Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - ‘The Catholic Church and Modern China’ was the title of an International Colloquium held on 12 March at the Pontifical Urban University. Among the speakers Fr. Wilhelm K. Muller SVD an expert on mission in China, “a reference point for most Chinese people in Rome” according to Prof. Giovagnoli “. In his intervention Fr Muller launched a proposal to “form a group of priests or women religious to study history to create an archive on research on Catholicism in China. It would be good to prepare young Chinese people for historical research, because when they return to China this will be useful for their mission ”.
The event was promoted jointly by the Pontifical Urban University - Tian xia yi jia (Association founded in 1989 to promote Italian-Chinese relations) - the S. Egidio Community - Italian Ministry for Cultural Activities.
Mgr Ambrogio Spreafico rector of Urban University welcomed about 100 participants including many Chinese students, priests and religious and missionaries of various institutes and Prof. Agostino Giovagnoli, a lecturer at the Catholic University of Milan, gave the introductory speech. Talks were given by Fr. Műller on European Sources, Rev. Chan Kim-Kwong, a member of the Protestant Association of Hong Kong, spoke on Chinese Sources, Prof. Ren Yan-Li, researcher at the Beijing Social Academy for Studies on Christianity in China.
Fr. Műller presented European sources for research on Catholicism in chronological order, Holy See (Vatican Library, Propaganda Fide, Vatican Secret Archives up to 1939), archives of missionary institutes and letters of missionaries in China, with precise indications and suggestions. Fr. Műller’s proposal to form Chinese for study in Rome was welcomed by those present.
Rev. Chan presented information gleaned from local bulletins and newspapers in rural areas where Christian communities are most lively and active. “We were under the impression that between the years 1949 to 1978 no information on Christianity in China was produced. Instead these local channels of news offer a general and quite complete picture of that period… therefore China’s Christians did not disappear during the Chinese revolution. This explains why so many Christians began to appear from 1979 onwards”. Rev. Chan illustrated important sources of information in Hong Kong such as Holy Spirit Centre…
Fr. Ren said the Study of Christianity in China was an old theme with a new horizon. In China “it used to be part of studies in history, philosophy…and was never given proper careful study”. Today in China it is studied in four realities: academic, mainly Beijing Social Academy for Studies on Christianity and branches all over the country; university faculties opened in recent years with considerable international contact; political bodies under the guidance of the Chinese Religious Affairs Bureau; Christian publishers and institutes: Guang Qi publishers, Sapienza Publishing House and Beijing diocesan Institute for Studies in Culture and Catholicism.
The speakers all underlined that language can be an obstacle to research. After the presentations during question time, in reply to a question on the role of Chinese women religious and lay women in the life of the Church today, Fr Muller said: “the presence of numerous Chinese nuns here today is in itself a convincing proof of the indispensable role of women in the life of the Church”. (NZ)(Agenzia Fides 13/03/2007 Righe: 50 Parole: 616)
