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Herald Malaysia
30-05-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Chinese diocese unveils statue of Jesuit missionary
The Diocese of Fuzhou has unveiled a statue of Italian Jesuit missionary Fr Giulio Aleni to mark the 400th anniversary of his arrival in the region. May 30, 2025 A sketch of Jesuit priest Giulio Aleni. (Photo: FUZHOU, China: The Diocese of Fuzhou has unveiled a statue of Italian Jesuit missionary Fr Giulio Aleni to mark the 400th anniversary of his arrival in the region. The statue, placed outside the Cathedral of St Dominic, was revealed by Bishop Joseph Cai Bingrui following a two-day seminar (May 16–17), according to dubbed the 'Confucius of the West,' arrived in Fuzhou in 1625 and is credited with founding the Jesuit mission in Fujian Province. Born in Brescia, Italy, in 1582, Aleni joined the Society of Jesus in 1610 and spent 40 years in China, starting in Beijing before settling in the from China, Hong Kong, and Italy gathered to discuss Aleni's legacy as a missionary, scholar, astronomer, and mathematician. Aleni adopted the inculturation methods of fellow Jesuit Matteo Ricci and wrote over 20 works in Chinese, including the influential The True Origin of All Things (1628) and a life of Jesus (1635). Aleni reportedly built more than 20 churches and baptised around 10,000 Chinese. He died in 1649 and is buried at the Mount of the Cross in Fuzhou.
New Indian Express
22-04-2025
- New Indian Express
Devasahayam's sainthood links Pope Francis to Kanniyakumari
KANNIYAKUMARI: The faithful in Kanniyakumari remembers him for conferring sainthood on Devasahayam — the first Indian layman to be canonised by the Catholic Church. It was on May 15, 2022, that Pope Francis declared Devasahayam of Kanniyakumari a saint during a solemn ceremony at St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Speaking to TNIE, Father Hilarius, the former Vicar General of the RC Diocese of Kottar, said the diocese of Kottar undertook the cause for Devasahayam's canonisation. Born as Nilakandan in a Hindu family in Nattalam village in present-day Kanniyakumari district on April 23, 1712, Devasahayam was baptised on May 14, 1745, by Italian Jesuit missionary Fr Giovanni Baptista Buttari. He took the name Lazarus, later translated to 'Devasahayam', meaning 'God is my help'. Working in the Travancore royal court, Devasahayam embraced Christianity and began preaching the faith while denouncing caste discrimination. This drew the ire of the authorities and he was falsely accused of treason and espionage. He was executed by gunfire at Kattadimalai in Kanniyakumari on January 14, 1752.
