MACAU (AsiaNews): The University of St. Joseph in Macau hosted the international symposium on the history and significance of the Shanghai Council of 1924 on June 27, coinciding with the centennial of this significant event in the history of the Church in China. Over a hundred individuals from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau participated in the two-day conference.
The event venue, St. Joseph University, has been a crucial hub for the missionary movement for centuries. Those not of Chinese descent attending the symposium included experienced missionaries and academics who had committed their lives to China.
The conference had highly academic and in-depth presentations that concentrated on particular facets of the Council of Shanghai’s history and the Church’s development in China in the following years. Its emphasis was primarily on ecclesiastical and missionary matters.
The meeting began with two video messages, one from Luis Cardinal Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, and the other from John Cardinal Tong Hon, the former bishop of Hong Kong, accompanied by greetings from Bishop Stephen Lee Bun-sang of Macau.
During his speech, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai, the current apostolic nuncio to Malta who hails from Hong Kong, discussed the influence of Celso Cardinal Costantini [1876 to 1958], a former apostolic delegate to China, on the Church in China, emphasising the importance of “learning to understand the local culture.”
The archbishop pointed out that Cardinal Costantini emphasised the importance of the Chinese Council’s dual mission: to spread the gospel and to establish a self-sustaining local Church. He also stated that rather than transplanting fully-grown trees from Europe, the preferred method was to sow seeds for gradual growth
Quoting from the cardinal’s memoirs, starting with the motto, “May China be for the Chinese and the Chinese for Christ”, Archbishop Hon noted how, as early as 1923, Cardinal Constantini urged no more compensations via the colonial powers for the blood of missionaries killed by militias and bandits.
“Facing the threats of attack, the missions needed not the Protectorate, but prudence, trust in God, and even readiness to face eventual shepherds’ death for the sheep,” Archbishop Hon said.
The archbishop pointed out that Cardinal Costantini emphasised the importance of the Chinese Council’s dual mission: to spread the gospel and to establish a self-sustaining local Church. He also stated that rather than transplanting fully-grown trees from Europe, the preferred method was to sow seeds for gradual growth.
Also, the cardinal encouraged foreign missionaries to “earnestly understand and value the local language and culture” and to support the local clergy through education, status, and respect while being open to Chinese architectural styles, indigenous music, art, and even traditional Chinese clothing for the clergy.
Father Gianni Criveller, the editorial director of AsiaNews, also made a comparison between Carding Costantini and Blessed Paolo Manna, emphasising the resemblance between their courageous works. In 1929, Blessed Paolo Manna wrote Observations on the Modern Method of Evangelisation, specifically focusing on China. This demonstrates that even during colonial times, some missionary figures recognised that “the gospel is synonymous with freedom.”
In 1929, Blessed Paolo Manna wrote Observations on the Modern Method of Evangelisation, specifically focusing on China. This demonstrates that even during colonial times, some missionary figures recognised that ‘the gospel is synonymous with freedom’
Father Criveller also raised the question of a second Chinese Council today. “One issue might be about inter-culturality,” he said. “There is little creative blending among today’s Chinese cultures, the manifestations of the faith and the liturgy. There is a need for theological and pastoral reflections leading to facilitating faithful to express their faith in a way agreeable with their daily lives.”
The history of missions in China in the 19th and early 20th centuries should not be viewed as a mere colonial phenomenon. Professor at Renmin University of China, Leopold Leeb emphasised a Church with a Chinese identity as a prerequisite for the “Christianisation of China”.
This is not only about appreciating different forms, individuals, or cultural aspects; it also involves the introduction of the gospel in its entirety into the context of this great nation.
Leeb remembered that many Chinese are curious about what Christianity offers that is innovative and distinct. “Considering the approach and understanding of Christianity in China, one must take into account the journey China has had to undergo. Therefore, the genuine meeting of minds requires mutual integration.”
Professor Wang Meixiu, who holds the position of professor emeritus at the Institute of World Religions of the Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, shared her worries about the current state of the Catholic Church in China during the afternoon session.
“In the past few years, several regulations and laws have been implemented that prohibit children and teenagers under 18-years-old from participating in catechesis,” or “entering places of worship,” she clarified.
These restrictions primarily affect the life of the Catholic Church. In fact, “the number of people who can come into churches has shrunk compared to before,” she added.
“I remember that in the 80s and 90s of the last century, some people used the term ‘religious fever’ to describe the phenomenon of increasing the number of Christians, and some even said that the growth of the number of people at that time tended to be exaggerated.
Recently, as a result of insufficient data, a decrease in the elderly faithful, the influence of the pandemic, and a continuous decline in the birth rate, there has been a significant reduction in the chances for children and young individuals to embrace the faith. Can we accurately conclude that the Catholic population is declining? This is indeed a serious issue!
“In recent years, new terms have been frequently invented in the field of mainland economics, such as reducing development, reducing inventory, and so on. Could these new terms be used to describe [the] increase or decrease of the Catholics in China? Thinking about the Shanghai Council a hundred years ago, it is certain that this is not a phenomenon that the participant fathers wanted to see,” Wang said.
