Chinese ambassador to Italy says
'work going on to normalize
relations with the Vatican'
by Salvatore Izzo
VATICAN CITY, June 20 (Translated from AGI) - "Relations between Italy and China have never been better. And work is going on as well to normalize relations with the Vatican", according to the Chinese ambassador to Italy, Sun Yuxi, whop attended a special screening Friday of the docufilm, "Matteo Ricci: A Jesuit in the Kingdom of the Dragon".
Perhaps the most eloquent testimony of progress along that line was his presence at the screening alongside the Pope's private secretary,
Mons. Georg Gaenswein, and Cardinals Ivan Dias, Stanyslaw Rylko and Camillo Ruini.
After the screening, Ambassador Sun said in his remarks that "The Italian and Chinese governments are working on a series of initiatives to spread more information about Fr. Matteo Ricci (1552-1610), a historic personality known to practically all the Chinese, and whom I have studied myself through books and scholarly works. He had a noteworthy influence on initiating relationships between the West and China."
His words were echoed by the host for the event, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.
Celli called Ricci 'an emblematic figure', saying that the docufilm was "a recognition of Matteo Ricci's cultural contribution. He was the bridge that allowed China to know Europe and vice-versa."
Mons. Claudio Giuliodori, Bishop of Macerata and former spokesman of the Italian bishops conference, read the message sent by Pope Benedict XVI to the Diocese of Macerata last May at the start of the jubilee year 2009-2010 to mark the fourth centenary anniversary of Ricci's death, in which the Pontiff recalled "the farsighted work of inculturating Christianity in China" accomplished by the 18th-century Jesuit )a native of the central eastern Italian region of the Marche) in "constantly seeking contacts with China's scholars".
The Pope said that Ricci possessed 'the innovative and special ability' to approach Chinese cultural and spiritual traditions 'with full respect'. He said that this distinguished Ricci's mission "to harmonize the noble millennial Chinese civilization with the novelty of Christianity, which is a ferment for freedom and authentic renewal within every society" since the Gospel is "a universal message of salvation intended for all mankind, in any cultural or religious context".
For his part, Fr. Federico Lombardi, Vatican press director, said that the jubilee year for his fellow Jesuit "would be an occasion for contacts and deepening of relations between the Catholic Church and Chinese culture".
The 50-minute docufilm by veteran Kosovar director Gjon Kolndrekaj was shot completely in the Italian city of Macerata and in China, with the sponsorship of the Jesuit order and the approval of the Chinese government.
Kolndrekaj said, "I came to learn about Matteo Ricci in 1975 when I travelled to Beijing, after which I decided to dedicate myself to studying this great Italian missionary whom the Chinese call Li Madou. After dedicating years to deepening my knowledge of the three monotheistic religions, it was fascinating for me to consider this Catholic missionary adn Italian scholar who thoroughly engaged Oriental philosophy and thinking. I hope this film will help make him known to the larger public and not only to scholars and historians."
The docufilm is just one of the initiatives promoted by the Jesuits, as well as the Marche Region, the province and city of Macerata, and the University of Macerata, for the fourth centenary jubilee year honoring Ricci.
Many portraits exist of Fr. Ricci dressed as a Chinese scholar; upper right photo shows his tomb in Beijing, where
he died; the inset is the map of the world that he drew in 1600.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 20/06/2009 17:38]