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Pope Francis General Audience
Saint Peter’s Square Wednesday, 31 May 2023
Catechesis. The passion for evangelization: the apostolic zeal of the believer. 15.
Witness: the Venerable Matteo Ricci
Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible.
To the Jews I became like a Jew to win over Jews; to those under the law I became like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win over those under the law.
To those outside the law I became like one outside the law—though I am not outside God’s law but within the law of Christ—to win over those outside the law.
To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In these catecheses we continue to speak about apostolic zeal, that is, what the Christian feels to continue the proclamation of Jesus Christ. And today I would like to present another great example of apostolic zeal: we have talked about St Francis Xavier, about St Paul, about the apostolic zeal of the zealots.
Today we are going to talk about an Italian who went to China: Matteo Ricci.
Originally from Macerata, in the Marche region, after studying in Jesuit schools and entering the Society of Jesus himself, he was inspired by the reports of the missionaries he heard and, like so many other young people who heard them, he asked to be sent to the missions of the Far East. After Francis Xavier’s attempt, twenty-five other Jesuits had tried in vain to enter China.
But Ricci and one of his confreres prepared very well, carefully studying the Chinese language and customs, and finally managed to settle in the south of the country.
It took eighteen years, with four stages through four different cities, before arriving in Beijing, which was the center.
With perseverence and patience, animated by an unshakable faith, Matteo Ricci was able to overcome difficulties, dangers, distrust and opposition.
Think at that time, walking or horseback riding, so many distances … And he kept going. But what was Matteo Ricci’s secret? In what way did his zeal drive him?
Matteo Ricci always followed the path of dialogue and friendship with the people he met, and this opened many doors for him to proclaim the Christian faith.
His first work in Chinese was a treatise On Friendship, which was very well received.
In order to fit into Chinese culture and life, at first he dressed like Buddhist Bonzi, according to the custom of the country, but then he understood thatthe best way to adopt the lifestyle and dress of the literati, was to dress like university professors and he dressed like that.
He studied their classical texts in depth, in order to present Christianity in positive dialogue with their Confucian wisdom and with the customs and traditions of Chinese society. And this is called an attitude of inculturation. This missionary knew how to “inculturate” the Christian faith in dialogue, like the ancient Fathers with Greek culture.
His excellent scientific preparation aroused the interest and admiration of the educated men, starting with his famous globe, the map of the whole world then known, with the different continents, which reveals to the Chinese for the first time a reality outside China much wider than they had ever thought.
It shows them that the world is bigger than China, and they understood it – because they were clever. But also the mathematical and astronomical knowledge of Ricci and his missionary followers contributed to a fruitful encounter between the culture and science of the West and the East, which then lived one of its happiest times, in the sign of dialogue and friendship.
In fact, Matteo Ricci’s work would never have been possible without the collaboration of his great Chinese friends, such as the famous “Doctor Paul” (Xu Guangqi) and “Doctor Lion” (Li Zhizao).
However, Ricci’s fame as a man of science should not obscure the deepest motivation of all his efforts: namely, the proclamation of the Gospel.
He proceeded with scientific dialogue, with scientists, but. he gave witness to his faith, to the Gospel. The credibility gained through scientific dialogue gave him the authority to propose the truth of Christian faith and morals, of which he speaks of in depth in his main Chinese works, such as The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven – as this book is called. In addition to doctrine, they are his testimony of religious life, virtues and prayer: these missionaries prayed. They went to preach, they moved, they made political moves, everything: but they prayed.
It is prayer that nourishes the missionary life, a life of charity, of helping others, of humility, of total disinterest in honors and riches, which led many of his Chinese disciples and friends to accept the Catholic faith.
Because they saw a man so intelligent, so wise, so clever in the good sense of the word – to move things forward, and so believing that they said: “But what he preaches is true because it is said by a person who who testifies: he testifies with his own life to what he proclaims”.
This is the consistency of evangelizers.
And this touches all of us Christians who are evangelizers.
I can recite the “Creed” by heart, I can say all the things we believe, but if my life is not consistent with what you profess it is useless.
What attracts people is the witness of consistency: we Christians are called to live what we say, and not to pretend to live as Christians but to live as worldly people.
If you look at these great missionaries – like Matteo Ricci who is Italian – if you look at these great missionaries, you will see that the greatest strength is consistency: they are consistent.
In the last days of his life, Matteo Ricci, when asked by those closest to him how he was feeling, “replied that at that moment he was pondering whether the joy and happiness he felt inwardly at the thought of being close to his journey of going and tasting God, or the sadness that could cause him to leave the companions of the whole Mission, whom he loved very much, and the service that he could still give to God our Lord in this Mission, were greater”.
(S. De Ursis, Report on M. Ricci, Archivio Storico Romano S.I.).
It is the same attitude of the Apostle Paul (cf. Phil 1:22-24), who wanted to leave the Lord, in order to find the Lord but said “I remain to serve you”.
Matteo Ricci died in Beijing in 1610, at the age of 57, a man who gave his whole life for the mission. The missionary spirit of Matteo Ricci is a living model for today.
His love for the Chinese people is a model; But his consistency of life, the witness of his life as a Christian represents what the current way is.
He brought Christianity to China; he is great, yes, because he is a great scientist, he is great because he is courageous, he is great because he has written so many books, but above all he is great because he has been consistent with his vocation, consistent with that desire to follow Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, today we, each one of us, ask ourselves within: “Am I consistent, or am I a little so-so?”
