Pope Francis remembers the 100th anniversary of the Concilium Sinense in China

This Tuesday, the Vatican released a video message from Pope Francis in which he remembers the 100th anniversary of the “Concilium Sinense”, the first Council of the Catholic Church that took place in Shanghai in May 1924.

Within the framework of this anniversary, the Pontifical Urbaniana University celebrates this May 21 an international conference promoted by Fides Agency, the Pastoral Commission for China and the Dicastery for Evangelization.

The Holy Father wanted to participate in this event, celebrated under the title “100 years of the Concilium Sinense: Between history and the present”, with a message in which he remembers this “important stage in the path of the Catholic Church” in China, where “an authentically synodal experience” was lived and important decisions were made.

In the video, Pope Francis highlights that during that time, thanks to the Holy Spirit, harmony was maintained and “even perplexity and resistance” was overcome.

He also recalls that many of the Fathers present “were not yet willing to consider the possibility of entrusting the leadership of their dioceses to priests and bishops born in China.”

However, gathered at the Council, “they all made a true synodal journey and signed the provisions that opened new ways so that the Church, including Catholic China, would increasingly have a Chinese face.”

“They recognized that this was the step that had to be taken, because the announcement of Christ’s salvation can only reach each human community and each person if they speak in their mother tongue,” the Pontiff states.

In his video message, Pope Francis also remembers Celso Costantini, first apostolic delegate in China, who by decision of Pope Pius XI was also the great organizer and president of the Council.

According to the Holy Father, “Costantini applied a truly missionary vision to the concrete situation” and limited himself to repeating that the mission of the Church was “to evangelize, not colonize.”

Thanks to Costantini, “the communion between the Holy See and the Church in China manifested its fruits, fruits of good for all the Chinese people,” he says.

Likewise, Pope Francis expresses that this relevant Council not only served to forget “erroneous approaches” of the past, but also to “follow paths more in line with the nature of the Church and its mission.”

He also reiterates that “the Lord in China has guarded the faith of the people of God along the way” and that “Chinese Catholics, in communion with the Bishop of Rome, walk in the present time.”

“Those who follow Jesus love peace, and are together with all those who work for peace, in a time when we see inhuman forces at work that seem to want to accelerate the end of the world,” he asserts.

The Holy Father assures that remembering the Shanghai Council “can also suggest to the entire Church today new paths and open paths to boldly follow to announce and witness to the Gospel in the present.”

Finally, remember that on May 24, the feast of Mary Help of Christians, “the Church throughout the world will pray with the brothers and sisters of the Church in China, as Pope Benedict XVI requested in his Letter to Chinese Catholics.”

He ensures that he joins these prayers to entrust the Virgin Mary “to our brothers and sisters in faith who are in China, to all the Chinese people and to all of our poor world, asking for her intercession, so that peace always triumphs everywhere.” .