Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Chinese language will also resonate between the columns of St. Peter's Square or under the vaults of the Paul VI Hall on Wednesday mornings. Pope Francis has announced that starting from next Wednesday, December 4, the biblical passage and the summary of the catechesis will be read in Chinese to the crowd gathered to participate in the General Audience.
“Next Sunday Advent begins; it is a time of preparation for Christmas. And next week, with the Advent, the Chinese translation will also be here in the audience,” announced the Pontiff.
The decision announced today by Pope Francis demonstrates for the umpteenth time the affection and sensitivity of the Pontiff towards the Chinese people and the Church. Chinese Catholics are following the Pope's Magisterium with emotion and gratitude, broadcasting his homilies, speeches and catechesis on their websites, and will now be able to listen to and understand "in real time" the content of the Catechesis given by the Pope during the General Audience.
The Holy See wants to continue the constructive dialogue for the good of the Church and the Chinese people, as demonstrated by the provisional agreement that came into force in 2018 for the appointment of bishops. The agreement was extended for four years a month ago.
"I’m pleased with the dialogues with China. The results are good. Even for the appointment of bishops, things are progressing with goodwill. And for this reason I’ve spoken with the Secretariat of State, and I’m happy with how things are going," said the Pope on the return flight from the Apostolic Journey to Asia and Oceania speaking to journalists.
"As for China, I see China as an “ilusión” (aspiration, ed.), meaning I would like to visit China. It’s a great country, and I admire and respect China. “It’s a country with an ancient culture, a capacity for dialogue to understand each other that goes beyond the different systems of government it has had,” he added on that occasion, stressing: “I believe China is a promise and a hope for the Church.”
For the Pontiff, in fact, the Chinese are a people of “great faith” and also “teachers of hope,” as he described them during an interview given to the Press Office of the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus. On that occasion, the Bishop of Rome reiterated his desire to go to the Shrine of Sheshan, near Shanghai: “In front of my office in the Casa Santa Marta I have the image of Our Lady of Sheshan.”
And not only that: in China, the Pope would like to “meet the local bishops and the people of God, who are so faithful. They have lived through so many things and have remained faithful. China is a great people that must not squander its heritage.”
On the contrary, “it must continue its heritage with patience.” Chinese is added to the seven other languages into which the Pope’s catecheses are already translated during the Wednesday Audience: French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Polish.
Fides Agency, founded in 1927 as a missionary information agency within the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, launched the first Catholic missionary bulletin in Chinese in May 1998, on the occasion of the opening of the continental synod on Asia. In August of the same year, the editors handed over to John Paul II the first bulletin printed in Chinese ideograms. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 27/11/2024)
