Pope Francis has approved the new decree of the Congregation for the Canonization of the Holy See, which provides for the recognition of the sanctity of the Chinese apostle and Jesuit Father Matteo Ricci.
(Vatican News Network) Pope Francis agrees to declare Jesuit father Matteo Ricci venerable. On December 17, when the Pope met Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Congregation for Canonizations, he approved the decree of the Congregation announcing 10 new blesseds and 14 venerables. The heroic virtues of Father Matteo Ricci were recognized and counted among the honorable ones.
Father Matteo Ricci was a Jesuit who served as an apostle in China from the late 16th century to the early 17th century, he is known as one of the Church’s greatest missionaries and is still highly respected in Asia. Compared to words, Father Matteo Ricci spreads the faith with the holiness of life and love for all men. Pope Francis has quoted Father Matteo Ricci many times and said: «His greatness lies not only in what he did and in what he wrote, but also in the fact that he was a man he met, a man who met culture, a man who has transcended A man as a stranger; he becomes a citizen of the world ”.
The Pope also stated that Fr. Matteo Ricci “was one of the first to build a bridge of friendship between China and the West, implementing a model of localization of the Christian message in the Chinese environment. This model still works today.”
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