Catechesis of Pope Francis on Mateo Ricci, missionary in China

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2023-05-31 10:16:00

May 31, 2023 / 3:16 a.m.

Pope Francis continued at the General Audience this Wednesday with his catechetical cycle on the passion for evangelization.

This May 31 recalled the figure of the venerable Mateo Ricci, a missionary in China, who was able to overcome difficulties and dangers, mistrust and opposition, and bring the message of Christ to those lands, as no one had done before in the Far East.

After summarizing his catechism in different languages, the Holy Father addressed special greetings to the faithful present. Then, as usual, he addressed his greetings to the young, the sick, the elderly and the newlyweds. Today, the last day of the month of May, he recalled that the Church celebrates the visit of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth, who proclaims her blessed for having believed in the word of the Lord (cf. Lk 1, 45). Pope Francis entrusted to her maternal intercession all those tried by war, especially the beloved and tormented Ukraine, which he suffers so much.

The General Audience concluded with the recitation of the Pater Noster and the Apostolic Benediction.

Below is the full text of Pope Francis:

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

We continue to reflect in these catechesis on apostolic zeal, that is, what the Christian feels to carry out the proclamation of Jesus Christ.

Today I would like to present another example of apostolic zeal. We speak of Francisco Javier, of Saint Paul, of the apostolic zeal of the great. Today we will talk about an Italian, but who went to China: Mateo Ricci.

Originally from Macerata, in the Marches, after having studied in the Jesuit schools and having himself entered the Society of Jesus in Rome, excited by the reports of the missionaries, like many other young companions of his, he asked to be sent to missions in the Far East. After Francisco Xavier’s attempt, another twenty-five Jesuits had tried in vain to enter China.

But Ricci and his brother prepare very well, carefully studying the Chinese language and customs, and in the end they managed to settle in the south of the country.

It took eighteen years, with four stages through four different cities, before reaching Beijing. With perseverance and patience, animated by an unwavering faith, Mateo Ricci was able to overcome difficulties and dangers, mistrust and opposition. He thinks of that time, walking, riding, so many distances. He kept going.

But what was Mateo Ricci’s secret? What path did apostolic zeal push you on?

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He always followed the path of dialogue and friendship with all the people he met, and this opened many doors for him to announce the Christian faith. His first work in the Chinese language was precisely a treatise On Friendship, which had great resonance.

To enter the Chinese culture and life, at first he dressed like Buddhist bonzes, but later he understood that the best way was to assume the lifestyle and clothing of the literati. He deeply studied his classical texts, in order to present Christianity in positive dialogue with his Confucian wisdom and with the mores and customs of Chinese society.

And this is called the attitude of enculturation. Similarly, in the first centuries of the Church, the Fathers had known how to “inculturate” the Christian faith in dialogue with Greek culture.

His excellent scientific preparation aroused interest and admiration on the part of educated men, beginning with his famous world map, the then-known map of the entire world, with the different continents, which revealed to the Chinese for the first time a reality outside of China that was broader than what they would have imagined. It makes them realize that the world is bigger than China.

They understood because they were so smart. But the mathematical and astronomical knowledge of Ricci and his missionary followers also contributed to a fruitful encounter between Western and Eastern culture and science, which will then live one of its happiest times, in the sign of dialogue and friendship. .

In fact, the work of Mateo Ricci would never have been possible without the collaboration of his great Chinese friends, such as the famous “Doctor Pablo” (Xu Guangqi) and “Doctor León” (Li Zhizao).

However, Ricci’s fame as a man of science should not obscure the deeper motivation of all his efforts: the proclamation of the Gospel. He went ahead and testified to his faith by conversing with men of science. The credibility obtained with scientific dialogue gave him the authority to propose the truth of Christian faith and morality, which he speaks in depth in his main Chinese works, such as The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven.

In addition to doctrine, they are his testimony of religious life, virtue and prayer. These missionaries prayed, went to preach, made political movements, everything, but they prayed. That is what nourishes the missionary life: a life of charity, humility and total disinterest in honors and riches, which lead many of his Chinese disciples and friends to embrace the Catholic faith.

Because they saw a man so intelligent, so wise and so skillful in the good sense of the word to do things, and such a believer, they said: “what he preaches is true”, because he is a personality who bears witness and attests with his own life what it proclaims. This is the consistency of evangelizers. And this applies to all Christians, since we are all evangelizers.

I can say the creed from memory and I can express all the things we believe, but if my life is not consistent with it, it is useless. What unites people is the testimony of coherence. Christians live what we say. We must not pretend to live as Christians and then live as worldlings. Be careful with that. Look at these missionaries. This is an Italian. Look at these great missionaries and see that the greatest strength is consistency. They are consistent!

In the last days of his life, when he asked whoever was closest to him how he felt, “he replied that he was thinking at that moment if the joy and happiness he felt inside was greater because of the idea that his loved one was near.” trip to go to please God, or the sadness that leaving the companions of the whole mission that he loved very much could cause him, and the service that he could still do to God Our Lord in this mission» (S. De Ursis, Relation on M. Ricci, Roman Historical Archive SI). It is the same attitude witnessed by the Apostle Paul (cf. Phil 1,22-24), a synthesis of God’s love and missionary zeal.

Matteo Ricci died in Peking in 1610, at the age of 57, consumed by the fatigue of the mission. The missionary spirit and method of Mateo Ricci constitute a living and current model. His love for the Chinese people is a model.

But that is a very current path, it is the testimony of his life as a Christian. He brought Christianity to China. He is great because he is a great scientist, he is great because he is brave, he is great because he has written so many books, but above all, he is great because he has been consistent with his vocation and his desire to follow Jesus Christ. . Brothers and sisters, let us ask ourselves: am I coherent or am I this way or that?

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