"La Civiltà Cattolica"
journal launches new edition in simplified Chinese
 |
| St Joseph's Church in Beijing |
The prestigious Jesuit journal, "La Civiltà
Cattolica", has launched a new edition in simplified Chinese on the
occasion of its 170th anniversary this year.
By Vatican News
Founded in 1850 by Italian Jesuits, La Civiltà
Cattolica is one of the oldest periodicals in the world. On the
occasion of its 170th anniversary, its new simplified Chinese
edition is also being offered as a gesture of friendship, given the
increasingly important role that the Chinese language plays in the contemporary
world within the global context.
Parolin - fruit of a friendly encounter
In a letter to Fr. Anthony Spadaro SJ, the Director of the
Jesuit periodical, Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, praised
the initiative, which intends to “write a new chapter - fruit of the friendly
encounter with the rich tradition of the Chinese people.” He said this
corresponds with the “particular vocation” of the review which is “to build
bridges and to establish a dialogue with all people.”
“Therefore, I can only express from the depths of my heart
my warmest best wishes and the fervent hope that your review in the Chinese
language might become a solid instrument of mutual cultural and scientific
enrichment,” the cardinal wrote.
The Italian journal, begun before the unification of
Italy, has always enjoyed a very intimate and special relationship with the
Holy See and Roman Pontiffs, promoting the dialogue between the Christian faith
and contemporary culture with patience and respect.
Matteo Ricci
It was precisely Pope Francis who gave La Civiltà
Cattolica the model of Father Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) or Li Madou, as
he was known in China. The Jesuit, who moved from Macerata in Italy’s Marche
Region to China at the age of 30, drafted a huge map of the world in 1602,
which served to create a wider understanding of the world and to connect the
Chinese people with other civilizations.
In a divided world such as our own, said the journal in a
press release, it is an ideal image of the harmony of a land at peace. Thus,
our review desires to be in its own way a map of the world, connecting cultures
and civilizations.
Cultural friendship
In 1601, Matteo Ricci also composed a treatise on
friendship, which offered an opportunity for the Mandarin Chinese and the
“literati” of the Ming Dynasty, to know the thinking of the great philosophers
of the West. For the Jesuits and for the great scholars within Western
culture, the treatise also offered the foundation for dialogue with the great intellectuals
of China.
According to the Rome-based Jesuit periodical, European
cultures have learned much from the great Chinese culture and from the wisdom
of the Chinese, thanks to the study and the passion of the Jesuits. This is the
reason why the Jesuit journal decided to start a Chinese edition.
The Chinese edition contributes to making La Civiltà
Cattolica more and truly international, said the press release. For
some years now, its writers are all Jesuits from different countries and
continents, who offer unique and original contributions.
Since 2017, the review has been published in five different
languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish, and Korean; and now a Chinese
edition.
The fortnightly review has always aimed to provide deeper
assessments of topics and events of broad significance.
All the writers are Jesuits and the articles are reviewed
and approved by an official of the Vatican’s Secretariat of State before
publication.
In his message to the journal, Pope Francis expressed hope
that in its pages, “the voices of many different frontiers might be
heard.” He defined the journal as “unique in its genre.”
The website address of the Chinese edition: https://www.gjwm.org. Also
available as redirect are: http://www.gongjiaowenming.org and http://cn.laciviltacattolica.org The
website is sub-divided in four sections: News (新闻);
World (观世界); Christian Reflection (基督教文化研究);
and Culture (文化及评论).
Linked to the website is the WeChat account of the review
whose identification code is gjwm1850.
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