BEIJING (SE/Agencies): Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, SJ, the bishop of Hong Kong, and Bishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing, celebrated an evening vigil for the beatification of the Jesuit missionary to China, Venerable Matteo Ricci [Li Madou] AsiaNews reported. The service took place at the Church of the Saviour [North Church] in Beijing, China, on the evening of April 17.
The vigil happened at the start of a five-day visit by Bishop Chow and a delegation from the Diocese of Hong Kong, including Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, OFM, and vicar general, Father Peter Choy Wai-man.
The visit, at the invitation of Bishop Li, is the first by a bishop of Hong Kong in an official capacity in almost 30 years, the last being John Baptist Cardinal Wu Cheng-chung in 1994.
According to the Fides news agency, a prayer prepared by the Diocese of Hong Kong for the beatification of Venerable Ricci was recited during the vigil: “Through his outstanding example, rekindle our missionary zeal so that we may learn to practice the truth in love in our daily lives and lead others, especially our Chinese brothers and sisters, to know and love you.”
PIME Father Gianni Criveller told the Sunday Examiner that Catholics in Beijing are devoted to Venerable Ricci.
“I remember many events, including concerts and dramas, devoutly celebrated by Catholics in Beijing back in 2010, on the occasion of Father Ricci’s 400 anniversary. Matteo Ricci is a missionary of the gospel, of friendship and dialogue,” Father Criveller recounted.
The congregation of the Church of the Saviour, made intense preparations for the vigil, including setting up an exhibition of pictures documenting the work of the great missionary. In the near future, a series of initiatives are planned to revive the missionary spirit and work of Father Ricci. Among them, a project to establish an itinerary and pilgrimage in his footsteps in mainland China.
The pilgrimage that will not take the form of a simple “sightseeing tour” but will have an itinerary that passes through all the significant places linked to Matteo Ricci’s mission in China: from Zhaoqing to Nanchang, to Nanjing [where he met Paul Xu Guangqi, one of his most important friends and benefactors, who received baptism from Matteo Ricci] until his arrival in Beijing, where he was buried.
During his stay in Beijing, Bishop Chow and other members of the Hong Kong delegation will also visit Father Ricci’s tomb.
Father Matthew Zhen Xuebin, chancellor of the Diocese of Beijing, said that the visit “represents an opportunity for an ‘exchange between the two local Churches” and “will allow us to understand and learn from each other.”
On 17 December 2022, on his 86th birthday, Pope Francis authorised the proclamation of the heroic virtues of Matteo Ricci, who has since been declared “Venerable”.
