Chinese Catholics from Beijing, Shanghai, and elsewhere donated statues of Venerable Matteo Ricci, SJ and the Servant of God Xu Guangqi to the cathedral in Ricci’s hometown of Macerata, Italy.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, was the
principal celebrant at a Mass at the cathedral on May 9.
Cardinal
Parolin described the gift as a “beautiful gesture of friendship” and
said that China is a “country dear to the Holy See.”
“The Vatican is interested in the relationship with China because it
wants to achieve a presence of the Catholic Church that is marked by
normality,” he continued.
“Matteo Ricci was a great friend of China, and we believe that through the method he adopted we can grow in friendship and mutual knowledge.”