto death to this form of evangelization, using what we could call a scientific methodology and a pastoral strategy based on both respect of the healthy customs of the place that the newly baptized Chinese would need not abandon when they embraced the Christian faith, and the awareness that Revelation could give them a fuller meaning. It was precisely through these convictions that he, like the Fathers of the Church in the Gospel's encounter with the Greco-Roman culture, carried out his far-sighted service of inculturation of Christianity in China, seeking a constant harmony with the scholars of the country.
I sincerely hope that the jubilee festivities in his honor – encounters, publications, expositions, conventions, and other cultural events in Italy and China – offer an opportunity for deeper knowledge of his person and activity. Following his example, may our communities of persons of diverse cultures and religions grow in a spirit of acceptance and mutual respect. May the memory of this noble son of Macerata be a source of motivation for your Diocese to imitate that missionary zeal that should characterize every authentic disciple of Christ.
Venerable Brother, with a fervent desire for the success of the jubilee celebrations scheduled to begin May 11, I assure you of my prayers and invoke the maternal intercession of Mary, Queen of China, imparting my heartfelt Blessing to you and all those entrusted to your pastoral care.
From the Vatican, May 6, 2009
Benedict XVI
(Agenzia Fides 18/5/2009)
