Fides News - English

Cardinal Chow at the Conference on the first Chinese bishops: an “intercultural” approach can support the journey of Catholics in today’s China

Fri, 06 Nov 2026 14:00:02 +0100

Rome – – For Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau Yan, Bishop of Hong Kong, the anniversaries the Church in China is marking this year call for a reflection on formation. Speaking at the international conference held on 5 November at the Pontifical Urbaniana University for the centenary of the episcopal consecration of the first six Chinese bishops by Pius XI, the cardinal delivered an important reflexion. He examined the notions of inculturation and Sinicization and then proposed interculturality as the framework for the formation of clergy, religious and laity in China.

His starting point was historical. The consecration of 28 October 1926 in St. Peter's Basilica "marked the beginning of the indigenization of the Catholic Church in China", he recalled, and led to the establishment of the Chinese hierarchy by Pius XII in 1946 with the apostolic constitution Quotidie Nos, placing the Chinese Church "on equal footing with others in the Universal Church". However, in his words, "these institutional developments did not, by themselves, resolve the continuing challenge of forming Catholics whose faith is deeply rooted in Chinese cultural life, while staying in communion with the universal Church."

The double anniversary, the centenary of 1926 and the 80th of the hierarchy, may therefore mark, according to the jesuit cardinal, "an important milestone for the Church in China and the Universal Church to start discerning on the formation of the clergy, religious, and laity in China through synodal dialogue". He then asked how such formation could be imagined, "considering the history of the Church in China and the current government policy of religions in China". The aim he set out is a formation that meets "the needs of being a universal-local Church and a religious faith that can be readily embraced by the Chinese as one of theirs". He gave the example of Buddhism in China, while specifying that "Christianity is distinctively different from Buddhism".
Cardinal Chow then examined three notions, presented as "ideas that are not totally new but have already caught the attention of scholars in China".
The first is inculturation, which he described as "a two-way, ongoing dialogue where the Gospel transforms a culture while allowing local cultural values and expressions to enrich the life of the Church". He cited the Chinese Rites and depictions of Mary and her Son in Chinese attire as examples. He also pointed to its limits: inculturation "raises two related problems, that of the evangelization of cultures and that of the cultural understanding of the Gospel without the integral participation of faith".
The second notion is Sinicization. The cardinal described the policy of the Chinese Communist Party, which under President Xi Jinping has formally emphasized the "Sinicization of religion" as a national policy requiring religions, Catholicism included, "to align with CCP's ideology and socialist values, and the spirit of patriotism". He recalled that Xi described this policy as "the only way" to ensure the country's long-term stability. He mentioned the redesign of places of worship, such as mosque domes replaced by Chinese roofs, and referred to scholars who argue that current campaigns concern less Han cultural assimilation than "Zhongguohua", understood as “Chinafication” or political alignment with the Party-State. On this point he offered his own assessment: "Being patriotic and faithful believers, may help the government to exercise desirable governance for all those who dwell in China insofar that is feasible and appropriate."
Interculturality, the third notion, is the one on which the cardinal built his proposal. Drawing on academic definitions, he presented it as the "co-construction and negotiation of meanings, attitudes, and perspectives" in intercultural encounters, in which participants "open themselves to be influenced or even transformed by other traditions" and examine their own ethnocentrism. He linked this approach to Joseph Ratzinger, who, in an address delivered in Hong Kong in 1993, advocated intercultural dialogue over inculturation. According to Cardinal Chow, the future Benedict XVI saw interculturality - interculturality « grounded on the universality of natural law and human reason, and a culture of faith in every culture where encounters can take place » - as a platform where cultures and religious traditions meet and "engage in mutual correction". Understood in this way, he observed, interculturality "shares similarities with Synodality promoted by our Church".
From there he drew the consequences for formation. Intercultural formation, he explained, "takes seriously the Christian faith and the state policy since both shape the circumstances of the Chinese Catholics", and raises the question of "what being a faithful Catholic who is patriotic towards his or her country could be like". He described a method based on "intentional dialogues of sincere speaking, empathic listening, identifying converging interests of the common good", which allows differences to be held "with respect for later actions", and noted that "differences that contribute to tensions are often needs unrecognized nor met". Such formation should help learners become aware of "their own blind spots" and look for shared desires in order to "create an alternative pathway to address the gaps or tensions productively". Recalling the Chinese Rites controversy as "a painful process in history but with helpful outcomes even until today", he added: "However, the dialogue may not be over."
The cardinal also referred to the experience of his diocese, where parishes have been asked to use the "Conversation in the Spirit" method to draw up their own three-year plans. As reported by some parishes, he said, it was "an eye-opening experience with greater sense of ownership for the parishioners". He concluded that, through intercultural formation, clergy, religious and lay people "will be equipped with the know-how for them to 'become authentic' Catholics and nationals at the same time".

Cardinal Parolin at the Conference on the First Chinese Bishops: ecclesial communion is the “fundamental guiding principle” of the Holy See’s work

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 23:25:11 +0100

Rome – We publish the text of the address delivered by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, at the international conference entitled “The Face of the Universal Church in China: 100 Years Since the Consecration of the First Chinese Bishops” .

§§§

Your Eminences,
Dear brothers in the Episcopate,
Dear priests, men and women religious, and seminarians,
Distinguished speakers,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with great joy that I join you today in commemorating the centenary of the consecration of the first six Chinese Bishops. Strictly speaking, they were the first of the modern era, following the isolated case of Gregory Luo Wenzhao in 1685.
Today’s occasion is made all the more joyful by the presence among us of two brother Bishops from the People’s Republic of China: His Excellency Monsignor Joseph Li Shan, Archbishop of Beijing, and His Excellency Monsignor Ignatius Ding Zuyao, who was recently ordained Bishop of Haimen, one of the sees entrusted to the pastoral care of the prelates ordained in 1926.
I would like to take this opportunity to mention their names: Joseph Hu Ruoshan, Apostolic Vicar of Taizhou; Simon Zhu Kaimin, Apostolic Vicar of Haimen; Philip Zhao Huaiyi, Apostolic Vicar of Xuanhua; Melchior Sun Dezhen, Apostolic Prefect of Lixian; Odoric Chen Hede, Apostolic Prefect of Puqi; and Louis Chen Guodi, Apostolic Vicar of Fenyang.
Their consecration undoubtedly marked a decisive turning point in the history of the Catholic mission in China. It was also a moment of particular significance in expressing the bond between the universal Church and the local Church: having embraced the faith in their respective places of origin, the six newly appointed Pastors, after a long journey, received the fullness of the priesthood directly from the hands of the Successor of Peter, only to be sent back to their homeland with the mission of tending Christ’s flock and further proclaiming the Gospel.
To fully appreciate the significance of this event and the ecclesiological meaning it embodies, it is worth briefly considering the decisions and vision of the man who was the driving force behind its realization.

Indeed, it was the resolute intervention of Pope Pius XI, at the beginning of 1926, that gave decisive impetus to the preparations for the ordination of the first Chinese Bishops in Rome. By resolving certain concerns that had arisen during consultations with the missionaries and in the deliberations of the Roman Curia, Pope Ratti personally made clear his decision to entrust six circumscriptions in the country, some of which had been established specifically for the occasion, to local bishops. “His Holiness decided that we must move forward without hesitation, because otherwise, we will never achieve anything good or solid.” These words, expressed by Cardinal van Rossum, then Prefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith , describe the firm position expressed by Pius XI during the audience granted to him on the matter on 4 February of that year.
Indeed, even a brief historical examination reveals the central role played by the Pope’s decisions and by the Pontiff himself in the events that led to the consecration, in the Vatican, of the first Chinese prelates.

Several factors helped shape Pius XI’s vision of the future of missionary activity and deepen his affection for the Asian continent and for what was then commonly referred to as the Far East.
First and foremost, the awareness of the universal character of the Catholic Church was being challenged, during the 1920s, by the profound changes brought about by the experience of the First World War. The memory of that immense tragedy had left deep marks on civil society, international relations and, above all, intellectual thought, both secular and religious.
As early as 1919, in his Apostolic Letter Maximum illud, regarded as the Magna Carta of contemporary Catholic missionary activity, Benedict XV had given a renewed impetus to the Church’s mission in the aftermath of the war.
The document highlighted three key points: the rejection of colonialism, including criticism of the connection that had, to some extent, developed between foreign missions and the national interests of Western powers; the promotion of the local indigenous clergy, so that the Church would not be perceived as foreign anywhere; and the neessary evangelical dimension of the mission, with the mandate not to “spread the kingdom of men, but that of Christ”.

On this basis, during the subsequent pontificate of Pius XI, the pax christiana – which, since the nineteenth century, the Church had championed in Europe as a corrective to the growing violence of class conflict – was given a broader meaning. It was no longer confined to a social and Eurocentric perspective but was extended to the wider context of the international community, thereby embracing the question of peaceful coexistence among different nations and cultures.
In Pius XI’s vision, the gradual crisis of the Old Continent, of which the Great War had been a striking manifestation, called for a response grounded in universal openness towards other peoples, who, too, were destined to become part of the Kingdom of Christ and the peace that would flow from it.

As a result, the renewed missionary impetus that had been gathering strength since the beginning of the century was reorganised under the pontificate of Pope Ratti, in accordance with new sensibilities and new guiding principles.
One of the most significant features of this development was the changing appreciation of non-European peoples, particularly those of Asia.
Indeed, in the homily he delivered on October 28, 1926, on the occasion of the ordination of the six Chinese Bishops, the Pontiff expressed genuine esteem” for China, describing it as "boundless regions where, since the remotest antiquity, literature and the arts have flourished”.
This represented a radically different outlook from that conveyed by the expression “populi in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedentes” , which until then had also shaped, within Catholic circles, the prevailing perception of non-Christian civilizations.

While keeping missionary activity firmly focused on the proclamation of the faith and the name of Christ, this renewed perspective paved the way for a transition from a concept based on the assumption that there was only one truly developed civilization – which therefore had to be exported and transmitted – to one recognizing a plurality of civilizations, each possessing its own intrinsic, albeit imperfect, validity and therefore calling for a more complex effort of mutual encounter and dialogue.
This innovative missionary model was adopted and authoritatively set forth in the Encyclical Rerum Ecclesiae, promulgated by Pius XI on February 28, 1926, just a few months before the six Chinese Bishops arrived in Rome for their consecration. The document clearly sets out several fundamental principles of the Catholic mission which, although they may seem self-evident today, were genuinely innovative at the time: the local clergy were no longer regarded as merely an auxiliary element, but were entrusted with full responsibility for ecclesiastical governance; the formation of indigenous Bishops became a structural objective and a necessary condition for the future stability of the Church; local religious congregations were called upon to become an integral part of this project, ensuring a widespread missionary organization; finally, greater awareness emerged of the importance of understanding local ways of thinking and valuing local culture in order to transmit the faith effectively.

In this respect, the mission in China became a driving force and a pioneering example for other regions, both in Asia and on other continents, which soon adopted the same missionary model. The response in China to the decisions taken by Pius XI was indeed enthusiastic, as evidenced by a report sent to Propaganda Fide on August 18, 1926 by Monsignor Celso Costantini, then Apostolic Delegate in Beijing: “The Encyclical Rerum Ecclesiae, […] the appointment of the six Chinese Bishops and their consecration in Rome have made a profound impression: it is as though an electric shock had passed through the missions, awakening hearts and setting them on a new path. […] With the appointment of the six Chinese Bishops, the Pope has definitively brought one historical period to a close and inaugurated another.”

The Pope’s missionary foresight and pastoral determination thus played a decisive role in the successful outcome of the events surrounding the first six Chinese Bishops of the modern era. However, a reading of the brief homily he delivered on October 28, 1926 also reveals, beyond any doubt, the personal and deeply spiritual bond he sought to establish with these first sons of the Chinese nation to be raised to the dignity of the episcopate.
First of all, the Pope explained that he had chosen to hold the celebration on the very same day on which, seven years earlier, he himself had received episcopal consecration. He described this coincidence as “a most precious favour”, for which he would always remain grateful to God.
He then placed particular emphasis on the symbolic significance of the setting he had chosen for the rite: “We summoned you, in fact, to this city, the centre of the Christian religion, so that you, whom we consecrate in the august majesty of this temple dedicated to Peter, as the first fruits and budding shoots of the Chinese episcopate, […] might return from here to your own regions; from here, we say, from where the source of all apostolic ministry flows.”
Finally, he expressed in deeply affectionate terms the bond of faith forged by that occasion: “You have come, venerable Brothers, to see Peter. […] And Peter has welcomed you with such great affection.”
It is clear that, in the Pontiff’s intention, this moment of such great significance was not merely an expression of a wise strategy for missionary organization. Rather, it was conceived as a means of expressing a deeper and more fundamental reality: the bond between the Successor of Peter and the Successors of the Apostles, in China as in every corner of the world. This bond is a constitutive element of the life of the Church, indispensable to the proclamation of Christ and a defining criterion for recognizing the apostolic character of the Church’s Gospel witness.

From the very first centuries of the ecclesial community’s life, the pope and the bishops have been joined by a bond rooted in Christ’s mandate and nurtured in the communion of the Spirit. Just as Peter was called to strengthen his brothers, so too is the successor of Peter a visible sign of unity for the pastors of the Church. The Bishops, dispersed throughout the various lands of the world, remain united with one another and with the Pope in the same faith, the same mission and the same charity.
There are many Churches, and many are the voices and faces of the peoples of the world; yet there is only one Body of Christ, which all are called to serve.
Within this wondrous divine design, the Petrine primacy and the mission of the Bishops are certainly not opposing realities: they belong to one and the same ecclesial communion. As members of the College of Bishops, the Bishops share responsibility not only for the pastoral care of their own dioceses but also for the entire Church – the sollicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum .
In the Bishop of Rome, moreover, this universal solicitude takes on a particular intensity, since it is united to the supreme, full, universal and immediate pastoral power over the whole Church, conferred by Christ.
The ministry of the Successor of Peter, therefore, is not exercised in relation to the individual particular Churches as an external authority intervening from outside; rather, it belongs intimately to their very ecclesial life.
Far from being a form of political hegemony, this inherent presence of the Petrine ministry within every portion of the People of God manifests a wonderful, reciprocal interiority between the universal Church and the particular Churches. They are not separate or merely juxtaposed realities, but intimately interconnected dimensions of the one Church of Christ. As the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium states: “In virtue of this catholicity each individual part contributes through its special gifts to the good of the other parts and of the whole Church. Through the common sharing of gifts and through the common effort to attain fullness in unity, the whole and each of the parts receive increase.”

On the basis of these theological principles, the bond established so visibly and symbolically between Pius XI and the first six Chinese Bishops also offers an eloquent reminder for our own times.
In this regard, I believe that at least two points for reflection can be identified.
What took place a hundred years ago first and foremost brings into sharp focus the question of communion between the Pope and the Catholic Bishops in China. The Holy See has always regarded this as a fundamental guiding principle – perhaps the decisive criterion above all others – in directing its work.
From those luminous beginnings on October 28, 1926 to the present day, throughout the complex events that have repeatedly shaped the course of world history, every step taken by the Apostolic See towards China has been intended to offer and safeguard this relationship of communion and effective communication.
This is based on certain essential criteria: the necessity that individuals truly desire such communion, and that the external conditions exist for it to be expressed; the awareness that communication between the Bishops and the Pope “must not take up the political struggle in its own hands in order to bring about a more just society; it cannot and must not take the place of the State; but neither can it nor must it remain on the sidelines in the struggle for justice”; and, finally, the conviction that, in the eyes of the Pope, all the baptized are equally his children, whatever choices they may feel called upon in conscience to make within their concrete historical and political circumstances. In this regard, the words of Pope Francis, written in 2018 following the signing of the Provisional Agreement on the appointment of Bishops, are particularly significant. They bear witness to the joy and pastoral concern with which the Pontiff nurtured his bond with his brothers and sisters living in China: “I would like you to know that, ever since I was entrusted with the Petrine ministry, I have found great consolation in seeing the sincere desire of Chinese Catholics to live their faith in full communion with the universal Church and with the Successor of Peter.”
It is from this conviction, I believe, that our hope for the future also stems: that the communion which today undoubtedly exists in its essential form between the Pope and all the Bishops in the People’s Republic of China may, through a gradual and shared journey, find ever more concrete ways of expressing itself, being nurtured and growing stronger.

A second point for reflection concerns the effects produced by this bond of communion.
On the day of the consecration of the six Bishops, Pius XI concluded his homily with a mandate expressed in particularly forceful terms: “The words of Christ the Lord may rightly be addressed to you also, at this solemn hour, by the Vicar of Christ: ‘Lift up your eyes and look upon the regions – those vast regions of yours – which are already white for the harvest’; and again: ‘Go, also into my vineyard’; and furthermore: ‘Go forth, preach, teach, baptize, bless. For I have chosen you so that you may go and bear fruit, and that your fruit may endure.’”
This was a mandate which, in a sense, transcended the immediate circumstances to mark the beginning of a broader transition: although the work of Western missionaries continued for a long time to make an invaluable contribution to the growth of the Church in China, a new era of responsibility for local Catholics began at that moment.
Exactly one hundred years after that day, sharing the same joy as Pius XI, we too can affirm that today the Chinese Catholics themselves, and their Bishops in particular, are called to be the principal agents of the mission in China.
It is their privilege and responsibility to take up the legacy of this historical journey, becoming protagonists in the life of the Church and promoting, with ever-renewed zeal, the evangelization of their homeland. This is why the Holy See regards them and the people entrusted to their pastoral care with such deep affection, and remains wholeheartedly willing to accompany and support them along this path.

Communion and mission are therefore inseparable dimensions of ecclesial life, today as in the past, in China as throughout the rest of the world. Without the impetus of mission, communion remains static and may even risk fading away; without the vital bonds of communion, on the other hand, mission becomes dispersed into a thousand sterile streams.
As I draw this brief historical overview to a close, I wish to repeat the words with which Pope Leo, a few days ago, marked the centenary of World Mission Sunday, established by Pius XI himself. I make these words my particular wish for the future of the Church in China:
“At the heart of mission lies the mystery of union with Christ. Before his Passion, Jesus prayed to the Father: ‘so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us’ . These words reveal the deepest desire of the Lord Jesus and, at the same time, the very identity of the Church, the community of his disciples: to be a communion that springs from the Trinity and lives from and within the Trinity, at the service of fraternity among all human beings and harmony with all creatures. […]
The unity of the disciples is not an end in itself: it is directed towards mission. Jesus states this clearly: ‘So that the world may believe that you sent me’ . It is through the witness of a reconciled, fraternal and supportive community that the proclamation of the Gospel finds its full communicative power.”

Pope Leo XIV at the Conference on the first Chinese Bishops: Communion blossoms from the faith of the Apostles

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:13:24 +0100

Rome - We publish the text of the video message of Pope Leo XIV to the international conference "The face of the universal Church in China. 100 years since the consecration of the first Chinese Bishops" .

§§§

Dear brothers and sisters,

I am pleased to address all of you, participants in the conference entitled “The Universal Face of the Church in China.” It is dedicated to the story of the first Chinese Catholic bishops consecrated in modern times, who received episcopal ordination in St. Peter’s Basilica at the hands of Pope Pius XI one hundred years ago, on October 28, 1926.

Their consecration was an event of great significance, not only for the journey of the Catholic Church in China but also for the universal Church, as the title of your conference suggests.

They had set sail from Shanghai to receive episcopal ordination from the Successor of Peter, and we might summarize the sentiments that inspired them on that journey with the words of St. John of Avila: “If you send me, Lord, to do what you have done, give me your heart” .

In their journey, we see a metaphor for the long path traveled by the Catholic Church in China up to that day, the fruit of the great missionary zeal characteristic of the 1920s.

In 1919, in the Apostolic Letter Maximum illud, Pope Benedict XV reaffirmed the clear principle that the Church’s missionary work cannot be confused with processes of colonization or the export of ideas or cultural models. The seed of the Gospel, in fact, is meant to grow wherever it is sown—not through human strategies, but by the grace of God. And the Church, which is born of mission and the first proclamation of the Gospel, is happy to take on the characteristics and nuances of the people and nations among whom she is called to bear witness to Christ in charity.

In 1924, at the Council of Shanghai—the first General Council of the Church in China—the urgent need arose to entrust the leadership of communities and ecclesiastical districts to native Chinese priests and bishops as soon as possible. The missionary bishops themselves—all from other countries—had championed this request under the far-sighted guidance of the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Celso Costantini. It was necessary to initiate and foster that process in order to remain faithful to the very nature of the Church, whose unity is not uniformity but communion in diversity .

Within the People of God, shared faith embraces differences, taking on—whenever possible—the characteristics of individuals and peoples with a broad perspective that mirrors God’s way of acting, as He calls each person with their own unique qualities. Thus, the Church lives among the peoples with friendship and sympathy for their hopes and noble aspirations. The Church Fathers already bore witness to this, noting with joy that faith in Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit make people from different—and sometimes distant—cultures, languages, civilizations, and nations brothers and sisters.

In this regard, recently, referring to the great missionary bishop Saint Toribio de Mogrovejo, I had the opportunity to emphasize that no shepherd in the Church can claim the mission for himself alone, but receives and carries it out in communion, united with the Successor of Peter and with all the other Successors of the Apostles: the bishops scattered throughout the world .

In this light, it is moving to think of our six future bishops, who traveled from Shanghai all the way to Rome to receive episcopal ordination at the tomb of the Apostle Peter. They crossed the globe to bear witness to the communion that blossoms from the faith of the Apostles, whose indispensable sign is the unity of every single bishop with the Bishop of Rome.

It is a beautiful, gratuitous, and comforting sign; a liberating bond; a closeness that instills confidence; and above all, a manifestation of the mystery of the Mystical Body of Christ, which, as Saint Paul VI wrote in the Credo of the People of God, “has no other life than that of grace.” Herein lies the uniqueness of the Church compared to all other social and political systems and organizations that shape and regulate societies and the coexistence of peoples.

Pope Benedict XVI, in his Letter to Chinese Catholics , wrote that “the Catholic Church in China, by a special grace of the Holy Spirit, has never been deprived of the ministry of legitimate shepherds who have preserved the apostolic succession intact” .

His words were followed by those of Pope Francis: “Chinese Catholics, in communion with the Bishop of Rome, walk through the present time. In the context in which they live, they bear witness to their faith through works of mercy and charity, and through their witness they make a real contribution to social harmony and to the building up of our common home” .

Thus, as often happens in the long history of the Church, looking to the past can shed light on the present. One hundred years ago, the journey of six men—who traveled from China to Rome to become bishops of the Catholic Church—kindled joy and pride in so many of their compatriots, consigning mistrust, suspicion, and hostility to oblivion. Today, in a world torn apart by conflicts and overwhelmed by wars, the Bride of Christ continues that same mission, praying that, in the face of every threat, the Lord may preserve the treasure of ecclesial communion, a fruitful source of goodness and peace for all.

Dearest friends, I wish you success in your work and I cordially bless you.

Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King: “Jesus did not ask us to feel sympathy for our enemies, but to love them”

Sun, 01 Nov 2026 19:46:45 +0100

by Marie-Lucile Kubacki

Salt Lake City -On the sidelines of the G20 Interfaith Forum, taking place in Salt Lake City from October 15 to 17, 2026, Fides news agency spoke with Martin Luther King III, son of the famous pastor and civil rights leader, and his wife, Arndrea Waters King, a social justice activist and president of the Drum Major Institute. In this interview, they discuss the role of religious leaders in addressing divisions, loving one’s enemies, and the spiritual legacy of nonviolence.

During the G 20 Interfaith forum, you said that faith leaders had the most important role to play. Why do you believe that, and how can they play this role?

Martin Luther King III: I think faith leaders have always had the pulse of the public, and people are looking to them for integrity. They are looking for unity; they are looking for a message that everyone can support. So I believe faith leaders have a special calling. Because of that, they are in a very unique role. As a result, their words can bring us together, or they can create division. In some cases, they have created more division. But when that role is used to its fullest, it creates something amazing — the beloved community, I would say.
Your father’s commitment to non-violence was deeply rooted in his Christian faith. How can love for the enemy be possible?

Martin Luther King III: I have a unique circumstance: my dad was killed when I was ten years old, and my grandmother was killed when I was sixteen. Yet I had to learn not to hate. I had to learn to love because I had examples of love and forgiveness. I cannot tell anyone they should do that. I can only share my story and say, “This worked for me. Maybe you ought to consider it also in your life,” because it is more redeeming than the opposite, which would be to remain bitter your whole life.
Arndrea Waters King: I will give two practical ways of doing that. Number one: Dr King talked about separating the evil act from the individual. There are actions that you do not like. You find a way to separate the act from the individual. That is number one, and then you stand against that act. Number two: he talked a lot about being glad that Jesus did not say to like your enemies. He said, “Love your enemies.” We have talked about the fact that, when we are talking about love, we are talking about the highest level, which is not sentimental at all. It is an acknowledgement. That is the love we are talking about. He went on to say, “I am so glad that we were not instructed to like our enemies, because there are some people I just will not like.” When I hear Martin Luther King Jr say that, it makes me feel a little bit better. He goes on to say, “I am not going to like the person who bombed my house. I am not going to like the person who bombed the church and killed four innocent kids.” There are some people we are not going to like, but we are not called to like everyone. We are called to love. Again, love means understanding that it is not sentimental; it is an acknowledgement. And we go back to the fact that we separate the evil act from the individual.

You have continued your parents’ struggle against racism and violence. From your experience, how can the Christian faith guide the response to those who suffer violence and racism?

Martin Luther King III: The first thing is that you have to acknowledge the truth, acknowledge that there is a problem. Often, we just go along: “Well, we do not want to talk about race. We do not want to talk about these wrong things.” It is said that a people who do not remember their history are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. The Ecclesial Communities have to say, “No, we are going to have these very difficult conversations.” Because the only way you can address something is first to acknowledge that it exists. Once you have acknowledged it, you can begin a strategic focus to address it.

Arndrea Waters King: One of the things I would like to remind people of is that one of Martin Luther King Jr’s greatest inspirations was Howard Thurman. Howard Thurman was a beautiful Christian mystic. In fact, when Martin Luther King Jr travelled, he would always have his travel Bible and one other book. It was a book written by Howard Thurman, called Jesus and the Disinherited. That whole notion is about Jesus, Christianity and the oppressed, and how Jesus is always on the side of the oppressed. It talks about social justice and the call for people of faith — why and how to be involved.

How do you view the growing use of religious arguments in nationalist rhetoric ?

Martin Luther King III: In a sense, it feels segregated. Yes, you do separate to move to a higher level, but segregation and nationalism, to me, are not the highest level we can reach. They create more division and, again, segregation, rather than what my father would have defined as the beloved community. It also has remnants of racism. We need to be moving away from racism, not towards racism and segregation.
Arndrea Waters King: When you really look at the philosophy of Martin Luther King Jr and Reverend C. T. Vivian, for whom I worked, who was a Christian minister, it is about the very notion of all of us coming together, standing together, working together. The civil rights movement was multicultural and multireligious, and obviously many of the ministers were Christian ministers. We were talking earlier about the concept of love. When you look at the example of Jesus Christ, if you are really understanding those messages I find it very challenging to find that voice of Christ, that voice of love, that voice of unity, within the philosophy of Christian nationalism and excluding others. We were talking earlier about the different levels of love that Martin Luther King discussed, going from the basic level that he said none of us should embrace: utilitarian love, where you only love something as long as it is useful to you. Then there is friendship love. He said that is not the highest level of love, because you love your friends because your friends love you. Humanitarian love is a beautiful love, but it is not the highest level, because, he said, you run the risk of loving everything in general and nothing in particular. Romantic love, as wonderful as it is, is not the highest level. Then, of course, he talked about a mother’s love, but the highest love is agape. That love is based on the interconnectedness of all of us as humanity. That is how we go about building the beloved community. It is about taking the sentimentality out and raising love to this highest level, which is an acknowledgement: acknowledging that we are all children of God and seeing our reflection everywhere we go, and that we are all interconnected because we were all created by the Creator.

What does that look like practically for faith leaders when division starts to seep into their churches or local communities?

Arndrea Waters King: Last year, we had the unique privilege of attending the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. One of the things that struck us both was that there is a Nobel Museum covering all the Nobel laureates. We found out that the exhibit on Martin Luther King Jr is the most visited exhibit among all the laureates. I do not say that from a place of pride. I believe it points to that message again: there is this quest and this hunger for that message, and that message is one of unity and of all of us coming together. So I think it is for all people of goodwill to continue to turn back to that.
As we were also talking about earlier, Martin Luther King Jr’s last book was Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? I do not know anyone in this world who has not felt touched by chaos in the last few years. Now it is time for all of us to build community. But it is also a reminder that each of us has a unique, prominent and irreplaceable role in building that beloved community. It is time for each of us to find that role and be part of building the beloved community.

VATICAN - "The love of Christ sends us forth (cf. 2 Cor 5:14)": the theme of the next World Mission Day 2027

Sat, 31 Oct 2026 13:28:55 +0100

Vatican City – “The love of Christ sends us forth” is the theme chosen by Pope Leo XIV for the 101st World Mission Day, which will be celebrated on Sunday, 24 October 2027. It speaks to the very heart of the Christian mission: the love of Christ, when received and lived out, becomes the driving force for proclaiming the Gospel and being a neighbor to everyone.
As the Holy Father recalled in his Message for World Mission Day 2026, “if unity is the condition of mission, love is its essence.” Indeed, the Church’s mission arises from the love of God revealed in Jesus Christ, is nourished by our encounter with Him, and takes the form of a concrete witness to fraternity, closeness and service.
Christ’s love does not leave us indifferent, but urges us to go beyond ourselves, to reach out to others and, above all, to reach out to those who are lonely, poor or suffering.
In preparation for World Mission Day 2027, the Holy Father’s Message will be published at the start of next year, and it will guide the reflection, outreach and missionary formation of Christian communities.
On this journey, the four Pontifical Mission Societies — the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Holy Childhood Association, the Society of Saint Peter the Apostle and the Pontifical Missionary Union — play a vital role in fostering a missionary awareness and sense of responsibility among the baptized, from the very youngest to adults, and in promoting a universal network of prayer, formation and charity in support of evangelization and the young Churches.
Each in its own specific way, and all together, they contribute to nurturing the missionary spirit among the People of God and to supporting the new particular Churches .

VATICAN - "Church of Rome, Missionary Church": Cardinal Reina opens the Urbaniana's Academic Year

Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:35:13 +0100

Rome – "The Gospel reaches Rome so that from Rome it may keep on running." Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome, reflected on the missionary vocation of the Church of Rome in the inaugural lecture that opened the 2026–2027 Academic Year on Thursday, October 29, in the Aula Magna of the Pontifical Urbaniana University.

In his lecture, entitled "Church of Rome, Missionary Church," Cardinal Reina traced a path from the New Testament to Pope Leo. He explained that already in the Acts of the Apostles, Rome is where the journey of the Word arrives in the story, and also where it sets out again: the book closes with Paul in the capital of the empire, proclaiming the Kingdom "with all boldness and without hindrance." Rome's missionary face, indeed, goes back to its origins: around the year 200, as Benedict XVI recalled during a general audience in 2009, a Roman priest named Gaius could already invite visitors to see 'the trophies of those who founded this Church' the tombs of Peter on the Vatican Hill and of Paul on the Ostian Way, where the two basilicas still stand today/ Referring to the Council's decree Ad Gentes, the Vicar recalled that every particular Church is also sent to the non-believers living within its territory. For Rome, this means mission cannot be reduced to multiplying religious presences, because the Gospel must meet the real life of the city.
The Cardinal then reviewed what the Popes have taught their own diocese and highlighted several milestones. John Paul II convened the Diocesan Pastoral Synod , and in 1992 he described Rome as a "hearth of missionary outreach." In 2005, Benedict XVI sought to make the city mission permanent by giving parishes and other church communities a missionary character. In 2009 he asked that lay people be recognized as "truly co-responsible for the Church's being and action." In 2019, Pope Francis invited the Diocese to listen to the city's imbalances, its poor and its vulnerabilities, and he warned against a Church deaf to the cry of the people.

The Cardinal spoke at length about the Apostolic Constitution In Ecclesiarum communione, by which Pope Francis reorganized the Vicariate of Rome in 2023. In June 2026, Leo XIV renewed its rules on the governance of the Vicariate with the Motu proprio Confirma fratres tuos. He kept the preamble, which entrusts the Church of Rome with a "mission of exemplarity." The Cardinal made clear that this exemplarity rules out any triumphalism and should be understood as a debt of witness. The document recalls the missionaries who have gone out over the centuries from the Church of Peter and Paul. It asks the whole diocese to be open to the missio ad gentes and names as an urgent task the proclamation of the Gospel and the witness of charity toward every inhabitant and in every setting. At the Diocesan Assembly in September 2025, Pope Leo asked Rome to become a laboratory of synodality.

The Cardinal closed with seven features of Rome's missionary exemplarity. Among them, he stressed being rooted in the real city, made up of people, families, cultures and forms of poverty, and the universal dimension: "mission in the city does not replace the missio ad gentes." He expressed the hope that the Urbaniana would contribute its scholarship so that Rome may also be the driving centre from which missionary commitment sets out "to reach the ends of the earth," with the same fire as the Apostle: "Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!" Speaking again, Archbishop Sangalli invited the University to develop the perspectives the Cardinal had set out, from the communion rediscovered under Paul VI to the synodality promoted by Francis and Leo.

The morning began with Archbishop Samuele Sangalli, Adjunct Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization. He spoke on behalf of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery, Grand Chancellor of the University and, for the past few weeks, Dean of the College of Cardinals. Archbishop Sangalli recalled that for almost four centuries this institution has trained men and women able to bring the Gospel into different cultures and to serve the Churches in every part of the world. At the Urbaniana, he observed, the catholicity of the Church becomes an everyday experience: a European priest, an Asian woman religious, a Latin American student, an African professor, a seminarian from Oceania and a researcher from the Middle East may all be found in the same classroom. He spoke of the beauty of this experience and said that such richness brings an equally great responsibility, because no one possesses the full richness of the Church alone.

The Archbishop named Saint John Henry Newman as the guide for the new year. Newman was a student of the College, and on November 1, 2025, Pope Leo XIV proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church and patron of the Urbaniana. He quoted the Pope's words to the students of La Sapienza University: "Whoever researches, whoever studies, whoever seeks the truth, is ultimately seeking God." "A true university does not extinguish questions," the Archbishop said; "rather, it teaches us to face them with intelligence, rigour and freedom. It does not just offer answers, perhaps ready-made ones; rather, it forms people capable of continuing to search." Addressing the students, he added: "One day you will return to your congregations, dioceses and countries: what you have received here must become responsibility, true service, authentic witness."
On behalf of the students, Abrahan Moreno Murillo, president of the Omnes Gentes Association, told the Cardinal Vicar that they are ready to help with pastoral activities in Rome's parishes, as a sign of communion among all the Churches. In his closing remarks, the Pontifical Delegate and Rector Magnificus, Professor Vincenzo Buonomo, said that last year ended with 1,136 students and 42 permanent faculty members. He added that some faculties have seen enrolment rise this year, especially in the first year. He announced that the new Statutes will be presented to the Plenary Assembly of the Dicastery. He then recalled Leo XIV's address to UNESCO on September 25 and gave assurance that the University, as part of the Pope's Diocese, is ready to contribute to the diocese's pastoral work. He then declared the new Academic Year open.

100 YEARS SINCE THE ORDINATIONS OF THE FIRST SIX CHINESE BISHOPS - The Role and Significance of the First Six Dioceses Entrusted to Chinese Bishops

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:29:12 +0100

by Professor Liu Zhiqing

Rome – On October 28, 1926, exactly 100 years ago, Pope Pius XI consecrated six Chinese bishops in Rome: Philippe Zhao Huaiyi, Odorico Cheng Hede, Melchior Sun Dezheng, Louis Chen Guodi, Joseph Hu Ruoshan and Simon Zhu Kaimin. They were to lead, respectively, the Apostolic Vicariate of Xuanhua, the Apostolic Prefecture of Puqi, the Apostolic Prefecture of Lixian, the Apostolic Vicariate of Fenyang, the Apostolic Vicariate of Taichow and the Apostolic Vicariate of Haimen.

The establishment of these six ecclesiastical jurisdictions entrusted to Chinese clergy, together with the consecration of the six bishops, gave considerable impetus to the local rooting of the Catholic Church in China and marked a historic milestone in the life of the Chinese Church.

1. The six Chinese bishops: outstanding representatives of the native clergy

All six bishops had many years of priestly ministry and extensive pastoral experience behind them, and all displayed a balanced and thoughtful disposition. At the time of their episcopal appointments, Philippe Zhao Huaiyi was 46 years old and had been a priest for 22 years; Odorico Cheng Hede was 53 and had been a priest for 26 years; Melchior Sun Dezheng was 57 and had been a priest for 29 years; Louis Chen Guodi was 51 and had been a priest for 23 years; Joseph Hu Ruoshan was 45 and had been a priest for 17 years; and Simon Zhu Kaimin was 58 and had been a priest for 28 years.

Melchior Sun had served longest as a priest, with 29 years of ministry. Joseph Hu had the shortest period of priestly service, though even he had served for 17 years. Simon Zhu was the oldest, at 58, and Hu the youngest, at 45.

During their seminary studies, as well as before and after their priestly ordination, all six received a solid formation within foreign religious institutes. Five belonged to religious institutes: Cheng Hede and Chen Guodi to the Order of Friars Minor ; Sun Dezheng and Hu Ruoshan to the Congregation of the Mission ; and Zhu Kaimin to the Society of Jesus .

Archbishop Celso Costantini, Apostolic Delegate to China, commented: “With the appointment and consecration of the six Chinese bishops in 1926, the long transitional period finally came to an end, and an entirely different era began. The arduous work carried out over many years by foreign missionaries and members of the various religious orders had at last borne fruit. We hope that this time a promising path will open up.”

2. Patterns in the development of the six dioceses

According to pastoral statistics for 1949, the six dioceses were in very different situations:

Diocese Population Catholics Percentage

Puqi 700,000 5,125 0.73%
Anguo 1,200,000 33,200 2.77%
Fenyang 2,100,000 15,600 0.74%
Xuanhua 1,700,000 36,900 2.17%
Taichow 2,000,000 7,813 0.39%
Haimen 5,200,000 39,496 0.76%

In terms of their overall size, the six jurisdictions can be divided into three categories.

The first category comprises Haimen, Xuanhua and Anguo. Each had more than 30,000 faithful and a relatively large number of priests and religious sisters.

The second category consists of Fenyang. It had more than 15,000 faithful and a relatively large number of priests, but no religious sisters.

The third category comprises Taichow and Puqi. These were the weakest jurisdictions: both had fewer than 10,000 faithful and only a few dozen priests and religious sisters.

In terms of ecclesiastical structure, the six jurisdictions fell into two categories.

The five jurisdictions of Anguo, Fenyang, Xuanhua, Taichow and Haimen remained apostolic vicariates from their establishment in 1926 until 1946, when all five were raised to the status of dioceses.

Puqi, by contrast, remained an apostolic prefecture from the time of its establishment. In 1926, Apostolic Prefect Cheng Hede was consecrated Titular Bishop of Catenna and thus received episcopal rank. After his death on November 14, 1928, however, his successors, Msgr Joseph Zhang Jingxiu and Msgr Joseph Li Daonan, were both apostolic prefects rather than apostolic vicars: they therefore continued to lead the jurisdiction as priests, with the title of apostolic prefect. It was not until May 10, 1951, that the Apostolic Prefecture of Puqi was raised to the status of a diocese and its Apostolic Prefect, Msgr Joseph Li Daonan, was elevated to the rank of diocesan bishop.

3. The six Chinese ecclesiastical jurisdictions helped advance the inculturation of the Church in China

After more than twenty years of development, by 1949 the number of dioceses entrusted to Chinese clergy had risen to 24, spread across 12 provinces:

- Hebei: 5
- Sichuan: 3
- Hubei: 3
- Shandong: 2
- Shanxi: 2
- Shaanxi: 2
- Jiangsu: 2
- Mongolia: 1
- Northeastern China: 1
- Henan: 1
- Zhejiang: 1
- Yunnan: 1

Eight provinces, by contrast, had no dioceses entrusted to Chinese clergy: Gansu, Anhui, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi and Guizhou.

There were also three other apostolic vicariates led by Chinese bishops, which some authors likewise classify as dioceses entrusted to Chinese clergy. In 1937, Zhao Zhensheng became bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Xianxian; in 1939, Chen Qiming became bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Zhengding; and in 1941, Zhang Weidu became bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Xinyang.

In short, the establishment of the six dioceses entrusted to Chinese clergy, followed by the creation of other dioceses of the same kind, gave considerable impetus to the inculturation of the Catholic Church in China.

According to the statistics, over the 24-year period from 1926 to 1949, the total number of Catholics in China rose from 2,434,517 to 3,304,071. The number of Chinese priests increased from 1,272 to 2,785, while their share of the total clergy, Chinese and foreign combined, rose from 41.99% to 51.11%.

4. Archbishop Celso Costantini’s essential role in establishing dioceses entrusted to Chinese clergy

In August 1922, Pope Pius XI appointed Celso Costantini the first Apostolic Delegate to China. Costantini arrived in the country in November of that year and immediately took up his duties, relinquishing them in 1933 for health reasons. During his eleven-year tenure, he resolutely implemented the three major encyclicals of the two pontiffs. He vigorously promoted the inculturation of the Catholic Church in China and achieved significant results.

He believed that “the true owner of a mission is not the missionary, but the native clergy and the faithful, just as a minor’s property belongs not to the guardian but to the minor himself. When the minor comes of age, he can become independent. Unfortunately, the Church in China is already three hundred years old and is still regarded as a minor.”

He also stressed: “Missionary activity is a purely supernatural undertaking. Jesus founded a Catholic Church, that is, a universal Church. In France, it belongs to the French; in the United States, to the Americans; in China, to the Chinese. To resolve the missionary question, we must do everything humanly possible and then entrust ourselves to Providence. One day, it will become the Chinese Church; in the meantime, trials and sacrifices may be necessary.”

Costantini further recalled: “When I arrived in China, there were only 57 dioceses, all entrusted to foreigners. When I left the country just over ten years later, there were already 121 missionary jurisdictions, 23 of which were entrusted to Chinese bishops.”

According to the statistics, during Costantini’s eleven years in China, 64 new dioceses were established: 43 entrusted to foreign religious institutes and 21 to Chinese clergy. Dioceses entrusted to Chinese clergy thus accounted for 32.8% of the new dioceses established during that period.

The 24 dioceses entrusted to Chinese clergy were established mainly between 1923 and 1938:

Year Number Dioceses

1923 1 Puqi
1924 1 Lixian
1926 4 Fenyang, Xuanhuafu, Taichow, Haimen
1927 1 Linqing
1929 6 Jining, Zhaoxian, Yongnian, Jiading, Wanxian, Shunqing
1930 1 Baoding
1932 4 Zhouzhi, Hongdong, Fengxiang, Chifeng
1933 3 Zhumadian, Yanggu, Nanjing
1935 1 Zhaotong
1936 1 Xiangyang
1938 1 Shinan

The dates of their establishment highlight Costantini’s role particularly clearly.

According to the statistics, from 1923, the year in which the first diocese entrusted to Chinese clergy was established, until 1949, only 24 dioceses of this kind were created in China. They represented just 17.27% of the 139 dioceses then existing in the country. Over those 26 years, 81 new dioceses had been established in China, but only 24 had been entrusted to Chinese clergy: more than 70% remained in the hands of foreign religious institutes. From the perspective of the Chinese Church, this situation cannot but leave a certain bitterness.

At the same time, these figures throw Costantini’s contribution into even sharper relief. During his tenure, 21 dioceses entrusted to Chinese clergy were established, accounting for 87.5% of the total of 24.

Costantini observed in a highly critical tone: “A mission can be compared to a flower grown in a greenhouse. To flourish fully, it must be transplanted into the open ground and take deep root. Greenhouse flowers, indeed, cannot withstand harsh weather. So it was with the Chinese Church in the past: whenever persecution broke out nationwide, the missionaries were expelled and everything disappeared.”

Even today, these words stir deep emotion and a sense of bitterness.

5. Experiences and lessons from the establishment of the six dioceses entrusted to Chinese clergy

Although the Puqi experiment also had negative aspects, its historical significance remains considerable

In 1923, Costantini encountered enormous difficulties as he worked to establish the Apostolic Prefecture of Puqi. Experience was lacking, and foreign missionaries were not particularly supportive of establishing dioceses entrusted to Chinese clergy. The foreign clergy expressed strong reservations, and even the Chinese clergy complained about the extremely difficult conditions in Puqi.

On that occasion, some American Franciscans even resorted to a ploy to make a favourable impression on Costantini. When he visited Puqi, they gave him a spectacular welcome: “From the railway station to the church, the street was packed with people; firecrackers went off everywhere, and gongs and drums resounded.”

The atmosphere was highly festive. The missionaries themselves described Puqi as a place “located at an important crossroads between north and south, directly accessible by train from Hankou, with daily boats to Jiayu and extremely convenient land and water connections.” The reality, however, was very different.

Before the establishment of the Apostolic Prefecture of Puqi, the four districts concerned had only one parish with a resident Chinese priest, in Chongyang, and the faithful numbered just 729 in total. The territory therefore did not meet the basic requirements for the establishment of a diocese. This explains why, although the Apostolic Vicariate of Hankou then had 23 Chinese priests, only eight volunteered to serve in Puqi, among them the future Bishop Cheng Hede.

At the same time, the six relatively wealthier districts of Wuchang and its surrounding area were entrusted to the American Franciscans and formed the Apostolic Prefecture of Wuchang. Yet this jurisdiction, too, had only just over 2,000 faithful and therefore did not meet the basic requirements for becoming a diocese. Subsequently, neither Puqi nor Wuchang developed particularly satisfactorily.

An even more serious episode followed. Some Chinese priests submitted a collective complaint to the Holy See about the situation that had arisen, which also damaged Costantini’s reputation. The Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide had to work for several years before it succeeded in resolving the dispute.

One person, however, deserves particular praise: Graziano Gennaro, O.F.M. , then bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Hankou. He has gone down in the history of the Chinese Church for his obedience. The Apostolic Prefecture of Puqi was erected on December 12, 1923. Barely a week later, on December 19, Bishop Gennaro died suddenly from an illness, aged only 60.

However imperfect it may have been, the establishment of the Apostolic Prefecture of Puqi nevertheless remained a symbolic event of great importance. From that point on, Chinese missionaries had a diocese they administered themselves, and the Chinese Church took a decisive step towards inculturation. The symbolic value of establishing the Apostolic Prefecture of Puqi far outweighed its actual practical significance.

Costantini summarised the development of the situation as follows: “At first, the Chinese priests were very dissatisfied: they saw that the faithful were few and the works underdeveloped, and some foreign missionaries exerted a negative influence on them. Soon afterwards, however, they spontaneously left the Vicariate of Hankou and willingly joined the new diocese. Subsequently, under the leadership of Bishop Cheng Hede, the diocese made remarkable progress.”

The Diocese of Anguo as a model for the establishment of subsequent Chinese dioceses

The establishment of the second Chinese ecclesiastical jurisdiction was also turbulent and fraught with difficulties. Celso Costantini recalled in his memoirs: “I sought to establish a second diocese entrusted to the native clergy. I was told that the Apostolic Vicar of Yanzhou, Bishop Han, and the Apostolic Vicar of Xianxian, Bishop Liu, were open-minded. Both, however, felt that the time was not yet ripe. The Bishop of Baoding, Bishop François Foucquet, on the other hand, gave me considerable support.”

On April 15, 1924, the Apostolic Prefecture of Lixian , in Hebei Province, was officially established. Its foundation clearly illustrates Costantini’s working methods and diplomatic skills.

The Bishop of Baoding, Bishop Joseph Fabrègues , had been consecrated in May 1910 and therefore had considerable episcopal experience. Costantini first spoke with him to secure his support. Having received a favourable response, on June 12, 1923, he transferred Fabrègues to the Apostolic Vicariate of Beijing as coadjutor bishop. On the surface, this appeared to be a demotion, but in reality the Apostolic Vicariate of Beijing was of greater importance. In September 1923, Bishop Paul-Léon-Cornil Montaigne was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Apostolic Vicariate of Baoding.

When the Apostolic Prefecture of Lixian was erected on April 15, 1924, Baoding therefore had no bishop in his own right, but only an apostolic administrator. On December 18, 1924, the Holy See approved Montaigne’s appointment as Apostolic Vicar of Baoding, and on April 19, 1925, Costantini travelled to Baoding in person to preside over his episcopal consecration.

In January 1930, Montaigne was transferred to the Apostolic Vicariate of Beijing as coadjutor bishop. The Apostolic Vicar of Beijing, Bishop Stanislas-François Jarlin , died in January 1933, and Montaigne succeeded him as head of the vicariate.

This series of transfers, appointments and replacements shows how carefully Costantini had assessed the various factors involved in establishing the Diocese of Anguo. His approach helped ensure the orderly establishment and stable development of the second diocese entrusted to Chinese clergy.

Actively exploring new paths towards inculturation by entrusting existing jurisdictions to Chinese clergy

The six apostolic vicariates entrusted to Chinese clergy were all carved out of larger jurisdictions previously administered by foreign religious institutes. With the exception of Puqi, the other five largely met the requirements for the establishment of an ecclesiastical jurisdiction, but remained relatively weak in terms of size, resources and influence.

A new question therefore arose: would it be possible to persuade some bishops belonging to foreign religious institutes to hand over certain jurisdictions to Chinese clergy, thereby entrusting them to Chinese bishops?

A new path towards promoting the inculturation of the Church was thus opening up, inspired precisely by the experience of the first six Chinese apostolic vicariates.

In 1928, during his pilgrimage to Donglü in Hebei, Costantini made an attempt in this direction. He recalled: “I decided to entrust the Apostolic Vicariate of Baoding to Chinese clergy. This caused discontent in Beijing, particularly at the French embassy. The French missionaries in Baoding, although deeply saddened, outwardly showed great cordiality and dignity.”

After two years of effort, the project finally came to fruition.

On January 25, 1930, the Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide approved the withdrawal of the Congregation of the Mission from the Apostolic Vicariate of Baoding and the transfer of its administration to Chinese clergy. Bishop Paul-Léon-Cornil Montaigne, C.M., was transferred to the Apostolic Vicariate of Beijing as coadjutor. On March 26, 1931, the Chinese priest Zhou Jishi was appointed the first Chinese Apostolic Vicar of Baoding and was consecrated bishop on August 2 of the same year.

The transfer of the Apostolic Vicariate of Baoding to Chinese clergy had far-reaching significance. Had this model been applied more widely, the inculturation of the Catholic Church in China might have taken on a new character and a new dimension.

Costantini subsequently turned his attention to a jurisdiction of even greater symbolic importance: the Apostolic Vicariate of Nanjing. Nanjing was then the capital of the Republic of China and the country’s leading political and cultural centre. The vicariate, one of the Society of Jesus’s main strongholds in China, had a large number of faithful, well-developed institutions and a flourishing pastoral life. It also wielded considerable influence both in China and abroad.

The Society of Jesus had exercised considerable influence on the development of Chinese Catholicism, but it was neither particularly supportive of nor active in establishing dioceses entrusted to Chinese clergy. For this reason, the Jesuits did not initially respond favourably to Costantini’s efforts.

On May 12, 1931, the Bishop of Nanjing, Bishop Prosper Paris, died, and his coadjutor, Bishop Auguste Haouisée , succeeded him as head of the vicariate. Costantini held lengthy, in-depth discussions first with one and then with the other of these Jesuit bishops, encouraging them to establish an ecclesiastical jurisdiction entrusted to Chinese clergy. Despite strong resistance, his efforts gradually began to bear fruit.

On December 13, 1933, Pope Pius XI promulgated the decree dividing the Apostolic Vicariate of Nanjing. The decree entrusted the Vicariate of Nanjing to Chinese clergy, while the Society of Jesus was assigned the new Apostolic Vicariate of Shanghai.

The measure was officially adopted 40 days after Costantini had left his post as Apostolic Delegate to China, but he deserves the credit for laying the groundwork and bringing the project to fruition. Unfortunately, after Baoding and Nanjing, this process saw no further significant developments.

Conclusion

In light of the foregoing, building a Church in China that is rooted in local realities requires, first and foremost, allowing and encouraging the Church in China to be authentically Chinese. Entrusting Chinese bishops with the leadership and administration of the Church in China is, in turn, a fundamental prerequisite for what is known as the “Sinicization” of Catholicism.
The history of the foundation and development of the six Chinese dioceses offers the Chinese Church a wealth of valuable experience and important lessons. A century ago, Archbishop Celso Costantini declared: “The Supreme Pontiff had a deep concern for China, fervently wished it to become a strong nation, and maintained that China should be governed by the Chinese.”
I sincerely hope that the Church in China may continue to grow in a healthy and sustainable way, and that its future may become ever more promising.

*Anyang Normal University*

VATICAN/CHINA - “The Face of the Universal Church in China”: Conference at the Urbaniana University Marking the 100th Anniversary of the Ordinations of the First Six Chinese Bishops, Featuring the Bishops of Beijing and Haimen

Wed, 28 Oct 2026 13:24:14 +0100

Rome – A hundred years ago, six Chinese priests set sail from Shanghai to receive episcopal consecration at the hands of the Successor of Peter, Pope Pius XI, in Saint Peter's Basilica. In the coming days, two bishops will also travel from China to Rome to commemorate that event.

On Thursday, November 5, the Pontifical Urbaniana University will host the international conference “The Face of the Universal Church in China: 100 Years Since the Consecration of the First Six Chinese Bishops”, with the participation of Joseph Li Shan, Bishop of Beijing, and Ignatius Ding Zuyao, Bishop of Haimen.

On October 28, 1926, in St Peter’s Basilica, Pius XI consecrated Odorico Cheng Hede, Melchior Sun Dezhen, Joseph Hu Ruoshan, Philip Zhao Huaiyi, Simon Zhu Kaimin and Aloysius Chen Guodi: the first Chinese men to become Successors of the Apostles in the modern era. Until then, with the exception of Gregory Luo Wenzao, who was ordained a bishop in 1685, the bishops of the Church of Rome serving in China had all been foreign missionaries. In his homily at the consecration Mass, Pope Ratti spoke of his inability to contain his joy at the sight of these “first fruits and new shoots of the Chinese episcopate”.

The ordination of the six Chinese bishops in Rome in 1926 marked a crucial stage in the missionary shift supported by the Holy See in the early decades of the twentieth century, which also sought to free apostolic work from a colonial mindset. This shift was inspired by the Apostolic Letter Maximum illud , in which Pope Benedict XV had reiterated that the Catholic faith “is foreign to no nation”. The letter had also given impetus to the “Council of Shanghai” of 1924, the first major synodal assembly of the Church in China, where the synod fathers had also called for the growth and formation of the native clergy to be encouraged.

One of the leading figures in that process was Archbishop Celso Costantini, the first Apostolic Delegate to China, who accompanied the six apostolic vicars on the journey that began in Shanghai on September 10, 1926.

Two bishops from the People’s Republic of China and three cardinals among the speakers

The proceedings will open at 10:30 a.m. with welcoming remarks by Professor Andrea D’Auria, Dean of the Urbaniana’s Faculty of Canon Law. The morning session, chaired by Jesuit Father Luciano Morra, S.J., Director of the Pastoral Commission for China, will include an address by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, and a screening of the documentary "A Long Journey: The Adventure of the Six Chinese Bishops Consecrated in Rome by Pius XI in 1926", by Teresa Tseng Kuang Yi.

This will be followed by addresses from Bishop Li Shan; Jesuit Cardinal Stephen Chow Sau Yan, Bishop of Hong Kong, on “inculturation, Sinicization and interculturality in formation”; and Professor Mario Luigi Grignani, Dean of the Faculty of Missiology and lecturer in the History of the Missionary Church, on the missionary shift under Benedict XV and Pius XI.

The afternoon session will be chaired by Dr Marta Zhao Nan, who heads the Chinese-language edition of Fides News Agency. Following Bishop Ding Zuyao’s address, the speakers will be Professor Elisa Giunipero, who teaches Chinese History at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, whose paper will focus on “the six bishops and the building of the local Church”; Professor Liu Guopeng, of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, on the evolution of the system of episcopal consecration in China; Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, Secretary Emeritus of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, on the legal aspects of those ordinations; and Msgr Flavio Belluomini, archivist of the Dicastery for Evangelization, who will draw on documents held in the Historical Archives of Propaganda Fide.

Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, will deliver the concluding remarks. Chinese songs will punctuate the day’s proceedings.

The presence of the two bishops from the People’s Republic of China is significant. In 1998, the seats of the two bishops invited by John Paul II to the Synod for Asia remained empty; in 2005, none of the four Chinese bishops invited by Benedict XVI was able to travel to Rome. As Fides Agency has documented, events once considered exceptional are beginning to become customary: in May 2024, the Bishop of Shanghai, Joseph Shen Bin, spoke at the Urbaniana itself during the conference marking the centenary of the Council of Shanghai.

Bishop Ding Zuyao, 40, was consecrated on October 15 in Nantong, becoming the nineteenth bishop ordained within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China. He leads a diocese whose see had been vacant since 2023 and which carries considerable symbolic significance: the first Bishop of Haimen was the Jesuit Simon Zhu Kaimin , one of the six bishops consecrated by Pius XI.

The Apostolic Vicariate of Haimen, erected on August 11, 1926, was established at Costantini’s suggestion precisely with the intention of entrusting a representative of the Chinese clergy with the leadership of a new ecclesiastical jurisdiction. In Lisieux, during the European journey undertaken after their consecration by the Chinese bishops ordained in Rome, the elder sister of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus gave Zhu Kaimin a relic, which is now venerated in the cathedral. The new bishop served as parish priest in Caojiazhen, known as “the Chinese Lisieux”: a century later, he is a direct heir to the first Chinese shepherd of his local Church.

Beijing, too, is closely linked to the episcopal consecrations of 1926. Two of the six bishops consecrated, Philip Zhao Huaiyi and Melchior Sun Dezhen, were born and received their formation in Beijing. Zhao, who entered the minor seminary at Beitang Church—now the diocesan cathedral—in 1893, served as Costantini’s secretary; Sun taught for twelve years at the capital’s minor seminary. The Vicariate of Xuanhua, entrusted to Zhao, had been separated from the Vicariate of Beijing.

Bishop Joseph Li Shan was ordained in 2007 with the apostolic mandate of Benedict XVI and recognition from the civil authorities. His presence in Rome, where six Chinese bishops received apostolic succession at the hands of Pope Pius XI in 1926, makes visible that communion with the Bishop of Rome which remains an “indispensable sign” of belonging to the Catholic Church.

To attend, participants must register using the QR code on the attached programme or write to episcopisinenses@propagandafide.va. For further information, call +39 0669895844.

Cardinal Tagle to Link Macau’s 450-Year Missionary Legacy With Asia’s Evangelization in the Age of AI

Tue, 27 Oct 2026 15:38:10 +0100

By Fr. John Mi Shen*

Macau - Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization and Dean of the College of Cardinals, will call the Catholic Church in Asia to connect its rich missionary heritage with new pathways for evangelization when he addresses Asian bishops and the Church in Macau on October 31.

His talk, titled “Magnifica Humanitas: Synodal Ways for Evangelization in Asia,” will culminate a four-day gathering organized by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences Office of Social Communication from October 27 to 31. Held under the theme “Magnifica Humanitas and the Synodal Ways of Evangelization in Asia: Communicating Christ in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” the meeting brings together Asian bishops and Church communicators to discern how the Church can proclaim Christ in a rapidly changing communication landscape.

Cardinal Tagle’s talk, scheduled at the Bishop’s Palace, will be attended by clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Macau, along with bishops and delegates participating in the continental meeting.

Cardinal Tagle’s address as part of the celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Diocese of Macau, offering an opportunity to reflect on how the region’s historic role in Asian evangelization can inspire the Church’s mission today.

Established by Pope Gregory XIII on January 23, 1576, the diocese became a major center of Catholic missionary activity in East Asia. For centuries, Macau served as a gateway for missionaries traveling to China, Japan, Korea, and other parts of Asia.

Four and a half centuries later, Macau’s history raises a compelling question: Can the city once again become a bridge for evangelization, helping the Church navigate the challenges and opportunities of the digital age?

The anniversary connects the missionary courage of the past with the Church’s present responsibility to proclaim Christ amid changing cultural, technological, and social realities. If earlier missionaries crossed geographical and linguistic boundaries, today’s evangelizers must also engage digital platforms and artificial intelligence while safeguarding human dignity and authentic relationships.

From Pastoral Communication to Evangelizing Presence

The FABC-OSC meeting places contemporary communication within the broader history of the Church’s mission in Asia.
Mr. Vitor Lam will deliver a bridging talk titled “From Pastoral to Evangelizing, from HK to Macau,” connecting the previous FABC-OSC meeting in Hong Kong with the present gathering in Macau and exploring the shift from pastoral communication toward a more outward-looking missionary presence.

Dr. Levi Mathonri Checketts will deliver a keynote speech on Magnifica Humanitas, while Mr. Keith Benedict Ip will speak on “450 Years of Evangelization and Communication in Asia,” examining the historical relationship between missionary activity and communication in the region.

Together, the presentations will link Macau’s missionary legacy with the questions confronting Asian Churches today, particularly how to communicate the Gospel across cultural, social, and digital boundaries.

Building a Synodal Digital Mission

The gathering also advances FABC-OSC’s efforts to strengthen collaboration among Catholic communicators and digital missionaries across Asia.

Discussions include artificial intelligence and evangelization, the responsible use of emerging technologies, national reports, and new forms of cooperation among Church communication offices.

Bishop Marcelino Antonio “Junie” Maralit Jr. of the Philippines, chairman of FABC-OSC, will address AI and evangelization in Asia. Prof. Leo R. Ocampo will discuss discerning the use of AI, while Cindy Gorospe-Añonuevo will present the next steps following the first Asian Catholic Digital Missionary Assembly, held at Radio Veritas Asia headquarters in Quezon City, Metro Manila, in September 2026.

The assembly brought together more than 100 Catholic digital communicators, content creators, and faith influencers under the theme “Influencers to Witnesses: A Synodal Way for Digital Mission in Asia.” The Macau meeting seeks to build on that initiative, seeking sustained collaboration across national and linguistic boundaries and a continental network where Catholic communicators can share experiences, discern the responsible use of technology, and strengthen their evangelizing mission.

The gathering will conclude on October 31, when Cardinal Tagle will also preside over the Mass marking the 450th anniversary of the Diocese of Macau at Forum de Macau.

The anniversary and the continental communication meeting together invite the Church in Asia to see its missionary history not merely as a record of past achievements but as a resource for discerning the future.

Macau’s historic role as a gateway for missionaries can inspire a new era of evangelization in which the Church crosses digital as well as geographical boundaries, embraces emerging technologies with discernment, and keeps the dignity of every human person at the heart of its mission.
* Executive Secretary, FABC-OSC

100 YEARS SINCE THE ORDINATIONS OF THE FIRST SIX CHINESE BISHOPS - Bishop Simone Zhu Kaimin and the Diocese of Haimen

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 13:48:11 +0100

One hundred years after the ordination of the first six Chinese bishops consecrated in modern times, , Fides News Agency is dedicating a series of documentary profiles to these Successors of the Apostles and the dioceses entrusted to them, which were at the heart of that crucial event in the history of the Catholic Church in China.

§§§

by Professor Liu Zhiqing

The Diocese of Haimen was the sixth ecclesiastical jurisdiction in China to be entrusted to the leadership of a member of the Chinese clergy. It was established on August 11, 1926, as the Apostolic Vicariate of Haimen. Its first bishop, Simon Zhu Kaimin, was one of the first six Chinese bishops consecrated in Rome by Pope Pius XI on October 28, 1926. He had been appointed Apostolic Vicar on August 2, 1926.

1. History of the diocese

As part of the process of entrusting the leadership of dioceses to members of the Chinese clergy, in accordance with the directives of the Primum Concilium Sinense—the important synod of the Church in China held in Shanghai in 1924—Archbishop Celso Costantini, the first Apostolic Delegate to China, had expressly stated his wish to entrust a member of the Chinese clergy with a new ecclesiastical jurisdiction, to be erected from part of the territory then under the pastoral care of the Diocese of Shanghai, the most prosperous in China. “I therefore decided,” Archbishop Costantini wrote in his memoirs, “to travel to Shanghai in May in order to find a suitable place and a suitable person.”

At that time, the Apostolic Vicariate of Nanjing was headed by the French Jesuit Prosper Paris . In 1926, Costantini’s plan was realised when the Apostolic Vicariate of Haimen was separated from the Apostolic Vicariate of Nanjing.

According to the statistics, in 1925 the Apostolic Vicariate of Nanjing comprised twelve large ecclesiastical districts, or deaneries: Shanghai Yangjingbang, Nanjing, Yangzhou, Suzhou, Songjiang Puxi, Songjiang Punan, Songjiang Pudong, Changzhou, Xuzhou, Eastern Xuzhou, Western Xuzhou, Chongming and Haimen. It had 202,028 faithful and 211 priests, of whom 130 were foreign and 81 Chinese. Chinese clergy accounted for 38.39% of the total. The two deaneries of Haimen and Chongming formed the territory designated for the new ecclesiastical jurisdiction.

In 1925, the Deanery of Haimen comprised 11 parishes, while the Deanery of Chongming comprised six. Together, the two deaneries had 31,336 faithful and 18 priests, of whom 16 were Chinese and two foreign.

The Apostolic Vicariate of Haimen was established on August 11, 1926. That same year, the vicariate’s numbers reached 32,571 faithful and 22 members of the clergy: the Chinese Apostolic Vicar, 20 Chinese priests and one foreign priest. There were also 16 Chinese religious sisters.

On April 11, 1946, the Apostolic Vicariate of Haimen was elevated to the status of the Diocese of Haimen. In 1949, the diocese comprised seven counties.

According to the statistics reported by Zhao Qingyuan in his "Chronology of the Division of Catholic Dioceses in China and the Succession of Their Bishops", in 1949 the diocese had 156 churches and chapels, 40 Chinese priests and 38,899 baptised Catholics.

2. The bishop of the diocese

The first Bishop of Haimen was the Jesuit Simon Zhu Kaimin . His family came from Zhuxianghui, in Qingpu County, Jiangsu Province. He was born on October 30, 1868, in Dongjiadu, near Shanghai, into a family of junk owners. He was the sixth of seven children.

His mother was the sister of Joseph Ma Xiangbo , a former Jesuit priest who had left both the order and the priesthood, saying that he could not tolerate the arrogance of foreign missionaries towards China. Ma continued his work as a major innovator in Chinese educational practice and was one of the founders of Aurora University, Fu Jen Catholic University and Fudan University. Zhu Zhiyao, the third-born of Simon Zhu’s siblings, was a prominent Shanghai industrialist.

In 1883, Simon entered the minor seminary in Dongjiadu, Shanghai, where he studied Latin. He subsequently entered the major seminary in Xujiahui, devoting himself to the study of philosophy and theology.

He entered the Society of Jesus on September 7, 1888, and was ordained a priest in Dongjiadu on June 28, 1898. Over the following twenty years, he carried out missionary work in Pudong, Chuansha, Jinjiaxiang, Changshu, Jiangyin, Luyuan and other places. He took his perpetual vows on February 2, 1903.

In 1924, he became archpriest of the Deanery of Nantong in Jiangsu. The following year, he also assumed the posts of archpriest of the Deanery of Haimen and headmaster of St Louis Primary School in Maojiazhen.

On August 2, 1926, he was appointed Apostolic Vicar of Haimen. On October 28, 1926, he was one of the six Chinese bishops consecrated by Pope Pius XI in St Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

After returning to China, he celebrated his installation at the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Haimen in March 1927. On April 11, 1946, he was appointed the first bishop of the newly established Diocese of Haimen.

In 1959, he was unjustly labelled a “rightist element”. He died on February 22, 1960, at the age of 92. In May 1980, the Jiangsu provincial government officially acknowledged his innocence, revoked his previous political classification and rehabilitated his reputation.

3. Development of the diocese

The Diocese of Haimen originated from the two deaneries of Haimen and Chongming, which had previously belonged to the Apostolic Vicariate of Nanjing. Of the first six apostolic vicariates entrusted to vicars drawn from the Chinese clergy, it had the most substantial resources.

After 24 years of development , the diocese had 19,496 faithful and 49 members of the clergy, of whom 45 were Chinese and four foreign. There were also 59 Chinese religious sisters.

Annual statistics on the diocese’s pastoral activity are presented in the following table.

Table of pastoral statistics for the Diocese of Haimen, 1926–1950

Periodo/Anno	Vescovi	Sacerdoti		Religiose		Popolazione	Fedeli cattolici
Periodo/Anno	Vescovi	stranieri	cinesi	straniere	cinese	Popolazione	Fedeli cattolici
1926-1927	1	1	20		16	11	32571
1927-1928	1	1	21		16	5.6	32350
1928-1929	1	2	20	6	14	5.2	32693
1929-1930	1	2	22	6	14	5.2	32992
1930-1931	1	1	25	9	14	5.2	33024
1933	1	2	23	9	23	5.2	33705
1934	1	2	25	9	31	5.2	33933
1935	1	2	23	9	33	5	34651
1936	1	3	24	9	24	5	34865
1937	1	2	24	9	17	5	35433
1938	1	4	21	9	18	5	35890
1939	1	3	20	9	42	5.4	36344
1940	1	3	24	9	39	5.3	37024
1941	1	2	27	8	44	5.3	37528
1942	1		32	8	46	5.3	37662
1943	1		82	8	48	5.3	38126
1947	1		32	8	48	5.3	38126
1948	1	3	43	9	50	5	39744
1949	1	4	42	11	51	5.2	39496
1950	1	4	44		59	5.2	39496

Source: Les missions de Chine et du Japon, Les missions de Chine, Annuaire des Missions Catholiques de Chine.

VATICAN/MONGOLIA - Leo XIV receives Cardinal Marengo and the abbot of Gandan Monastery, the heart of Mongolian Buddhism

Mon, 26 Oct 2026 13:46:40 +0100

by Marie-Lucile Kubacki

Vatican City – This morning Pope Leo XIV received Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, and the Venerable D. Javzandorj, the 30th Khamba Nomun Khan and abbot of Gandantegchinlen Monastery, known as Gandan, the largest in the country.

"We are very happy about the important relationship of dialogue and cooperation between the Catholic Church and the Buddhist world in Mongolia," Cardinal Marengo told Agenzia Fides. "It was a cordial meeting. We are deeply grateful for the kindness and generosity of Pope Leo. Despite his very demanding schedule and his recovery, which everyone knows about, he wanted this meeting to take place, so that Abbot Javzandorj could meet him in person."

"We are very, very grateful to the Holy Father for this gesture of great kindness in agreeing to receive the delegation from Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar," the Cardinal added. The delegation was accompanied by Mongolia's Ambassador to Italy, Bulgan Dansran, and Mongolia's Ambassador to the Holy See, Davaasuren Gerelmaa. It also included Professor Thomas Cattoi, who holds the William and Barbara Moran Chair in Early Christian Theology and Interreligious Relations at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas .
"This synergy for the good of society and for world peace," the Cardinal stressed, "was also very well expressed by the gift that the Venerable Javzandorj wished to present to Pope Leo." The gift is a painting made by the masters of Gandan Monastery's figurative art workshop, following the abbot's own directions. It shows the Old Wise Man, a figure who "in the Mongolian tradition and in other countries of the Far East represents long life and wisdom." Next to him is "a symbolic design of four different animals, representing diversity which, when brought together, becomes strength, a promise of success and of a future." The whole work is "decorated in Mongolian style" and includes an image recalling the main temple of the Gandan complex. "The visit to the Holy Father," the Cardinal added, "then ended with another spiritual and cultural moment in Saint Peter's Basilica, where the delegation was able to contemplate the beauty of the sacred space. We also paused in the innermost part of the basilica, near the tomb of Peter."

This is the third audience a Pope has granted to a Mongolian Buddhist delegation. The first took place on 28 May 2022, when Pope Francis received official representatives of Mongolian Buddhism on the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Mongolia. The second was on 13 January 2025, when Francis received Javzandorj himself together with Cardinal Marengo. In October 2025, Mongolian Buddhist monks accompanied by the Cardinal also took part in the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of the Council declaration Nostra Aetate, in the presence of Leo XIV.

Today's meeting is especially significant because of the role Gandan plays. Founded in the first half of the 19th century, Gandan drove the revival of Buddhism after the democratic transition of 1990. Today it has three colleges of philosophy and several ritual colleges, and it runs the Buddhist University of Mongolia. The papal audience is also a sign of a friendship and trust that have grown over time. When Pope Francis was in hospital in February 2025, the abbot had a signed and sealed message delivered to the Apostolic Nuncio expressing the closeness of the Gandan monks. At the request of President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, he also led the recitation of sacred texts for the Pope's recovery. After Francis died, the monastery offered a prayer ritual for his soul, and it later expressed its closeness again when the new Pope was elected.

Javzandorj, born in 1980, became head of Gandan in November 2023 and is a figure of great standing. He entered the monastery in 1991. In 1998 he left for India to study at the Gomang College of Drepung Monastery, where he received full monastic ordination in 2001. In 2017 he earned the title of Geshe Lharampa, the highest academic degree in the Gelug tradition, ranking first among some one thousand candidates. He then went on to tantric studies at Gyuto, according to the StudyBuddhism portal.
"Dialogue and cooperation are central for the Catholic Church in Mongolia," Cardinal Marengo said. "We are convinced that meetings like this one, together with the everyday work of dialogue, encounter and cooperation we carry out on the ground, can send a positive message to the whole of society. When religious traditions engage with one another in this kind of dialogue, each of them makes its own contribution to society. Religious traditions thus become partners in building a present and a future based on peace, mutual respect and work for the common good."
The Catholic Church has been present in the country since 1992 and has made dialogue with Buddhism a core part of its mission. Like his predecessor Wenceslao Padilla, Cardinal Marengo regularly attends national and international Buddhist gatherings. He is also a member of a group of the country's main religious leaders that meets often. In Karakorum, the ancient capital of the Mongol Empire, the Church has opened a centre for dialogue.

Buddhism is the most widespread religion in Mongolia. The 1992 Constitution separates the State from religions. However, the 1993 law on relations between the State and religious institutions says that the State "respects the predominant position of Buddhism" for the sake of the people's unity and the traditions of its civilisation, while making clear that this does not prevent citizens from following other religions. Mongolian historians traditionally describe Buddhism as spreading through the country in three great waves. The first, in the early centuries, came through Central Asia, where Buddhism had arrived from India along the trade routes; its presence in the country is attested from around the 5th century. The second dates back to the time of the Mongol Empire, when Kublai Khan turned to Tibetan Buddhism. The third, in the 16th century, was sealed in 1578 by the alliance between Prince Altan Khan and the Tibetan abbot Sonam Gyatso, on whom the Mongols bestowed the title of Dalai Lama.

In an interview published by the Mongolian website Zindaa.mn, the abbot highlighted the role of Zanabazar , the first Bogd Jebtsundamba, the highest Buddhist spiritual authority in Mongolia. "A unique feature of Mongolian Buddhism is its third and most recent wave of diffusion, which is deeply linked to our first Bogd Jebtsundamba, Öndör Gegeen Zanabazar, a direct descendant of the Golden Lineage of Genghis Khan. Under his guidance the basic structure of Mongolian Buddhism took shape. Öndör Gegeen Zanabazar skilfully brought together the ten traditional sciences of Buddhism, especially the arts and crafts and inner knowledge, and played a decisive part in helping them flourish in Mongolia. Our system of monastic education, including the translation of sacred texts, the distinctive style of monastic robes he established and their rich symbolic meaning, as well as our temple architecture and our style of chanting, set us apart from other traditions." Javzandorj added that Buddhism in Mongolia "has developed in a singular way, harmonising with the way of life and the culture shaped by the country's four seasons and vast landscapes." He also noted that Mongolia is one of the few nations to have translated into its own language the entire Kangyur, the words of the Buddha, and the Tengyur, the commentaries of the Indian masters.

Tomorrow, Tuesday 27 October, Cardinal Marengo and Abbot Javzandorj will take part in the closing gathering in Assisi. The event is organised by the Community of Sant'Egidio to mark the 40th anniversary of the Day of Prayer for Peace that Saint John Paul II called in 1986. The Pope will not attend in person but will send a message to the participants.

From a French pioneer of the American frontier to Pope Leo XIV: Sister Lyn Osiek's long missionary journey

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 19:23:00 +0200

by Marie-Lucile Kubacki

Saint Louis - A pioneer of Catholic education on the American frontier, Philippine Duchesne established the Society of the Sacred Heart in the United States in 1818. Her journey forms part of the wider missionary history that shaped American Catholicism, marked at its origins by a strong French influence, a history reflected today in Pope Leo XIV’s own path from Chicago to Peru and Rome. Fides met Sister Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ, in Saint Louis to explore this legacy, its achievements and its painful chapters, including slavery. A New Testament scholar and former archivist of the Society of the Sacred Heart, United States-Canada Province, she taught Robert Francis Prevost at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Her testimony connects the challenges faced by nineteenth-century missionaries with the cross-cultural formation of the first North American pope.

How did Philippine Duchesne contribute to the Church on the culturally diverse American frontier?

Sister Carolyn Osiek: First of all, she was part of a larger movement. By the end of the nineteenth century, a majority of the Catholic missionaries in the world were French. Then she had been inspired by the reports of priests coming back from North America, from China and other places. She originally wanted to go to China, and then Canada, and eventually got the opportunity to come to North America. She came in 1818, and Missouri became a state in 1821. Philippine didn't think she was coming to the United States. She thought she was coming to French colonial civilization in the Mississippi Valley. Her major interest was with the Native Americans, which was frustrated as she did not get much time with them. In terms of cultural diversity, she herself never felt comfortable in English, and that was a great obstacle to her. In her first years in Missouri, the language was changing fast from French to English. People from the eastern United States were moving into the Mississippi Valley, people she was not prepared to deal with. So instead of achieving her dream to come to the frontier, where there would be Native Americans, she landed in a growing frontier town, dealing with French and Anglo children. The cultural diversity was extremely difficult for her to deal with.

How did she respond?

Sister Carolyn Osiek: She followed the model of the newly established Society of the Sacred Heart in France, based on European boarding schools for girls. This included the distinction between choir religious and coadjutrix sisters. Despite the bishop's warning that it would not work in Missouri, she maintained the French practice, even though it proved unsuitable. Priests and religious were urgently needed in these colonial settings. Many communities became autonomous from their European foundations, but Philippine refused to do that. She would wait up to six months for an answer from Madeleine Sophie Barat, the Superior General in France, much to the bishop's frustration. Preserving those ties helped make us an international congregation, present today in forty-one countries.

What can her educational mission, begun in St. Charles, offer the Church in the United States today?

Sister Carolyn Osiek: Women religious participated in colonization and the development of new places chiefly through schools and hospitals. The Society of the Sacred Heart did not have hospitals as part of its mission; its mission was expressed through education. The European model distinguished between boarding schools for the upper classes and free schools for the poor. Philippine had grown up with that distinction, although her family was bourgeois. She established both, but an intermediate option was needed. Fee-paying day schools, also emerging in Europe, presented a new challenge. Her work belongs within the considerable, continuing legacy of Catholic education in the United States and Canada, which eventually produced great universities. I believe this remains a distinctive contribution. With a new pope and a new teaching voice, the emphasis on human dignity and Catholic social teaching is more important than ever. Philippine was part of its beginnings.

How should we read her desire to live with Indigenous peoples in light of the wounds inflicted by colonial history?

Sister Carolyn Osiek: She participated in that history without intending to inflict wounds. By the time she arrived in Missouri, Native Americans had largely been pushed west, away from St. Louis and St. Charles. This frustrated her hope of working among them. The removal of Native Americans is central to American history. They were driven from arable land into places where they could be contained and evangelized, always according to what white people wanted. Philippine reached the Potawatomi mission at Sugar Creek, Kansas, in 1841. By 1848, the Potawatomi had been pushed out again. The Religious of the Sacred Heart followed them to St. Mary's, before they eventually dispersed. Although we associate the Potawatomi with Kansas, they had come from Indiana and places much further east. The Jesuits with whom Philippine worked sought to evangelize, to form good Catholics. She shared that goal with great love. Despite her difficulties with languages, she studied Potawatomi, copying the entire Lord's Prayer in a letter to her brother. Eyewitnesses reported that she was called “the woman who always prays.” By the sisters' arrival in 1841, a good half of the tribe was already Catholic. Their work was therefore less about preaching to the unconverted than developing spiritual formation. Seen today, it is a mixed story.

How did she see Indigenous peoples? Was her perspective anthropological?

Sister Carolyn Osiek: I think her view was romanticized. In France in 1806, she described a vision, an imagined picture of herself surrounded by dark-skinned children. It reveals her romantic expectations of how wonderful the experience would be. At Sugar Creek, conditions were harsh for Indigenous people and sisters alike. Yet she loved living with material deprivation; it was part of what she had expected.

What about Lucile Mathevon, the superior at Sugar Creek?

Sister Carolyn Osiek: I wrote a short biography of her. She was French and arrived in 1822 with Anna Murphy, who went to Louisiana. Lucile was superior at St. Charles for several years before leading the Potawatomi mission, where she spent the rest of her life: thirty-five years in extreme deprivation. Philippine gets all the attention for her one year there. Others came and went; Lucile remained. Her dedication was heroic. We have her handwritten accounts of the journey and the mission's early years. Practical, energetic and a good storyteller, she was also a highly capable organizer.

I learned that your congregation has done work on its own history and its links with slavery. What can you tell me about this work of historical research and remembrance, in St. Louis and elsewhere: its spirit, and what has been done?

Sister Carolyn Osiek: We began working on this in 2016, and on September 23, 2018, we had a significant event at Grand Coteau, Louisiana, where descendants of the people who had been enslaved with us came: about fifty. On the website there is a video of about twelve minutes that pulls the whole thing together. That was something we really wanted to do. The entire event was planned by a committee of descendants, not by us as we wanted it happening the way they wanted it. A sister in California who is an amateur genealogist is continuing to stay in contact with descendants, and even introducing them to each other when they did not know that they were related. And we have a scholarship for an African-American student at Grand Coteau. Those are the major things now.

What stands out from that day?

Sister Carolyn Osiek: The gathering took place in Louisiana because, unlike Missouri, where I think we can document only seven enslaved people, Grand Coteau had a plantation with enslaved families. After emancipation in 1865, some of the same family names appear in financial records as paid workers, indicating that the families stayed. Initially, everyone was cautious. In the parish church, our provincial read a welcome and an apology. We discovered that what mattered most to the descendants was acknowledgement of their ancestors' contribution: we could not have done what we did without them. We then processed to the parish cemetery, where we had erected a monument naming the enslaved people we believe were buried there. The convent cemetery was reserved for sisters. Parish records proved invaluable for identifying parents, godparents and burials. There were prayers and singing at the monument, followed by dinner at the school and a ceremony in its chapel.

How might Pope Leo XIV's theological formation illuminate his priorities?

Sister Carolyn Osiek: Catholic Theological Union, where he studied, began in 1968 as an experiment. Men's religious orders closed their rural seminaries and brought their formation into an urban setting. In the aftermath of Vatican II, the city was seen as the place to engage with the life of the Church and its people, together rather than in isolation. The Society of the Divine Word brought students from around the world. Internationality, cross-cultural understanding and mission were central. The faculty wrestled with a fundamental theological question: if God is present throughout society and all humanity, why do we go out and preach the Gospel? What more can we bring? The Augustinians were deeply committed to their mission in Peru, where Bob served as a young priest. From the beginning, he showed an ability to live within other cultures and embody his mission there. I think this was an important part of his formation. Is he American or Peruvian? There is no clear answer, and I think that is good. When I visited his parish in Trujillo, Peru, I saw him in action. He already had the flexibility and capacity for listening that remain, I believe, among his defining qualities.

ASIA/MYANMAR - In Loikaw, the Church rises again among the displaced: difficulties are mounting, but faith is also growing, says the Vicar General

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 11:45:39 +0200

by Paolo Affatato

Loikaw – In the early days, only a handful of people came to the cathedral. Then, slowly, word spread through the villages and among families scattered by the war: the priest had returned, pastoral life was resuming, and the community could gather once again. Today, Fr Marko Phe Bya, Vicar General of the Diocese of Loikaw and parish priest of Christ the King Cathedral, reports that around 500 faithful attend Mass every Sunday.
“When people realized that the Church’s pastoral life was beating once again in this place, the centre of the diocese, they returned. It is extraordinary: people have an unshakeable faith,” he told Fides on the sidelines of the International Forum of Catholic Action , held in Rome in recent days.

The story of this revival is intertwined with that of the civil war that has ravaged Myanmar since the military coup of February 2021. In the eastern state of Kayah, also known as Karenni State, fighting and airstrikes have forced entire communities to flee their homes.
The Church in Loikaw has been directly affected by the conflict. In November 2023, the military occupied the Christ the King Cathedral compound and the diocesan pastoral centre, forcing Bishop Celso Ba Shwe, priests, religious sisters and the faithful to leave. The cathedral was subsequently used as a military base.
Fr Marko Phe Bya recalls that period as a painful interruption to the life of the Church.
“In 2023, we were all forced to leave our pastoral centre because the soldiers drove us out. All the priests, the bishop and the sisters were forced to leave,” he said.
For a long time, the cathedral had no parish priest, while the pastoral centre remained occupied. Fr Marko returned in September 2025.
“The church was somewhat run-down and had sustained some damage, but nothing too serious. We had taken the parish registers, baptismal books and other documents with us to another location to keep them safe,” he explained.

Returning, however, did not mean that the war was over. The city still appeared largely deserted, while most Catholics remained scattered across the region, having fled the fighting.
“When I returned, at most around a hundred people had come back,” he recalled.
In the months that followed, however, the community gradually began to come together again. Today, the priest reports, around 500 people attend Mass at the cathedral every Sunday. At major celebrations, such as the feast of Christ the King, the cathedral’s patronal feast and the culmination of the liturgical year, attendance can reach 1,000 or even 2,000.
In the context of Loikaw, these figures reflect the revival of pastoral activities and ecclesial life. They bear witness to the desire to recover a shared home, to remain a community, to pray together and to prevent the displacement caused by war from severing the bonds that unite people.
“People come to church to cry, to pray and to seek comfort,” Fr Marko explained. “There are so many difficulties in a situation like this: there is not enough food, there is no security, and there are airstrikes. We preach the need to remain steadfast in faith, because God is our hope. People come to church to nourish themselves with spiritual food, which is just as important as material sustenance.”

The Diocese of Loikaw covers Kayah State, a predominantly mountainous region in eastern Myanmar that is considered one of the country’s strongholds of Catholicism. The diocese was established by St John Paul II in 1989, in a territory evangelised from the nineteenth century onwards by missionaries of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions .
Available Church statistics indicate that the diocese has around 90,000 Catholics and a network of approximately 40 parishes spread across the city and surrounding villages. It is a Church deeply rooted in the local community, but one now struggling with mass displacement and the difficulty of keeping communities united after they have been forced to leave their homes.

According to the Vicar General, more than 300,000 people have been displaced across the diocese and are living in hundreds of camps. Among them are approximately 40,000 Catholics, who remain in makeshift settlements, remote villages or the forests. Numerous parishes have been left empty or closed because their populations have fled.
The humanitarian crisis, therefore, extends far beyond the city of Loikaw itself.
Among the displaced, the Church is striving to maintain its presence. Priests do not simply wait for the faithful to return to their churches; they go out to meet them in camps and villages.
“Together with the other priests, we care for them. We visit them and celebrate Mass in the camps outside the city of Loikaw, where there are many small parish communities. The priests accompany the displaced and remain with them. They put up small tents or build huts to serve as churches and chapels. It is a sign of hope when priests go with their people. Whenever our people flee, we accompany them,” he said.

Pastoral ministry is thus closely intertwined with humanitarian assistance. The Church is seeking donors to help families obtain food, shelter, education and healthcare. For those who have lost their homes and livelihoods, as well as the ability to cultivate their land, even daily survival has become uncertain.
“People are returning to the city, but there is no work. They are trying to find employment, whatever work they can get,” Fr Marko explained.
In the villages, many people are trying to grow rice, but fighting can abruptly disrupt their daily lives.
“When clashes break out and bombs fall, you have to flee,” he said.

Material hardship is compounded by fear. The priest explained that travelling around the region requires caution and that Church workers themselves face the risk of arrest and suspicion.
Fr Marko Phe Bya reported that two priests had been arrested in recent months and subsequently released, illustrating how fragile the conditions are in which the Church is attempting to continue its educational and pastoral mission.
He also recalled the case of Sister Benedetta, a religious of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Saints Bartolomea Capitanio and Vincenza Gerosa, commonly known as the Sisters of Maria Bambina, who was working to provide education for children in a conflict-affected village. She was arrested five months ago on suspicion of having links with the National Unity Government , the opposition government, and remains in prison.
The detention of the religious sister has become an occasion for prayer and solidarity within the community. Fr Marko said that other Catholics are also being held in the prison and that Sister Benedetta prays with them.
Whenever he is able to visit her, including on occasions when she receives medical attention, he tries to encourage her and sometimes manages to bring her the Eucharist.
“People’s faith remains strong, even because of the difficulties they face. The more difficulties we encounter, the more we need to encourage one another and the more we are called to pray. This is our faith,” he said.

The resilience of Loikaw’s Catholics, after years of war and displacement, stems precisely from their shared faith and mutual support.
“People endure because of our faith and because they help one another,” the priest said.
The Church community is striving to ensure that families are not left alone. Priests visit displaced communities, bishops encourage the faithful, and prayer sustains those who are exhausted, hungry and afraid.
This experience also sheds light on the words spoken by Bishop Celso Ba Shwe during the years of exile, which Fr Marko recalls and repeats:
“The Church is not a building, but the people who gather in the name of Christ. Our community is made up of people, not buildings. The people are the ‘living stones’.”
“Even when churches are empty or inaccessible, the community continues to exist wherever the faithful pray together, celebrate the Eucharist and care for one another,” he observed.

The hope for lasting peace, however, remains fragile. The priest said that the population is exhausted by a war that continues to take its heaviest toll on innocent people, especially women and children.
“If one side wants to defeat the other and no one speaks about dialogue, how can dialogue begin? To stop the conflict, both sides would have to accept that neither can win by annihilating the other,” he said.
After years of violence, the desire for a negotiated settlement is growing, according to the priest. Through its preaching and prayer, the Catholic Church is also calling for dialogue and reconciliation.
“People long for peace, dialogue and reconciliation. We hope that something may change in the near future, although it does not seem likely to happen very soon,” he said.
“We cannot make the decisions ourselves, but we pray every day for peace, asking the Lord to enlighten the minds and hearts of those who make decisions, so that reconciliation may become possible. The future is in God’s hands.”

"Gift exchange between the Churches requires conversion": Fr. Stan Chu Ilo on the "Church of the Sheaves"

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 17:26:09 +0200

by Marie-Lucile Kubacki

Rome – Diverse Churches, many stories, and an exchange of gifts that runs in every direction. On the sidelines of the first international conference of "The Church of the Sheaves", held at the Pontifical Urbaniana University from 22 to 24 October 2026, Fides spoke with Fr. Stan Chu Ilo. A priest of the Diocese of Awgu, Nigeria, and Senior Research Professor at the Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology of DePaul University in Chicago, Fr. Ilo is co-director, with Fr. Jaeho Chung, of "The Church of the Sheaves: Equipping the Saints for Mission as Gift Exchange", an initiative of the Dicastery for Evangelization.

What has the project achieved so far, and what are your impressions of these first exchanges?

First of all, you can see the beauty of the Catholic Church. It is such a beautiful Church: full of diversity, full of stories, full of enthusiasm and full of joy. This is the work of the Holy Spirit. When the project began, we were not entirely sure how it would work out. Most of the collaborators did not know each other; they came from all over the world. Yet you can see their enthusiasm as they work together, find harmony, and build a compelling narrative of what God is doing in different parts of the world. Whenever I have the privilege of being in this kind of assembly, what always moves my heart is how people from so many places, led by the Holy Spirit and driven by missionary joy and vocation, find convergence. Together they bring to the worldwide Church some of the great narratives we are now hearing. I think of the video of a Filipina woman working in Scandinavia. She talked about the weather and about how she manages to hold all these things together. That is the message: wherever you come from, you find a home. That is not always the case, but it is where we want to be: a synodal Church, a truly Catholic Church, where everyone finds a home.

The Church of the Sheaves is about the exchange of gifts. How can we change our practices and our mindsets so that this exchange becomes truly mutual enrichment?

The first thing is conversion, which I think is central to discipleship. If you look at the Gospels, one of the first things Jesus says is that the acceptable time of God is here: repent and believe the good news. Gift exchange requires conversion, because the eyes, the mind and the heart need to be purified in order to see God. We human beings are often driven by pride and self-sufficiency; we think we know it all. The Church God wants helps us see through the eyes of Jesus, think through the mind of Jesus and feel through the heart of Jesus. That requires purification: less of me, more of God.

This applies not only to individuals but also to cultures, because cultures are individuals writ large. As Pope John Paul II said, social sin develops out of personal behaviours, patterns and practices. Nobody holds a synod to decide, "Let us be mean to others." It happens through copying and imitation.

That brings me to the second point: modelling. That is why, in this project, we are looking at good practices and best practices. This is really what the Church is about: the faith once delivered to the saints, and the boldness of the early Church. They had no money, no power and no influence. They were ordinary people, but they were bold, and their witness of faith, preserved in the biblical narratives, inspires us. Today we are living the Acts of the Apostles, not as a text of Scripture but as the continuing deeds of God in the everyday experiences of our world. We want to show what gift exchange looks like. That is why we are bringing these stories together, so that people can say: "What you think is impossible in Europe is happening in North America." That is the gift: showing the many things that are happening.

The third point is leadership. If we have converted Christians, we will have converted systems and institutions, and practices that model the life of the Trinity: the perichoresis, the exchange of gifts between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, whose inner dynamism generates the diversity and beauty of the world. But we also need converted leaders, because everything in the Catholic Church happens in the parish. Lumen Gentium speaks of the local Churches; the Church is fully present when it gathers to worship and celebrate the Eucharist. So what kind of pastors do we have in our parishes? What kind of bishops do we have in our dioceses? It does not all depend on Rome. Pope Leo is leading by example when he says he wants a Church that builds bridges, but he will not go to Nigeria to build those bridges himself. That is the task of priests, sisters and small Christian communities. This is what it will look like when small Christian communities, in every nook and cranny, begin to weave webs of relationships that reflect this communion.

There is one more point: the incompleteness of life. Life is incomplete; it is cracked. But God fills us through grace and through the presence of the other. The Synod on synodality and its Instrumentum laboris emphasized this mutual need rather than any sense of superiority. It is not "I don't need you", but "We need each other". As the popular song says, we can lean on each other.

How is mission being reshaped? We once thought of mission as going from the North and the West to the Global South. Today sometimes we hear that the South sends missionaries to a secularised West that lacks vocations. Is that really the picture, or is it rather a circular "economy of mission", a whole landscape rather than a matter of West and South?

Yes, it is true. The ancients gave us the image of perichoresis: the three divine Persons dancing together. The point is to become more Trinitarian. It is not one person giving and another receiving; everyone gives and everyone receives. You cannot say it is only the Father, or only the Son, or only the Holy Spirit. Many people, including, I think, Pope Benedict, have said that the crisis we face is an anthropological crisis. I would say that the crisis we always have in the Church is Trinitarian in nature. The more we become like God, the more the Church becomes credible, faithful, fruitful and, if you like, life-giving. So, a new vision of mission: I agree. But I would rather speak of recovering the authentic foundation of mission, its Trinitarian foundation. In the Church of the Sheaves project we have brought these two together: the Church of the Sheaves, the Global South, and the Church of the Seeds, the Global North. As I said yesterday, the sheaves have become seeds, and the seeds will become sheaves. This is how the life of God works for us.

THE CHURCH OF THE SHEAVES CONFERENCE - Listening the Continents: Gifts, Challenges and New Missionary Pathways

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 16:27:25 +0200

by Marie-Lucile Kubacki

Rome – “From mission territories to missionary Churches”: the title of one of the sessions sums up the second day of the first international conference of “The Church of the Sheaves”, devoted to “Listening to the Continents”. The working groups of Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Latin America converged on one shift: moving beyond what the programme calls “a Church divided between permanent givers and permanent receivers”, in the spirit of Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, who opened the meeting by recalling that “every local Church has gifts to give and gifts to receive”.

Neither donors nor beneficiaries

Sr Agnès Sory, for the Africa group, set the tone: “No local Church is only a giver. No local Church is only a beneficiary.” The three verbs “Give – Receive – Send” “do not describe three successive stages, but three inseparable dimensions of missionary communion.” Africa, with its Fathers of the Church and early monastic traditions, did not begin giving today: “What is new is the scale and visibility of its contribution.” The group quoted Pope Leo XIV in Paris on 26 September: “No one is so poor that they have nothing to give; no one is so rich that they have nothing to receive.” Mission now circulates “from South to North, from South to South, from North to South, and also within each local Church”. As Archbishop Nwachukwu had warned, this is “not simply a reversal”: the aim, Sr Agnès said, is “moving beyond the logic of fixed roles”.

Partners, not objects

The Asian report recalls that the dialogue promoted by the the Federation of Asian Bishops'Conferences regards Asia’s religions and cultures as “not objects of evangelization but rather partners for mission”. In remote areas of South-East Asia, encounters are “not of foreign missionaries giving while local communities only receive”, but marked by “reciprocity and mutual enrichment”. For the Africa group, “the availability of financial resources does not alone determine the value of a partner or a donation”. In Cameroon, a parish that received buckets of paint from another organized a collection to pay for its visitors’ return transport, so that no relationship be “reduced to donor and beneficiary”.
The Oceania contribution asks missionaries to “build partnerships between local Churches, facilitating reciprocal gifts rather than merely supplying personnel”. The Filipino Church, which chose the theme “Gifted to Give” for its quincentennial, reminds us that “a gift that is kept ceases to be a gift”. In Japan and other Countries, where Catholic communities are small and ageing, the Asian report calls for moving from assimilation to an intercultural identity in which “all members act as both hosts and guests”, while Filipino, Indian, Sri Lankan, Vietnamese and Korean Catholics bring to the global North their “dynamism, hospitality and their own local catholic traditions”. The European group, which sees migrants “revitalizing parishes”, likewise lists among its signs of hope “mutual learning between Churches of the Global South and Europe”.

The missionary is not a stopgap

The person sent is “neither a technical solution to a shortage of priests nor the representative of a supposedly superior culture”, the African report insists. Fr Cosmas Ajawara, a Nigerian Fidei Donum priest who served 23 years in Canada, brought an experience of the “Church as Family”, received a culture of safeguarding, financial responsibility and transparent administration, and is passing it on to his diocese of origin. In the United States, where a quarter of parish clergy are foreign-born, the bishops consulted expressed gratitude for international priests and religious, while admitting that fraternity between local and international clergy “still needs greater attention”. The European group also noted “misunderstandings between local and foreign clergy, especially regarding authority and collaboration with laypeople”. The US documentary will be titled “Many Members, Many Gifts, One Body in Christ”, while the Canadian one will focus on the gift of the newcomer in a Church of immigrants, where Sunday Mass is celebrated in some thirty languages in the Archdiocese of Toronto, and on Quebec, once a great sender of missionaries, now small but alive. Sr Agnès asked: “Are we willing to welcome others only for what they can do for us, or are we also ready to let ourselves be transformed by the gifts they bring?”

A partnership with truthful memory

Partnership requires naming past asymmetries. The Latin American report recalls an evangelization “inextricably linked to the colonial projects of both crowns” and a credibility crisis, opened by abuse, which “demands a process of restorative accompaniment for victims”. The Canadian documentary will open with the First Nations and reconciliation. For the European group, “safeguarding is a condition of belonging, not an administrative add-on”. Africa proposed a “mission without power”, its missionaries often arriving “without dominant political, economic or cultural support”, and warned against any romanticism: “Suffering is not a gift. Violence is not a gift. Poverty is not a gift.”

Gifts not to be idealized

"Recognizing gifts does not mean idealizing them," Sr Agnès warned. The vitality of the African Churches is real, but "numbers, vocations, and the fervour of celebrations do not tell the whole story". Likewise, the Church as Family "must not be idealized to the point of concealing the divisions, exclusions, or wounds" that run through communities. The mission of the widow's mite, the African report adds, "should neither sanctify poverty nor justify the unpreparedness of missionaries", for "crossing a border is not enough to make a mission". The team presenting Module 12, "Africa and Asia: Emerging Centers of Faith and Solidarity", saw four signs of vibrancy in these Churches: a once colonial Church now "coming of age", theologies more narrative than systematic, a strong sense of inclusivity, and a young Church. It also acknowledged patriarchy, hierarchy and clericalism, divergent views on moral issues, democratic backsliding, corruption and social injustice. It called for a "humble discernment" that neither rejects indigenous wisdom as primitive nor romanticizes it, recalling that "inculturation is never a superficial translation of vocabulary". It also warned that "externally funded peace projects without local ownership rarely survive the funding cycle". Drawing on the Cameroonian Jesuit Engelbert Mveng, it described Africa's deepest poverty as "anthropological": not merely financial, but the despoiling of identity, culture, voice and dignity left by slavery and colonialism. Filipino theologian Andrew Recepción, President of the International Association of Catholic Missiologists, urges that the rich intuitions of synodality be kept from hardening into slogans. Now that the word "has become a buzzword", he warns, it could turn into "an ecclesiastical cliché" or end in "synodal echo chambers" where "the same people all over again" talk among themselves, far from the poor and the marginalized. Without mission, synodality "is reduced to a human effort or simply a new pastoral approach", like the Filipino fiesta, which gathers "the whole town" at "one table", can "remain a celebration without a sending".

Partners within each Church

The same shift applies inside local Churches. The European group sees a Church becoming home when “those once treated as recipients become co-responsible participants”, for “hospitality without influence remains incomplete”: “coexistence alone is insufficient; mission requires encounter, shared worship and mutual transformation”. In Africa, catechists, women and young people sustain communities; the challenge is “to move from seeing people merely as beneficiaries toward recognising them as protagonists”, since “participation does not simply mean carrying out more tasks”. Agnes Brazal described the 17 mission stations opened in the poorest areas of Caloocan, in the Philippines, for migrants who are Catholic yet “unchurched”, and caste discrimination in India, where Dalits make up about 7% of bishops and 4% of priests. Filipino theologian Andrew Recepción warns against “synodal echo chambers” where the conversation ends among “the same people all over again”, while the subaltern voices “are elsewhere”. For him, “synodal formation is the passage from kami to tayo”, from the exclusive to the inclusive “we” of the Tagalog language; and the millions of Filipinos working abroad are missionaries in their own right: “No mission office sent them, yet by baptism they are missionary disciples.” The Latin American group called for greater participation of women and lay people “in the Church’s governing and decision-making structures”, drawing on the experience of “a Church close to the people ” and of a hope “lived as an active virtue”. It plans a regional conference, possibly in August 2027, the year marking the twentieth anniversary of the Aparecida Conference. Fr Cosmas added that “the unity of faith does not require uniformity in its expressions”, citing the Keur Moussa monastery in Senegal and the Congolese rite.

In Europe, where Christianity “has become one subculture among many”, the group also saw signs of hope: over 21,000 adult and teenage baptisms in France in 2026, and young people attracted “not by watered-down Christianity, but by a bold, joyful, and demanding faith”. Practical concerns were also voiced: for example, one participant asked for texts that rural catechists can read. Regional consultations will follow, in Europe on 26–27 November and across Africa. Sr Agnès concluded: “We do not become missionary when we no longer need to receive. We become missionary when the gift received from God becomes, in turn, a gift shared.”

AFRICA/MOZAMBIQUE - Fifty years after independence, education remains a decisive challenge

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 11:36:35 +0200

Nampula – Fifty years after independence, Mozambique has made significant progress in expanding access to education, extending its school network to rural and peri-urban areas. However, serious challenges remain, affecting the quality of education and the prospects of younger generations. This is the picture that emerges from a recent publication shared with Fides News Agency.

Among the most pressing problems are inadequate infrastructure and a shortage of teaching materials, overcrowded classrooms and low levels of learning achievement, particularly in reading and writing. In some areas, pupils still attend lessons in makeshift facilities, sometimes under trees, while libraries and essential teaching resources remain are insufficient. The high number of pupils per class also makes it difficult for teachers to provide individual attention and address the needs of the most vulnerable students. These difficulties are compounded by reports of corruption, favouritism and sexual harassment linked, in some contexts, to assessments and examinations.

Another growing concern is the presence of alcohol and drugs among young people and, in some cases, within school premises themselves. This phenomenon can fuel violence and delinquent behaviour, further aggravating the difficulties faced by families and communities. In Nampula, for example, incidents associated with the consumption of maakha have been reported, including cases of assault.

Against this backdrop, schools are called to rediscover their fundamental mission: not merely to impart knowledge, but to form individuals capable of living responsibly in society and contributing to the common good.
This is where the vocation of the Catholic teacher assumes particular importance. Faced with the shortcomings of the education system, teachers are called above all to be witnesses to integrity, professionalism and responsibility. Their task extends beyond teaching academic subjects to accompanying young people in their human development, helping them cultivate respect, a sense of duty, tolerance, solidarity and concern for others. Personal example thus becomes an essential part of the educational process.
Rejecting corruption, favouritism, all forms of abuse and discrimination means making a tangible contribution to rebuilding trust in schools and public institutions. Likewise, listening to and guiding young people can help prevent violence and substance dependence.

In a country that continues to face profound social and educational challenges, Catholic teachers can therefore become trusted points of reference and agents of change. Their presence, particularly in the most difficult circumstances, represents a concrete form of service to individuals and the wider community.

Mozambique’s true progress, after all, will depend not simply on the number of schools built or pupils enrolled, but on the education system’s ability to form free, skilled and responsible women and men capable of building a more just and inclusive society.

AFRICA/CAMEROON - “There are no differences between French-speaking and English-speaking Catholics in the Church”

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 11:23:11 +0200

Yaoundé – “As St Paul said, ‘There is neither Greek nor Jew’; likewise, in the Church in Cameroon, there are no differences between French-speaking and English-speaking Catholics.” This was stated by Father Florent Ze Ntongo, National Assistant General of the Apostolate of the Laity in Cameroon, in an interview with Fides on the occasion of the International Forum of Catholic Action , held in Rome from 15 to 18 October.
“Within the Catholic Church, there are no problems between French-speaking and English-speaking Catholics. The bishops provide a point of reference in helping Christians understand that, beyond any attempts by politicians to exploit these differences, in the family of Jesus, as St Paul said, ‘there is neither Greek nor Jew, neither slave nor free person’. Our bishops are the first to teach the faithful to live together in harmony, whatever their linguistic background. In Yaoundé, several parishes bring French-speaking and English-speaking faithful together in harmony. A French-speaking parish priest can celebrate Mass for English-speaking Catholics without difficulty, and vice versa.”
Father Ze Ntongo’s role is to work alongside the various lay associations active in Cameroon, in accordance with the guidelines set out in Christifideles laici, the apostolic exhortation of Saint John Paul II.
Among these associations is the Sainte-Marie Association, known as Ekoan Maria, which seeks to promote the formation of Christian women through spiritual life, devotion to the Virgin Mary, prayer and active engagement in the Church and society. It is more than a prayer group: it is a public association serving both the ecclesial community and society, with a commitment to strengthening family life, catechesis, charitable works, solidarity and socioeconomic development.
In 2026, the association celebrated 120 years of service to the Church. The concluding Mass took place at the Shrine of Mary Mediatrix in Etoudi, Yaoundé, and was presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop José Avelino Bettencourt. Also present were Archbishop Jean Mbarga of Yaoundé, Bishop Damase Zinga Atangana of Kribi, and Minister Marie-Thérèse Abena Ondoa. Thousands of women attended the celebration, during which eleven postulants were consecrated.
“We are preparing the national congress of the Sainte-Marie Association, ‘Ekoan Maria’, scheduled to take place from 23 to 25 October in the Diocese of Obala. Its bishop, Msgr Sosthène Léopold Bayemi Matjei, is president of the Episcopal Commission for the Laity,” Father Ze Ntongo explained.
“Alongside women’s associations, numerous other groups are active in the pastoral ministry of the laity, including associations for men, students and workers. More than 100 associations are recognized by the Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, representing both French-speaking and English-speaking communities,” Father Ze Ntongo reported.
“Everything begins in the parishes, where every member of the faithful can find the association best suited to their circumstances and stage of life.”
We asked the head of the Apostolate of the Laity whether Cameroon also has associations for people seeking employment.
“Yes, there are organizations that help unemployed people through vocational training programs,” he replied. “In this sense, the Church is a mother who accompanies her children, whatever their circumstances. To those who often risk giving in to despair, we say: do not lose heart, because the Church continues to encourage her children. As Christians, we believe that life depends on God. Thanks to these associations, which provide vocational training for the unemployed, some people have managed to find work.”
“Alongside these lay organizations, there are also training schools established by dioceses. In Yaoundé, for example, there are at least two vocational training schools for young people,” he concluded.

ASIA/INDIA - Young people march for democracy: for Jesuit Prakash: “A journey to preserve India’s soul”

Fri, 23 Oct 2026 11:15:50 +0200

by Paolo Affatato

New Delhi – A march for democracy, calling for respect for voting rights and institutional reforms, is taking place today, 23 October, at the initiative of the national network “People Against Special Intensive Revision ”, established to coordinate protests against the revision of electoral rolls.
The movement is challenging the way in which the Election Commission of India has updated voter lists. The centralized “cleansing” of the electoral rolls has reportedly led to the exclusion of approximately 130 million citizens from the registers, effectively depriving them of the right to vote. The movement accuses the government of using the SIR process as a “political weapon”, disproportionately excluding minorities, internal migrants and the poorest sections of the population. Particular criticism has been directed at the “unilateral and opaque” manner in which Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has handled the process, with protesters calling for his resignation.

The mobilization, which calls on people to gather outside administrative offices in state capitals and in the national capital, comes amid growing youth participation and increasing mobilization across different sectors of Indian society.
Father Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit committed to promoting human rights and social justice, told Fides about “the commitment to truth and justice, particularly among youth movements”. He also drew attention to the symbolic significance of the Hindu festival of Dussehra, an important celebration observed at this time of year.
“It is a time when we celebrate the victory of good over evil, truth over falsehood, transparency over corruption, harmony over sectarianism, and light over darkness,” Prakash explained.

At the heart of the mobilization are the younger generations. “Winds of change are blowing in Delhi and, indeed, across the country. Generation Z is at the forefront, supported by Generation Y, the Millennials, while Generation Alpha refuses to stand by and watch,” he said.
However, the protests extend well beyond student circles. Alongside young people, “farmers, lawyers, precarious workers, homemakers, academics, media professionals, older people and civil society organizations are coming together. All are determined to open a new chapter in the country’s history,” he noted.

Civil society’s demands

The movement gained momentum following the mobilization on 16 September in Delhi and the surrounding areas of the national capital, where thousands gathered despite restrictions, responding to a call by the Cockroach Janata Party , a new political movement that has emerged on the national scene .
Demonstrators chanted slogans and formed a human chain outside the presidential residence, holding a tricolour flag stretching for more than 80 metres.
The authorities responded with a substantial deployment of police forces and the detention of protesters and members of the All India Students Association. Two movement leaders, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, had been held in custody on charges of “violating rules governing demonstrations”. They were released on 21 October after seven days in detention.
Young protesters are also denouncing restrictions on spaces designated for demonstrations, the closure of metro stations and internet disruptions in areas where protests are taking place. They regard these measures as government attempts to weaken the demonstrations.

A significant step towards coordinating the protests came on 14 October, when national and state-level organizations met for consultations. According to Prakash, more than 200 civil society organizations took part, including youth groups and farmers’ associations. The meeting led to the creation of the People Against SIR network, which announced the “People’s March for Democracy” for 23 October.
The mobilization is calling for a review of the SIR system and the reinstatement of voters whose names have been removed from the electoral rolls. Organizers are also demanding a new Election Commission appointed through an impartial process, a fair revision of the electoral rolls, a return to paper ballots, and reforms to ensure free, fair and transparent elections.
The appeal is addressed to professional associations and civil society groups, which are being urged to mobilize peacefully “in every village, every street, every home”. The slogan, widely circulated as part of the campaign, reflects the movement’s aim of turning every space of everyday life into a place of democratic participation.

Mobilization transcends generational boundaries

The protests are unfolding against a backdrop of younger Indians asserting their role in public life, using social media to spread messages, slogans and personal accounts. For Fr Prakash, their presence is not merely a matter of numbers, but a sign of renewed civic energy.
“The events in Delhi have breathed new life into the energy of young people and all sections of society, directing them towards a more determined path forward,” he said, noting that lawyers and prominent public figures are also supporting the mobilization.
At a public hearing on complaints concerning the SIR system, testimonies gathered from several states, including Karnataka, Delhi, Rajasthan, Telangana, West Bengal and Odisha, were presented to an independent commission comprising five former judges. The commission is expected to formulate its findings.
“The issue concerns citizens’ right to participate in political life and their trust in the institutions responsible for conducting elections,” Fr Prakash stressed. “Citizens are setting out on a journey to preserve India’s soul.”
He added that the movement draws inspiration from the tradition of non-violence associated with Mahatma Gandhi, who pursued “truth and goodness”.
“The youth mobilization seeks to embrace this legacy and translate it into a call for civic participation and responsibility, until the values of democracy, equality, justice and truth prevail,” he concluded.

AFRICA/LIBYA - Eva Gretzmacher and Claudia Abbt released after nearly two years in captivity

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:42:18 +0200

Benghazi – Austrian national Eva Gretzmacher and Swiss national Claudia Abbt, who were abducted separately in Agadez, Niger, in 2025, have been released. The Nigerien news agency Air Info reported that the two humanitarian workers arrived in Benghazi, eastern Libya, on Wednesday, 21 October.
According to information released so far, a plane was due to leave Benghazi today, Thursday, 22 October, stopping in Vienna to hand Eva Gretzmacher over to the Austrian authorities before continuing to Switzerland with Claudia Abbt. The precise circumstances of their release have not been disclosed.
Eva Gretzmacher was abducted from her home in Agadez on 11 January 2025. Claudia Abbt was kidnapped in the same city in April of that year. Several sources have attributed both abductions to the Islamic State in the Sahel . According to reports circulating in the media, Saddam Haftar, son of Libyan Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, may have played a decisive role in their release. However, his involvement has not been officially confirmed.

“Gifts to give and gifts to receive”: The Church of the Sheaves opens its first international conference in Rome

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:17:27 +0200

by Marie-Lucile Kubacki

Rome – "Your presence, drawn from different Churches, cultures, and pastoral contexts, already expresses the fundamental truth – the truth that the mission of the Church belongs to all of us, and no local Church can fulfil it alone, and none should be left out." With these words, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, opened the first international conference of "The Church of the Sheaves" at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome on 22 October 2026.

The three-day meeting, entitled "A Church for All: Synodal in Method, Missionary in Spirit, Credible in Love", brings together Church leaders, scholars and pastoral workers from five continents. It is the first public event of a wider programme – sponsored by the Dicastery for Evangelization in partnership with the Urbaniana's Faculty of Missiology, DePaul University's Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology, under the co-direction of Fr. Stan Chu Ilo and Fr. Jaeho Chung – which extends through Pentecost 2028 and includes a fourteen-module online course, documentaries, publications, regional meetings and a podcast.

The name of the initiative comes from Psalm 126, the psalm of those who sow in tears and return home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. Countless missionaries, Archbishop Nwachukwu recalled, left their homelands, "often at a young age", "crossed oceans and cultures, and went forth without knowing whether they would return", sowing the Gospel far from home. Today, he noted, the fruits of that sowing are visible "particularly in Africa, in Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean, and in Latin America": "communities alive in faith, new vocations, and gifts that can enrich the whole Body of Christ".

Gratitude, however, "must be accompanied by truthful memory". The Church must "neither romanticize the history of mission, nor reduce it to its failures": "We have had successes – great successes – in the past; but we also have failures... we are not even today able to avoid failures, and it would be a mistake to reduce our mission to its failures." There were times, he acknowledged, "when local cultures were not adequately respected, when abuses occurred, and when missionary activity became entangled with colonial power": these wounds, he said, must be acknowledged honestly, and the Church must "learn from them with humility", while honouring the missionaries who "gave themselves generously to the Gospel".

An exchange of gifts that renews the Church

The heart of Archbishop Nwachukwu’s address was reciprocity. "Today, local Churches that once received missionaries are also sending them", becoming "missionary Churches in their own right". Yet "this is not simply a reversal in which yesterday's receivers become today's givers. It is an invitation to move beyond a model of mission that flows in only one direction. Every local Church has gifts to give and gifts to receive." The Church of the Sheaves, he stressed, is about a "genuine exchange of gifts through which the whole Church is renewed", not merely about the movement of personnel.

In practice, receiving a missionary means welcoming "a brother or sister" and helping them understand the language, history and pastoral realities of the community. "They arrive not only with needs; they arrive also with gifts: the gifts of their faith, their experience of God, and the fruits of the Churches that formed them. Missionaries, in turn, must listen, learn, and serve with humility." Sending Churches, he said, must provide sound human, spiritual, cultural and pastoral formation, while receiving Churches must offer accompaniment and genuine opportunities for integration: both "share responsibility for fruitful mission".

This vision responds to a world marked by migration, cultural pluralism, inequality and distance. Pope Leo XIV, the Archbishop said, "has reminded us that the Church is called to build bridges among peoples and cultures", offering hospitality, solidarity and compassion particularly to migrants and those on the peripheries; in continuity with Pope Francis' culture of encounter, "we must listen before speaking and understand before judging". Recalling Genesis, he insisted: "All of us, the image and likeness of God."

The Church of the Sheaves, he added, belongs "within the horizon of synodality", and he recalled Pope Francis' three terms: communion, mission and participation. "Synodality does not demand uniformity or the erasure of differences." Linking the Greek roots of the word – syn-odos, "together on the way" – with ex-odos, he observed that to walk together is to set out, asking: "What is our exodus? Where are we coming from?"

“Run together”, like the two Apostles towards the tomb

Returning to what he called "that Easter morning sprint", Archbishop Nwachukwu recalled how the Gospel tells us that Peter and John "ran together": one ran faster, but "arriving first did not make his journey more important than the others'". In his reading, Mary Magdalene was the third runner, "running silent" – and quite often, he said, those who run behind the scenes "are the ones that meet Christ first and receive the message". "We are not asked to be identical, but to journey together."
He expressed the hope that the conference will form pastoral agents marked by intercultural humility, strengthen ties between sending and receiving Churches, and help parishes and dioceses respond to migration, cultural diversity and "new digital spaces where people seek meaning and community".

Recalling Ephesians 2:19 – "You are no more strangers, but fellow citizens and members of the same household of God" – he said the question was not simply "What can one Church offer another?" but also: "are we ready to receive one another's gifts with gratitude, humility, and trust?"

Archbishop Nwachukwu concluded with an invocation to Mary, "the first missionary after Jesus Christ", who carried Christ to Elizabeth with haste and humility, he greeted the participants with a final wordplay: "welcome to the Church of the Sheaves – and also, don't forget, the Church of the Seeds."