Making Catholicism More Chinese

The Catholic Times had an article by a university professor, Chairman of the Asian Catholic History Research Association, on recent efforts of the Chinese government to strengthen the Chinese national identity with efforts in nationalism and making Catholicism more Chinese — 'Sinicize Catholicism'.

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.

Secular vs Sacred

The Catholic Peace Weekly's Faith Platform column had an interesting visit to Genoa Italy by a religious researcher who was visiting the ocean city while living in France with her husband, there because of his work. 

During her time in France, she visited the port city of Genoa in northern Italy several times. The city center of Genoa was connected like a maze by narrow alleys, that brought people and events to mind that had been interwoven throughout its long history. 

When one walks into these square-like spaces, more correctly large spaces, there is usually a church. The churches of Genoa were old buildings on a narrow alley and the interiors were colourful. It was probably the legacy of the Principality of Genoa, which built on its mighty naval power, which thrived in trade, and banking, with enormous wealth.

Because she spent a lot of time alone in Genoa, she found a laundry room, a good place to eat, and pray on the streets. She didn't have to hurry like a tourist. It was a new and enjoyable experience with the tension and solemnity of strange places. One of the most memorable places was the Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene.

One day as she walked along a narrow road, which was not very visible, between streets with many citizens, there were women in short dresses, as if waiting for somebody— everywhere. "Wow, I am in the wrong place," she thought and got out of the alley quickly with fear. She saw a small church at the end of the street. She hurried as if she had found a shelter,  a fresco filled the ceiling overwhelming her eyes. "Oh!" When she sat down with her eyes fixed on the ceiling, the confusion and fear she felt all disappeared. "This is  beautiful in such a remote place!" She wanted to know where she was and turned on the map app and checked the location, it was Magdalena Street, Magdalene Square.

Magdalene was a prostitute and was known for a long time as the woman who met Jesus and made atonement. The Catholic Church later rectified the misconception that Magdalene was a prostitute. It recognized her as a more faithful and courageous person than anyone who first announced the resurrection of Jesus. 

However, Magdalena would have been accepted as a symbol of atonement and forgiveness when the church was built. Later it was discovered that there was a long-standing border in the streets of Magdalena against the sailors, where a cathedral was first built in the 12th century. Then, at the end of the 16th century, the church was completely renovated, filled with golden ornaments and ceilings, and much of the money was donated by the women of the suburbs and the guests who visited them.

It's unclear how much of this is true, but it's certain that both the people living on Magdalena Street and those visiting it desperately sought redemption. Perhaps they wanted to maintain a thread of hope for atonement and forgiveness by placing the most sacred place in the most profane area. 

After walking for about 5-6 minutes from Magdalena Street, She found herself on Via Roma, lined with luxury boutiques. Seeing herself captivated by the glittering shop windows instead of frescoes, she thought— "This may be for me  the more profane and secular area of the two."

Going Beyond Faith As Habit

The recent Catholic Weekly reported on a parish community attempting to help young people deepen their faith life away from habit to understanding and participation. Below is a summary of the article.

The youth school has been open since May of last year thanks to the interest of the parish priest who felt a need for a learning center for doctrine and faith for young people. This is because young people who graduate from middle and high school Sunday school do not have many opportunities to learn about doctrine unless they collect information on their own or travel to find it.

The priest  who has been in charge of youth ministry at the parish and has listened to the voices of young people, said: "Young people these days are sensitive to justice and equality, so I am especially interested in the church’s  social doctrine." He went on to say, "I wanted to accompany young people who have limited leisure time due to work, study, and employment so that they can quench their religious thirst." 

The educational content is filled with topics that young people pay attention to because of the times. Last year, they learned a lot about moral theology, the death penalty, abortion, peace on the Korean Peninsula, and nuclear power plants. Young people recommended topics with an awareness of issues such as ‘How is human life dignified?’, ‘What kind of relationship should humans have with nature, which is also a child of God?’, and ‘How can we reconcile with North Korea, our closest neighbor?’ Accordingly, priests and religious with expertise in each field are invited to give special lectures.

Youth school was a time to revitalize and enrich the religious life that was often stale. In this year's third course, a special lecture on liturgy and sacred music received a great response. The  head of the youth school, said: "It was an opportunity to open my eyes to what I should focus on and what beautiful meaning the Mass contains which I  just thought I had to attend."

The values ​​pursued by youth schools are not just theory-centered education, but education that resonates with young people. In April, they had a field experience visiting the Korean Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas. The young people said: "Thanks for visiting a neighboring church that I would never normally visit, and learning from another's religious tradition."

In this way, the existence of a learning center that informs young people of the things they are truly curious about also serves as a good guide for young new believers who have never had in-depth contact with faith. This means that young people, for whom rational understanding is important, can accept church teachings and mysteries ‘as if they were their own’, which are difficult to blindly accept.

Another participant said:  "I was able to easily understand and learn about doctrines and various questions that could have been limited to simple knowledge."   Another who started attending church in March said: "For a catechumen, many things felt unfamiliar and complex, such as the Mass liturgy where you sit and stand repeatedly, or the Angelus prayer said three times a day." He continued: "Unlike back then, I developed a mindset of being grateful and cherishing how valuable the faith I had chosen was."

Positive Look At Pain

In the View from the Ark column of the Catholic Times, a college professor gives the readers some insight into pain from his reading in Hans Gadamer, a philosopher, raised as a Protestant, born in Germany in 1900 and died in 2002.  

Gadamer inherited the artistic passion and religious solidarity of his mother Johanna, who died when he was four years old, but his father, Johannes Gadamer, a chemist and pharmacist, did not understand this thinking.

One person is recuperating for several years due to a physical condition, and another suffers from a severe toothache. A woman is recovering after having her calcified gallbladder removed, and a person is receiving treatment for a curved spine. In Korea, doctors accompanying them are experiencing a huge conflict with the government regarding the number of seats in medical schools. How do we deal with those suffering?

Just before his death from lung cancer at the age of 61, his father was concerned about his son, who had received his doctorate at the young age of 22 and was pursuing his professorship, choosing Heidegger as his teacher. He had Heidegger come to the hospital where he was admitted and asked: "What can my son possibly do after studying like this?" Heidegger answered: "Your son is  outstanding... and he has already submitted his thesis to enter the professorship program." His father, who did not think that philosophy would help  his son to live, asked Heidegger again just before he left: "Do you truly believe that philosophy has the answers to life's questions?"  

However, Gadamer, unlike his father who chose the world of natural science, became a master in the principle of interpretation in the realm of philosophy, integrating artistic sensibility and mediating the wisdom and fulfillment of life to many people. His 1960 work 'Truth and Method' is considered a seminal piece that opened the horizon of existential hermeneutics.

When he was 100 years old, he gave a presentation on ‘pain’ at the Heidelberg Medical School in front of medical professionals. He said: "Pain first appears to me as an emotion that I cannot bear. There is always something completely unresolved that we must overcome. In this sense, pain is perhaps a tremendous opportunity finally imposed on us to resolve something. The most unique dimension of life can be anticipated in the very pain that one has not overcome."

He then spoke about the panacea of the pain process, which modern medicine finds difficult to provide. "Here, I also see the most dangerous thing of the technological age. That is, technology underestimates our strength and no longer demands that we fully exert our abilities. However, on the contrary, there is the joy of having done well and overcome and the joy of eventually feeling healthy again. The joy of having overcome and stayed awake, and the joy of being immersed in that wakefulness is the finest medicine nature has given us."

This corresponds to what Pope Francis said: "God has united us to all his creatures. Nonetheless, the technocratic paradigm can isolate us from the world that surrounds us and deceive us by making us forget that the entire world is a 'contact zone'."

For Gadamer, pain is an opportunity for one to save oneself. Pain is something that makes life healthy, a sense of vitality that 'can do', and allows one to experience their unique ability to achieve again. Therefore, the doctor does not exist to remove pain, but rather, it is necessary to support and accompany the person suffering from pain to become aware of the tremendous powers within themselves and to overcome pain to achieve another goal. 

What do your readers think? This is the question the writer leaves us. 

 

Synodalitas: "The Holy Spirit is Harmony"

 

"The Catholic Church should function like a choir where every member contributes his or her unique part to create a harmonious whole."These and similar words have been repeated often by Pope Francis.  

"The Church and other Churches and ecclesial communities are called to let themselves be guided by the Holy Spirit and to remain open, docile and obedient. It is he who brings harmony to the Church. Saint Basil the Great’s lovely expression comes to mind: “Ipse harmonia est”, The Holy Spirit himself is harmony."  (Pope's Homily Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Istanbul Sat. 29 Nov. 2014). Synodalitas is living this kind of life. 

The official logo of the 16th World Synod of Bishops, which the whole Catholic world is experiencing with different degrees of interest, shows the faith community walking under the large Tree of Life. All different and yet walk ‘together’ in the same direction. The past has not always been that way the future needs to be different all walking under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is what living synodalitas means.

In Asia, the Philosophies that have influenced the culture have been strongly for harmony—personal, family, social, and world harmony. Catholicism would have the same emphasis and orientation. The relationship with God would be harmony within oneself, with others and creation.

In Asia, the head/mind relationship is not what is experienced in the West. Nor is it the relationship we find in the Scriptures. Put simply, they are not separated. In Mark 12:30, Jesus tells us to love the Lord with “all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” In this commandment, Jesus puts loving God with the heart, soul, and strength on an equal level as loving God with the mind! They are all interconnected we are one. When one is overlooked the other relationship will suffer.

St. Paul said a prayer for the Ephesians: "that you may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:18-19). 

Today we hear a lot about 'Wholistic Thinking' in all fields of endeavor and this is true of Catholic Spirituality. The fact that we express the word itself with two different spellings is the head/heart dichotomy which appears often in our enlightened and scientific culture. They both have the same meaning with different semantic origins. 

If you look at the official logo released by the 16th World Synod of Bishops, you can see people walking in various ways under the large Tree of Life all in the same direction. Young and old, men and women, laypeople and religious, healthy people and the disabled, walking together without any order of importance.

Our focus on ‘walking together’ has two meanings. On the one hand, this may be a reflection that we have not been able to walk together as God's people, and on the other hand, it may be a resolution that we need to walk together and go in the same direction under the guidance of the Holy Spirit under the great tree of life. This is what living synodalitas looks like.

Catholic Catechism #2834 "Pray and Work." Pray as if everything depended on God and work as if everything depended on you.

The Lighthouse Is Always There

A researcher in Christian Thought has a reflection in the Catholic Peace Weekly on her stay in the  French port city of Le Havre.

 In 2021, after the coronavirus vaccine appeared and airport doors reopened, she left for the French port city of Le Havre, living the leisurely life of a full-time housewife, using the excuse of her husband's appointment as an expatriate worker. 

At a time when leisure was turning into boredom and laziness, she was intrigued that they were looking for someone to explain Le Havre's world cultural heritage in Korean, so she started receiving training. She wondered why this city, unlike other cities in France, is so crowded with square apartments and found the reason.

In September 1944, at the end of World War II, the Allied forces bombed this area, where German troops had already withdrawn, based on incorrect information, resulting in the deaths of over 5,000 of the 160,000 residents and the displacement of over 80,000 people. Auguste Perret, the architect who oversaw the post-war reconstruction of Le Havre, quickly created a modern residence using concrete,  his nickname, ‘the poet of concrete’. 

Among his buildings, the one that stands out most is St. Joseph's Cathedral, which boasts a height of 107 meters. This cathedral, which does not look like a religious building on the outside, resembles a lighthouse from the sea 60km away from the coast due to its size. Those who lost their lives and homes due to bombing for unknown reasons made this massive structure of 50,000 tons of concrete and 700 tons of molten iron a symbol of hope.

St. Joseph's Cathedral was built to comfort the workers who built and repaired ships in this old port city.  While all kinds of rare and luxurious things from around the world were brought into ports and transported to Paris along the Seine River, carpenters would have built and repaired ships for the well-being of those going out on rough seas. Saint Joseph, who comforted them through their hard labor, has now become a father who embraces those who suffer and groan from the absurdity and cruelty of war. It is said that Auguste Perret, an atheist, died shortly after being baptized after starting the construction of this cathedral. Did Perret, as a famous architect, feel so helpless in the face of the horrors of the war? He, too, may have been rebuilding the cathedral and longing for the love of a saint who silently illuminates the world like a lighthouse.

The teacher who taught her said he was going to St. Joseph's Cathedral with his high school students who were struggling with their identity as children of immigrants. For these children, most of whom are Muslim, the tall tower of this church, visible from anywhere in the city, symbolizes the people who persistently lived their daily lives despite the ruins of war. The teacher said that he tells the children to believe that the lighthouse will continue to shine and bravely move forward into the future like ships sailing into the open sea. 

St. Joseph's Cathedral conveys the same message to the writer, who was lost in the open sea while trying to escape further, leaving behind all the noisy events in Korea. We are never to drift in despair, the lighthouse is always there, so don’t look away, keep your eyes on the light, have courage, and come quickly.

World Church's Faith

The Catholic Peace Weekly has an article by a Korean resident living in the States and his reflection on attending a Korean Mass. 

There is no Korean Catholic church in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, where he lives. Koreans who continue their religious life here do so at their local American churches, but gather at the cathedral twice a month for a Korean-language Mass presided over by a Korean priest who comes from Nashville, two hours away.  Participating in a Korean Mass like this is a rare. He realizes once again the importance of a Korean Mass, which was so obvious when he lived in Korea ten years ago.

However, a sight slightly different from usual caught his eye on this day. Unfamiliar faces participated in the Mass. He couldn't tell if they were Americans or visitors from another country, but they were definitely foreigners and not Koreans, and they were attending our Korean Mass.

He was in charge of the commentary for Mass that day, and as he looked at them from the lectern he wondered who they were. In fact, this was especially true because there was no reason for people who did not understand Korean to participate in a Korean Mass.  Although they did not seem to understand Korean, they were very devout in participating in the Mass.

After Mass, he approached them and greeted them. They explained that they came to the cathedral to pray and participated after seeing a Korean Mass being offered. Although they did not understand the content, they could feel the presence of God and left the cathedral saying thanks for the welcome.

As he watched people offering Mass in an incomprehensible language but with devotion, he felt the power of the Holy Spirit in achieving unity. It is a great thing to say Mass in your native language, but he thought that sometimes there is something to be gained by participating in Mass in an unfamiliar language.

Even at Mass in Korean, which they did not understand, they would confess their faith together in their own language, say the Lord's Prayer, pray for peace, and participate together in the mystery of the Eucharist. How much is the power of the united faith of the church?  realized once again how universal it was.

He had the opportunity to participate in the multicultural, multilingual Rosary event hosted by the Diocese of Knoxville in 2021. On that day, he participated as a representative of the Korean speakers, and his role was to sing the 'Glory be' at the end of each decade in Korean. On that day, people of many different nationalities gathered together, and he later found out that they prayed the rosary together in as many as 14 languages.

It was a little special because each person offered it in their own language. For example, the Lord's Prayer was said in English, the Hail Mary was said in turns in several languages, and the 'Glory Be' said in Korean. Those who participated were able to have the rare experience of hearing the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, and 'Glory Be' offered in a language they did not understand, but praying in unison in their hearts in their own language. It was a day when the exclamation of the disciples at the time of the descent of the Holy Spirit, “What is happening, that each of us hears in the language of his native country?” (Acts 2:8), was truly a day.

The more thought he gives to the situation the more mysterious and surprising it becomes. At this moment, in Korea, the United States, and countless other places the Mass is being offered every day in all languages, people are reading the same Bible, receiving the Eucharist together, praying, and praising God all together!

Although his own faith is insignificant, the unified ‘faith of the church’ is truly beautiful, amazing, and great. He finds great comfort in that. This may be why we pray like this every time during Mass. Lord! Do not count our sins, but look at the church's faith and make it peaceful and united according to your will. Amen!