Fu Ren University confers an honorary degree on Msgr. Savio Hon Tai-fai
by Bernardo Cervellera
The ceremony was attended by Cardinals Paul Shan and Joseph Zen, as well as bishops and political figures in Taiwan. The doctoral dissertation of Mgr. Hon was the figure of Card. Celso Costantini, the first apostolic delegate to the Republic of China, a passionate defender of the Chinese people against Western powers, an advocate of an indigenous hierarchy, patron of an integration between Chinese culture and the Gospel. Current challenges of secularism in Taiwan and the political control of the faith in China.
Taipei (AsiaNews) - The Catholic University of Taiwan, Fu Ren Da Xue today conferred an honorary degree in philosophy on Msgr. Savio Hon Tai-fai, Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. "This PhD - said Mgr. Hon to AsiaNews - makes me even more united with the Holy See promoting the progress of culture and in integrating Christian culture and Chinese culture". The secretary of Propaganda Fide hopes that this commitment will aid evangelization in China, provided that "Christians remain faithful to the pope and their identity."
The solemn ceremony took place in the university's "Card Cushing" auditorium, located a few kilometres from the capital of Taiwan. There were two outstanding Cardinals present, Card. Paul Shan, archbishop emeritus of Kaohsiung and Card. Joseph Zen, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, together with some bishops of Taiwan (Msgr. Peter Liu of Kaohsiung, Msgr. John Hung, Archbishop of Taipei), the faculty and the Ambassador of the Republic of China to the Holy See, Larry Wang.
After a moment of prayer, various personalities intervened to emphasize the value of the candidate for the honorary doctorate, and recalled his commitment as a Salesian priest, as a professor in Hong Kong and China, until his appointment to secretary of Propaganda Fide, "the highest ranking Chinese national in the Vatican. " All stressed that the integration of Msgr. Hon in the faculty aims to enhance the mission for which the university was founded: to evangelize the world through Chinese culture.
The president of Fu Ren. Dr. Bernard Li pointed out that cultural commitment is also made of testimony and cited Card. Shan - who just turned 90 years and undergone an operation for cancer, who still spends himself on behalf of the Church's mission in Taiwan and China - and Card. Zen, who recently fasted to defend freedom of education in Hong Kong, against the claims of government control of the territory.
Fu Ren University was founded in 1925 at the behest of some bishops, religious and laity in China and with the strong support of Card. Celso Costantini (1876-1958), the first apostolic delegate to the Republic of China. He was a strong advocate of the inculturation of the faith within Chinese mentality. He also gave rise to lessons in traditional Chinese culture in seminaries, the first synod of Shanghai (1924), the first six Chinese bishops (1926); support in bringing forth a Chinese Christian art in painting and architecture . An honest study of Costantini could show the groundlessness of many ideological slogans popular in China in the past and today.
After Mao Zedong seized power, the university was closed, the buildings seized, the missionaries expelled. But in 1961 it was restored with the same ideals and this year celebrates its 50 years of life on the island.
Msgr. Hon devoted his dissertation to the very figure of Celso Costantini, illustrating his love for the Chinese people and the culture, and his condemnation of Western powers and their expansionist designs on China, as well as his generosity to the poor, and his continuing attempt to present Christianity not as a faith "of the colonialists", but as the revelation of Christ, the fulfilment of the desire of the Chinese religion. Quoting a Chinese diplomat, who later converted to Catholicism and became a Benedictine, Lou Tseng-Tsiang, Msgr. Hon linked Taoist belief with the Catholic faith, the phrase "In the beginning was the Tao and the Tao became flesh ..." because "Christ is the Tao which recapitulates all wisdom."
Visibly moved, at the end of the ceremony, Msgr. Hon spoke to AsiaNews about what the the doctorate means to him: "I'm really honoured by this gesture. And for two reasons. First, because this is a university founded by the Holy See in 1925, with a very specific purpose: intellectual formation for lay people and priests. This Ph.D. unites me even closer to the Holy See's commitment in promoting the advancement of culture and its integration with Chinese culture. "
"The second reason - he added - is that the founder of Fu Ren was Card. Celso Costantini, Apostolic Delegate to China at the time. The discovery of this figure was a wonder for me. His mentality expresses love for China, giving birth to a passion for Chinese Christian art and style, his attention to great and small personalities, just like Matteo Ricci. All this makes him a very timely and constructive figure for everyone who wants to be a missionary to China today. Then Card. Costantini was my predecessor in a certain sense [he was secretary of Propaganda Fide in 1935-ed] in his commitment to this university and I am happy to be part of this tradition”.
Regarding the probability of success of this commitment, both in China and in Taiwan, Msgr. Hon explained: "Regarding the future for a relationship between Chinese culture and Christian culture, this work has no obstacles in Taiwan. There are problems in China, different problems with different aspects. In Taiwan, there is the internal challenge of a secularism that is very strong in society. In China, secularism is not strong, actually, you only have to look at the number of conversions to Catholicism [150 thousand per year, about - ed], it seems that this is easier.
But in China the external challenges and obstacles of a political nature that are placed in front of faith, are stronger. The important thing is that those who believe remain loyal to the pope and their Christian identity. "
The solemn ceremony took place in the university's "Card Cushing" auditorium, located a few kilometres from the capital of Taiwan. There were two outstanding Cardinals present, Card. Paul Shan, archbishop emeritus of Kaohsiung and Card. Joseph Zen, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, together with some bishops of Taiwan (Msgr. Peter Liu of Kaohsiung, Msgr. John Hung, Archbishop of Taipei), the faculty and the Ambassador of the Republic of China to the Holy See, Larry Wang.
After a moment of prayer, various personalities intervened to emphasize the value of the candidate for the honorary doctorate, and recalled his commitment as a Salesian priest, as a professor in Hong Kong and China, until his appointment to secretary of Propaganda Fide, "the highest ranking Chinese national in the Vatican. " All stressed that the integration of Msgr. Hon in the faculty aims to enhance the mission for which the university was founded: to evangelize the world through Chinese culture.
The president of Fu Ren. Dr. Bernard Li pointed out that cultural commitment is also made of testimony and cited Card. Shan - who just turned 90 years and undergone an operation for cancer, who still spends himself on behalf of the Church's mission in Taiwan and China - and Card. Zen, who recently fasted to defend freedom of education in Hong Kong, against the claims of government control of the territory.
Fu Ren University was founded in 1925 at the behest of some bishops, religious and laity in China and with the strong support of Card. Celso Costantini (1876-1958), the first apostolic delegate to the Republic of China. He was a strong advocate of the inculturation of the faith within Chinese mentality. He also gave rise to lessons in traditional Chinese culture in seminaries, the first synod of Shanghai (1924), the first six Chinese bishops (1926); support in bringing forth a Chinese Christian art in painting and architecture . An honest study of Costantini could show the groundlessness of many ideological slogans popular in China in the past and today.
After Mao Zedong seized power, the university was closed, the buildings seized, the missionaries expelled. But in 1961 it was restored with the same ideals and this year celebrates its 50 years of life on the island.
Msgr. Hon devoted his dissertation to the very figure of Celso Costantini, illustrating his love for the Chinese people and the culture, and his condemnation of Western powers and their expansionist designs on China, as well as his generosity to the poor, and his continuing attempt to present Christianity not as a faith "of the colonialists", but as the revelation of Christ, the fulfilment of the desire of the Chinese religion. Quoting a Chinese diplomat, who later converted to Catholicism and became a Benedictine, Lou Tseng-Tsiang, Msgr. Hon linked Taoist belief with the Catholic faith, the phrase "In the beginning was the Tao and the Tao became flesh ..." because "Christ is the Tao which recapitulates all wisdom."
Visibly moved, at the end of the ceremony, Msgr. Hon spoke to AsiaNews about what the the doctorate means to him: "I'm really honoured by this gesture. And for two reasons. First, because this is a university founded by the Holy See in 1925, with a very specific purpose: intellectual formation for lay people and priests. This Ph.D. unites me even closer to the Holy See's commitment in promoting the advancement of culture and its integration with Chinese culture. "
"The second reason - he added - is that the founder of Fu Ren was Card. Celso Costantini, Apostolic Delegate to China at the time. The discovery of this figure was a wonder for me. His mentality expresses love for China, giving birth to a passion for Chinese Christian art and style, his attention to great and small personalities, just like Matteo Ricci. All this makes him a very timely and constructive figure for everyone who wants to be a missionary to China today. Then Card. Costantini was my predecessor in a certain sense [he was secretary of Propaganda Fide in 1935-ed] in his commitment to this university and I am happy to be part of this tradition”.
Regarding the probability of success of this commitment, both in China and in Taiwan, Msgr. Hon explained: "Regarding the future for a relationship between Chinese culture and Christian culture, this work has no obstacles in Taiwan. There are problems in China, different problems with different aspects. In Taiwan, there is the internal challenge of a secularism that is very strong in society. In China, secularism is not strong, actually, you only have to look at the number of conversions to Catholicism [150 thousand per year, about - ed], it seems that this is easier.
But in China the external challenges and obstacles of a political nature that are placed in front of faith, are stronger. The important thing is that those who believe remain loyal to the pope and their Christian identity. "
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See also
May 24, 2017: 'China, the Cross is Red', AsiaNews Symposium
08/05/2017 13:45
08/05/2017 13:45
