A synodal church respects cultural differences, Chinese bishop says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Being a synodal church that respects the cultural expressions of different nations can go a long way to helping Catholics evangelize in China, said one of two bishops from the mainland participating in the Synod of Bishops.

"Being a synodal church engaged in the mission of evangelization means respecting and listening to the voices of different stories, cultures and traditions in the journey of seeking humanity's ultimate goal, which is God," Bishop Vincent Zhan Silu of Funing-Mindong told the synod.

While Pope Francis has asked for confidentiality regarding what synod members say and hear in the synod hall, Vatican News published an article Oct. 17 about the two Chinese bishops' greetings to the synod. The article noted that until the Vatican and China signed an agreement on the appointment of bishops in 2018, no bishops from the mainland had been authorized to attend a synod.

Vatican News reported that Bishop Zhan focused his remarks on the history of Christianity in China, speaking particularly about the Jesuit missionary, Father Matteo Ricci, who arrived in China in the late 16th century, and his "experiment" to "adapt the Christian Gospel to different human practices."

But, the bishop said, "the discernment between cultural differences and the need to preserve the authenticity of the Christian faith became a source of confusion for missionaries in China. This confusion led to the famous 'Rites Controversy,' which took place precisely in my diocese, in Mindong."

The controversy focused on Father Ricci's and other Jesuits' conviction that the common Chinese rites of ancestor veneration were social and cultural, not religious, and so even baptized Catholics could continue the custom. The Vatican's doctrinal office disagreed.

"From a historical perspective," Bishop Zhan said, "one of the reasons for this setback was that the church ignored the differences and complementarity of human cultures."

The bishop told the synod that church leaders must learn "humbly from both historical and current experiences" when discerning how to approach new cultural challenges.

Vatican News reported that the other synod bishop from mainland China, Bishop Joseph Yang Yongqiang of Hangzhou, gave the other synod delegates more of a general description of the Catholic Church in China today.

"The church in China is the same as the Catholic Church in other countries of the world: We belong to the same faith, share the same baptism, and we are all faithful to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church," he said.

"We effectively adapt to society, serve it, adhere to the direction of the 'sinicization' of Catholicism, and preach the Good News," the bishop said. Some observers see "sinicization" as an effort to incorporate more Chinese cultural influences into the church and its liturgy, while others see it as an attempt by the communist government to impose its ideology on the church and exercise full control over it.

Bishop Yang told synod members, "We strive to be like 'light and salt' for world peace and the promotion of a community where humanity can enjoy a shared destiny" and "we promote development through various types of projects."