In recent times, sinicization has been China's policy toward minorities, particularly toward religious minorities within China. Policies include the attempt to blend religious traditions with traditions perceived as Chinese and the promotion of "ethnic unity".
The article's writer recently visited China at the invitation of a Chinese Catholic organization. He leaves us with his impressions of the visit to China.
He visited China from July 1 to 5. He visited the Catholic Institute of New Philosophy in Beijing, the Foreign Language Institute in Anyang, Henan Province, Anyang Cathedral, and historical and cultural sites. He was accompanied by a professor from Anyang Normal College and director of the Henan Province Catholic Sinicization Research Center.
Another important purpose of this visit was to examine the efforts currently underway in China for Catholic Sinicization. The professor had great doubt about how much of the reality of 'Catholic Sinicization' he would get to know.
The Catholic New Philosophy Academy of China is a cradle of education for Chinese religious and clergy and is an educational institution equivalent to a major seminary in Korea. Anyang was called 'Yin Ruins' during the Shang Dynasty in China and is a historical city where royal tombs were located. The discovery of the 'oracle bone script' became a turning point for China’s transition from prehistoric times to historical times. Let’s examine how the Sinicization of Catholicism is unfolding through these special places and historical regions.
The China Catholic New Philosophy Academy has the Annunciation Cathedral in the center, modeled after the Temple of Heaven (Qiniandian) (祈年殿) in Beijing’s Tiantan Park, and four buildings (St. John’s Lecture Hall, St. James’s Training Hall, St. Peter’s Cathedral, and St. Joseph’s Library) surrounding it.
The Annunciation Cathedral, located in the center of the New Philosophy Academy, was a scaled-down version of the Qiniandian. The fact that it was built as a cathedral can be said to symbolize considerable meaning. It was a place where the emperor offered sacrifices to heaven every year, and the construction of such a symbolic building as a cathedral can be the result of the efforts to sinicize Catholicism. Similar to the missioner Matteo Ricci in the late Ming Dynasty who took off his clerical robe and changed into the robe of a nobleman for missionary work.
The next thing that caught his eye was the painting of the Last Supper. A painting of the Last Supper, with Jesus and the twelve disciples in Chinese clothing sitting around a table. On the left and right of the painting were signs that read “孝親尊師 (Be filial to your parents and respect your teachers)” and “知恩報恩 (Know kindness and repay kindness).” This could also be seen as a cross-section of Catholic Sinicization to express intimacy.
He would prefer to use ‘non-foreign religious painting’ instead of Sinicization.
On the second day of his visit, he visited the Henan Province Catholic Sinicization Research Center. He learned a lot about the Sinicization content through the guidebook there. It is worth noting that the logo of the Henan Province Catholic Sinicization Research Center has the oracle bone script ‘天’ (天) in the middle. This is because ‘天’ has both the meaning of establishing Anyang as the capital 3,000 years ago and the meaning of ‘lord of all things.’ At the same time, the word ‘Cheonju’ (Lord of the Heavens) itself, borrowed by Matteo Ricci, already has the meaning of the sinicization of Catholicism, as mentioned in the guidebook.
The head of the research center gave him the ‘Chronological Table of Chinese Catholic Dioceses’ as a gift as a research result of the sinicization of Catholicism. It was a table that was created so that the current dioceses and parish priests of China could be seen at a glance. This data is not yet known in Korea and will be very useful for researchers studying Chinese Catholicism and Korean church history in Korea.
On the third day of his visit to China, he visited the Catholic Church in Anyang City. This cathedral, which honors the Sacred Heart of Jesus as its patron saint, is the cathedral of the Anyang Diocese, where Bishop Zhang Yinlin (Joseph), who is recognized by both the Chinese government and the Pope, resides. Anyang Diocese was formerly called Weihui Diocese (衛辉教區) but is now called Anyang Diocese (安陽). The front of Anyang Diocese still remains as a concrete wall. This is because a priest who studied in Rome is currently working on creating a stone mosaic mural of the Bible in the form of an oracle bone script, but it is not yet finished. On one wall of the cathedral, a mural depicts a Bible verse using the oracle bone script characters ‘安’ and ‘家’. It is artistically unique. In some ways, he thought that this might be the most typical form of Catholic Chinese painting. He hopes the next time he visits Anyang Cathedral, a beautiful stone mosaic mural explaining the Bible in oracle bone script will greet him at the front of the cathedral.
His visit to China this time was a valuable opportunity to see something new. The term ‘Catholicism Sinicization’ is currently used a lot in China. However, he thinks that the term ‘Catholicism de-foreignization’ is more appropriate in terms of its meaning, although it is more complicated than ‘Catholicism Sinicization.’ In the past, the term ‘indigenization’ or ‘localization’ of Catholicism was used, but since these terms also have various meanings and can be confusing, he suggests another term be used for simplicity. The words ‘Catholicism Sinicization’ can easily be misinterpreted.
Why is it that he is happy and delighted at the changing appearance of the Chinese church, but on the other hand, when he hears that the walls of churches must be covered with the words “equality, freedom, reconciliation, civilization, democracy, and prosperity,” he feels uneasy? Is it because of his old age he feels like the controversy over rituals in China, which he thinks has not yet ended, overlaps? He cautiously hopes that the sinicization of Catholicism being promoted in China will bring peace and comfort to the Chinese people and establish itself as a religion that conveys the truth of salvation. Finally, he prays that the Lord’s abundant grace and good fortune will be with all those who helped him on this visit to China and with the entire Chinese church community.
