By Father Peter Choy Wai-man
The four of us [Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan SJ, Bishop Joseph Ha chi-shing, Wong Ka-chun and myself] just returned from our trip to Beijing. The journey started with a vespers service in the North Church. As a symbol of exchange between the two dioceses, Bishop Joseph Li Shan of the Diocese of Beijing, Bishop Chow and Bishop Ha of the Diocese of Hong Kong unveiled a picture of Venerable Matteo Ricci at the altar, signifying that we are “walking the same path,” meaning returning to the same roots of faith and committing themselves to the same call of the Holy Spirit.
As the Hong Kong media were present that night, this historic moment soon spread among the Hong Kong faithful. Many people were grateful for the moment, while others noticed that Matteo Ricci’s portrait at the altar appeared to have a problem. According to the Jesuits’ official website, the figure in the painting was of Giulio Aleni, not Ricci. There was some debate about who that was for a while, with some saying it was Ricci and others saying it was Aleni. Who is right, and who is wrong? There is no answer!
A question suddenly came to my mind: whether or not the person in the picture was Ricci, would it affect the prayer that night? Over 200 people attended that night, and no one seemed to notice whether the man in the picture was Ricci or not, or maybe they didn’t think it was of importance, and they just focused on communion in prayer. The churches of both places were grateful for the efforts of this pioneer to sow the seeds of the gospel in China so that it could take root. Although the soil produced different fruits in the growing process, both places have the same faith and Church. This minor hiccup at the beginning of the trip underlines the inclusiveness of the exchange.
To be ‘on the same path’ within or between Churches does not mean both sides need to be consistently on the same track. Instead, they are open to hearing the voice of the same Holy Spirit that has given birth to Churches in different places surrounded by different cultures.
When Matteo Ricci came to China as a missionary, he was already aware of the need for faith to be expressed in a culturally appropriate way. From the Confucian robe worn by the clergy to the doctrinal references to the existence of God in the ancient Chinese texts, all were different from the Western Church model of the time. Unfortunately, Ricci’s inculturation efforts were marred by the absence of a spirit of synodality, which set the stage for future liturgical disputes.
Therefore, in the light of the past, if Churches today can “walk together” with mutual respect, acceptance and openness, they will appreciate, learn from and enrich each other.
It was not the magnificence of the four major churches in Beijing after their restoration or the many modern developments in the diocese that impressed me most on this trip, but the frankness of the reception and sharing. It helped me experience again and again the vitality and heritage of Beijing’s Church as it tried to meet the challenges and opportunities brought about by urbanisation.
Finally, the synodality of the Church is about responding to the present challenges and keeping up with the times. As such, an ordained person on the journey of synodality needs to be open to continuous learning and engage in ongoing dialogue and collaboration with others in the community. This includes a willingness to learn from others, be open to new ideas and perspectives, and respond to the needs of the community.
