VATICAN (SE): “The Church in China is the same as the Catholic Church in other countries of the world: we belong to the same faith, share the same baptism, and we are all faithful to the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church,” declared Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, conveying greetings at the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod, Vatican News reported on October 17.
He was joined at the Synod for Synodality by Bishop Vincent Zhan Silu of Xiapu (Funing), Fujian.
It was the third time that two bishops from the People’s Republic of China have taken part in the synod, following the Synod on Youth in 2018 and first session of the Synod on Synodality in 2023.
Vatican News noted that prior to the signing of the Provisional Agreement on the Appointment of Bishops in September 2018, bishops from mainland China had not been able to participate in the Second Vatican Council or the subsequent synods of bishops.
Bishop Yang said, “We follow the evangelical spirit of ‘becoming all things to all people’. We effectively adapt to society, serve it, adhere to the direction of the sinicisation of Catholicism, and preach the Good News.”
Being a synodal Church engaged in the mission of evangelisation means respecting and listening to the voices of different stories, cultures, and traditions in the journey of seeking humanity’s ultimate goal, which is God.
Bishop Zhan
The bishop said, “The Catholic Church in China has initiated active exchanges with Catholic communities around the world based on the principles of equality, friendship, and mutual respect. We conduct exchanges on topics such as evangelisation and pastoral care in the Church, social services, and theological studies; we actively participate in international meetings and prayer activities of religions for peace; we strive to be like ‘light and salt’ for world peace and the promotion of a community where humanity can enjoy a shared destiny; finally, we promote development through various types of projects.”
He extended “a welcome to Catholic communities and religious groups from all countries who wish to visit the Church in China.”
Bishop Zhan Silu focused on the history of Christianity in China, recalling Jesuit Father Matteo Ricci, and his “experiment” to “adapt the Christian gospel to different human practices,” Vatican News reported.
However, Bishop Zhan observed that “the discernment between cultural differences and the need to preserve the authenticity of the Christian faith became a source of confusion for missionaries in China. This confusion led to the famous Rites Controversy, which took place precisely in my diocese, in Mindong.
The controversy focused on Father Ricci’s and other Jesuits’ conviction that the common Chinese rites of ancestor veneration were social and cultural, not religious, and so even baptised Catholics could continue the custom. At the time, the Vatican’s doctrinal office disagreed, CNS reported.
We follow the evangelical spirit of ‘becoming all things to all people’. We effectively adapt to society, serve it, adhere to the direction of the sinicisation of Catholicism, and preach the Good News
Bishop Yang
The bishop said, “From a historical perspective, one of the reasons for this setback was that the Church ignored the differences and complementarity of human cultures.”
He continued, “Being a synodal Church engaged in the mission of evangelisation means respecting and listening to the voices of different stories, cultures, and traditions in the journey of seeking humanity’s ultimate goal, which is God.”
Bishop Zhan said that among the issues that the Chinese Church must face with fresh eyes are “how to address the challenges that mixed marriages present for family education; how to adapt to local laws and regulations; or how to resolve the confusion that exists among the laity between popular beliefs and some aspects of traditional culture.”
He said, “The Church in this new era has been given a new task of discernment, even though the voice of the Holy Spirit is always gentle and difficult to distinguish. For this very reason, learning humbly from both historical and current experiences is an important way to evangelise, that is, to discern the new path the Lord is indicating to the Church.”
