Society of Jesus

Philippine Province
Chinese-Filipino Apostolate
Convention 2010
Mary the Queen Parish
Xavier School
Sacred Heart Parish
SHS-Jesuit
Ateneo de Iloilo /
Sta. Maria Catholic School
Sta. Maria Parish
Context
1859 Return of the Jesuits to P.I.
1949Arrival of China Jesuits
1989 Integration into Phil. Prov.
1999 Province Consultation on CFA
2009 Jesuit Cluster Meeting in Cebu
“Conversations” in Iloilo
2010 Convention in Cebu
 3 Groups in 1999

Patriarchs: continuing mission to the Chinese

Middle Heirs: inheriting the mission

Young Heirs: formed by the mission

 1999 Statement
We remember… the work of the missionaries.

We celebrate… the gifts over fifty years.

We believe… in the continuing relevance of the mission

to the Chinese… “the SJ in the Philippines
still has a mission to evangelize the Chinese
Filipinos, and the approach to take is that of
integration, where Chinoys become Filipinos
who are in touch with their Chinese cultural
heritage.”
Cluster Meeting
16-18 June 2009, Cebu
Objectives
* To evaluate how the Province has advanced in
terms of “Chinese-Filipino Ministry” in the light
of the 1999 “Areas of Agreement”
* To articulate present and future opportunities
and challenges
* To explore directions for the future
 Areas of Agreement (1999)
On our Schools
 Our three schools should prioritize Chinese Filipinos
in terms of admission policies.
  An excellent Chinese Language Program should be a
hallmark of our three schools, esp because most parents are
unable to transmit language and culture adequately
 There is a lack in our schools’ efforts at making
the Gospel values penetrate Chinese culture.
 Areas of Agreement (1999)
On our Parishes
 Regardless of whether our parishes are personal (i.e., explicitly
missioned to the Chinese community) or both personal and
territorial, our three parishes should make a conscious and
deliberate effort to minister to the Chinese-Filipino
community.
 Our parishes should continue organizing special liturgies
for the Chinese Filipinos (e.g., using the Chinese language,
customs, and rituals; celebrating the Chinese festivals).
 Our parishes have still been unable to provide enough
theological reflection regarding Chinese customs and practices
(e.g., ancestor veneration).
 Insights after ten years
1. We specified the what, but not the how.
2. Many activities, but not necessarily stemming from the
Areas of Agreement.
3. Jesuits assigned to these works still feel unprepared,
just like the Middle Heirs felt in 1999.
4. We now have younger generations of Chinoys who are
well-educated, but very Westernized and often
Christian only externally; losing touch with Chinese
culture.
5. We still have much to do in terms of evangelizing the
culture, e.g., morality, ethics, syncretism.
6. The rise of China presents new opportunities.
7. We need some structure to ensure that the mission
dimension of our schools and parishes gets adequate
attention.
The Chinese-Filipino Apostolate is needed
because:
•  The Chinese Filipinos are an influential sector in
society and we have begun a process with them.
•  We need to be part of planting the seeds that will
affect the future of our country.
•  Evangelization is a work in progress. This is not the
time to abandon our fruit but the time to nurture it
and make it grow.
•  Many of our students and families today are Catholic
only nominally. They are sacramentalized but not
evangelized.
•  The Jesuit CFA is natural spring board for engaging
China, which is a priority of the SJ.
SJ General Congregation 35 (2008):
Decree 3, Challenges to Our Mission Today

Ignatius and his first companions understood the

importance of reaching out to people on the frontiers
and at the center of society, of reconciling those who
were estranged in any way. From the center in Rome,
Ignatius sent Jesuits to the frontiers, to the new
world, “to announce the Lord to peoples and cultures
that did not know him as yet.” He sent Xavier to the
Indies. Thousands of Jesuits followed, preaching the
Gospel to many cultures, sharing knowledge with and
learning from others. He also wanted Jesuits to cross
other types of frontiers between rich and poor,
between educated and unlearned. (#15)
 Frontiers in the Jesuit CFA
IDENTITY
In response to the needs of the contemporary Chinese Filipino, to help
create a distinctly Chinese-Filipino identity by defining it as (a)
rootedness in Chinese language and culture, (b) transformed by the
Gospel, and (c) committed to building the Filipino nation; and by
promoting the consciousness of such an identity especially among the
youth.

INTERSECTIONS
In the tradition of Matteo Ricci, to build bridges at the intersections of faith
and culture by addressing the inevitable tensions and contradictions
arising from the encounter between Christianity and Chinese-Filipino
culture and practices; and by facilitating reflection and dialogue on
specific pastoral, spiritual, and moral dilemmas, in order to provide
tools for discernment in the Chinese-Filipino community
 Frontiers in the Jesuit CFA
INSERTIONS
In the missionary spirit of Francis Xavier, to pursue new ways of sharing
the faith with the Chinese by focusing our efforts on those we have not
yet reached--the less affluent Chinese Filipinos, the new immigrants
from China, the mainland Chinese; and by sharing our mission more
deeply with our lay partners.

IMPACT
In fidelity to Ignatian principles, to seek greater impact by assisting in the
formation and training of leaders and ministers who serve China and
the Chinese both within and beyond Jesuit institutions.
Feedback from 2009 Iloilo“Conversations”
IDENTITY
•  Identity is hard to pin down. We want to form people
who love their country, live out their faith, and are in
touch with their cultural heritage, but how exactly do
we do it?
•  Schools can review their curriculum and see where
identity issues can be addressed.
•  Both schools and parishes can create a more Chinese
environment through physical structures or exposures
to China.
Feedback from 2009 Iloilo“Conversations”

INTERSECTIONS
•  We often do not articulate the connection between
faith and culture. Can we reflect on what Christian
faith says about family life, the way we do business,
our customs during funerals, etc.? Have we allowed
Chinese values or ways to take precedence over
Christian teachings?
•  We need people who can lead us in reflecting on
these issues and facilitating the dialogue.
•  We need to review our curriculum, formation
programs for youth, parents, parishioners.
Feedback from 2009 Iloilo“Conversations”

INSERTIONS
•  Can we strengthen existing programs instead of
“aiming for the moon” (the new immigrants, the less
affluent Chinoys, the mainland Chinese)? There is a
tension here— we seem very hesitant because there
are still many Chinoys we haven’t reached, but then
the first missionaries were so full of zeal!
•  How can we systematically reach out and become
friends with these sectors, and slowly influence them?
•  Suggestions: regular outreach to less affluent Chinoys
or to the new immigrants, sick and bereaved Chinoys.
Feedback from 2009 Iloilo“Conversations”

IMPACT
•  We need concrete structures for training people who
will minister to the Chinese—both lay and religious,
both in schools and in parishes. But how, what?
•  Can we interact more with the Chinese clergy and
religious who are in our midst, for mutual enrichment
and help (tap them for our formation programs)?
 Objectives of Convention 2010
•  To reflect on the frontiers in the Jesuit Chinese-
Filipino apostolate from the perspective of
Matteo Ricci’s missionary strategies (occasion of
Ricci’s 400th death anniversary this year)

•  To concretize the frontiers in the specific context

of each institution

•  To create bonds of friendship and common

mission among the six institutions dedicated to
Chinese-Filipino ministry
Review: Efforts at Inculturation
Illustrating the Frontiers: Example of
Buddhism and Christianity
 Chinoys Today

Integration / assimilation is a natural and inevitable

process. In our Chinese-Filipino apostolate, the
question is what role we play in the process. In the
past ten years, the Jesuit and national CFA have said
that we “still have a mission to evangelize the
Chinese Filipinos, and the approach to take is that of
integration, where Chinoys become Filipinos who
are in touch with their Chinese cultural heritage.”
Review: What is inculturation?
• The Gospel taking root in another
culture
• Intertexts: a text we see/hear
reminds us of another text.
E.g., Guadalupe
• Interweaving our life stories with
the story of Jesus
Examples
• Sts. Peter and Paul in Greco-Roman culture
• St. Thomas Aquinas in Greek philosophy
• Matteo Ricci in China
• Roberto de Nobili in India
Examples
• Birth
• Engagement and Wedding: rite, double happiness,
unity candle
Examples
• Engagement and Wedding: rite, double happiness,
unity candle
Examples
• Engagement and Wedding: three bows
Examples
• Engagement and Wedding: stole, offerings
Examples
• Death
rituals: Mass card, 49th day, wake and
funeral customs
Examples
• Death rituals: memorial Masses, Chinese style
 •  Liturgy: architecture, colors, incense, images

Queen of China Cathedral

Tainan
Chinese parish
Iligan City, Mindanao
•  Liturgy: architecture, colors, incense, images
Most of our efforts at promoting the integration of faith
and culture have been in the area of liturgical inculturation, as
we have seen in the previous examples.

The frontiers proposed by the Jesuits recognize this and try to

pay attention to areas that have not been given adequate
attention.
 Frontiers in the Jesuit CFA
Issues at the intersections of faith and culture:
 Example of “Buddhist Christians”
Is Jesus a Buddha?
 We just want to continue the tradition we learned from our
elders.

  It does no harm; the effect can only be good.

  We go to church for our regular prayer, but the temple is the

Chinese way of marking certain occasions and getting answers
to very specific questions.
 The effect is religious syncretism, simultaneously practicing
elements of different religions. And some of the beliefs are
incompatible.

  If you study Buddhism, you will find that most of the rituals the
Chinese say are “Buddhist” are not Buddhist at all. And many
so-called Buddhists are not aware of basic Buddhist teachings.

  For example: divination, offerings for the dead, etc.

  No central authority. Main division is between Theravada and
Mahayana, but under each are numerous lineages/
schools/sects.

  Core Buddhist teachings: karma and rebirth; nirvana; no

permanent, unchanging self.

  Chinese Buddhism has four main schools: Huayen, Tiantai,

Pure Land, Chan. But these can co-exist in the same temple.

  Chinese folk religion vs. “pure” Buddhism

  Popularity of humanistic Buddhism, e.g., Tzu Chi

Contemporary times: development of humanistic Buddhism by
monks and nuns who wanted to shift attention from rituals and
funerals to social work.
Emphasis on meditation, spread of Tibetan schools
What explains the attraction of Chinoys to
Buddhism/ Chinese folk religion?

 Chinese face of spirituality, worship, even social work

 Charismatic spiritual figures like Ven. Zhengyan of Tzu Chi
  successful adaptation to Chinese culture
  socialization with fellow Chinese
What can Catholics learn from Chinese Buddhism?

  a model for successful inculturation

  meaningful rituals for venerating the dead
  from the Chan tradition, we can learn methods of
concentration, mind work, meditation, that can enrich our own
Christian spiritualities
So is there such a thing as a Buddhist Christian?

A. If you mean observing certain Buddhist or Chinese rituals,

but still practicing Catholicism, the answer is No. That is
religious syncretism.
B. If you mean you accept Buddhist philosophy as a worldview
(4 noble truths and 8-fold path, but not rebirth), then the
answer is Yes. Buddhist philosophy is compatible with
Christianity.
C.  If you mean you borrow Buddhist ways of prayer and
meditation to enrich your spiritual life, e.g., Chan/Zen, then
the answer is Yes. There are priests who are Zen teachers
or even Masters.
So is there such a thing as a Buddhist Christian?

  To avoid confusion, it is important to be very careful with

language. Rather than say you are a Buddhist Christian, expand
the sentence and say you believe in Buddhist philosophy or
practice Buddhist ways of meditation.
  In reality, those who say they are Buddhist Christians are often
just being syncretist and trying to justify their practical attitude.
It is also popular to be pluralist, but if we are serious about our
Christian faith, we have to be careful…
  Karma and rebirth are core teachings of Buddhism, and despite
attempts at ‘softening’ their meaning to make them acceptable
to Christians, they are fundamentally incompatible with the
image of a loving and merciful God and the dignity of every
human being.
Questions for reflection

  How can we help Chinese Catholics who face the dilemma of

being expected to perform Buddhist or Chinese folk rituals?
  What can we do in our parish/community to address the same
needs that Buddhist temples or movements address for some
Chinese Catholics? E.g., meditation classes with a “Master,”
social work, venerating the dead, formally partnering with Tzu
Chi so that we have a platform for influencing the Catholics
there
  How can we respond to the position of many Chinese that
syncretism is okay? How do we lead them to take their
Christian faith more seriously?
 Objectives of Convention 2010
•  To reflect on the frontiers in the Jesuit Chinese-
Filipino apostolate from the perspective of
Matteo Ricci’s missionary strategies (occasion of
Ricci’s 400th death anniversary this year)

•  To concretize the frontiers in the specific context

of each institution

•  To create bonds of friendship and common

mission among the six institutions dedicated to
Chinese-Filipino ministry