FUZHOU (Fides): The Diocese of Fuzhou, Fujian, hosted a seminar from May 16 to 17 in honour of Jesuit Father Giulio Aleni—often called the “Confucius of the West”. The statue was unveiled at the Cathedral of Saint Dominic during a ceremony led by Bishop Joseph Cai Bingrui.
The seminar drew scholars from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Italy, who focused on the life and contributions of the Italian Jesuit missionary, who was also an astronomer, geographer, mathematician, and man of letters.
Father Peter Zhao from the Diocese of Beijing presented a paper titled “The Contribution of Father Giulio Aleni to the Life of the Province and to Cultural Exchange.” Professor Lin Jinshui discussed “From Matteo Ricci to Giulio Aleni,” while Dr. Jiang Wei explored “The Specificities and Consonances of Catholic Art in Portuguese India, the Spanish Philippines, and China during the Late Ming and Early Qing Dynasties.” The event concluded with a guided tour of sites associated with Father Aleni in the Fuzhou area.
Giulio Aleni was born in Brescia, Lombardy, Italy, in 1582. He joined the Society of Jesus in 1610 and was sent to China, landing in Macau, where he dedicated 40 years to spreading Christianity among the Chinese people.
Father Aleni also taught mathematics, seeing it as a vital tool for engaging with the highest cultural circles in Chinese society. He served as the provincial of the Jesuit province of Huanan and built over 20 churches, baptising 10,000 new Christians during his mission.
In 1649, while fleeing from soldiers of the Qing court, he found refuge in Yanping, where he died in May of that year. His tomb is located on Mount of the Cross in Fuzhou.
Throughout his missionary work, Father Aleni adopted the methods and practices of his fellow Jesuit, Venerable Matteo Ricci, and published around twenty scientific, philosophical, spiritual, and doctrinal works.
During his time as a missionary, he became, after Father Ricci, the foremost expert in the Chinese language among his peers. His work, The True Origin of All Things [1628], which addressed the question of Creation, gained widespread recognition and was reprinted numerous times.
In 1635, he published True Exposition of the Words and Works of the Incarnate Lord of Heaven, recounting the life of Jesus. Additionally, the texts of the 325 conversations he held with Chinese scholars are of great value and interest.
