The website of the State Administration for Religious Affairs reporting on the visit of Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe
Archbishop of Naples Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe met with Director Wang Zuo’an of the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) on Oct. 26 in his first trip to mainland China.
In his role as prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 2001 to 2006, the cardinal only visited the Churches in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
His delegation included leaders of the international lay organization, the Community of Sant’Edigio, which serves the poor and promotes ecumenism. It has been active in providing a bridge between China and the Vatican in recent years.
On Oct. 26, the five-member delegation also joined a seminar organized by the Development Research Center of the Development Research Center of the State Council, sharing views on religions’ contribution to social harmony with seven Chinese scholars.
Ren Yanli, a retired researcher on the Catholic Church who attended the seminar, told ucanews.com the main purpose of Cardinal Sepe’s visit was to promote religious and cultural exchange between China and Italy, especially Naples.
“It has nothing to do with China-Vatican relations,” Ren noted.
The 67-year-old cardinal met with Wang at the SARA office. According to a news brief on the SARA website, the men “discussed strengthening Sino-Italian religious exchanges and other issues.”
Kwun Ping-hung, a Hong Kong-based China Church observer, told ucanews.com that he did not see that the former perfect’s visit would have any impact on China-Vatican relations as both sides have already established their official communication channels. Nevertheless it would be beneficial to have mutual exchange between the Churches of China and Italy.
The delegation today visited the tomb of Jesuit Father Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) and met Bishop Joseph Li Shan of Beijing.
Sister Theresa Ying Mulan, who heads Beijing diocese’s foreign affairs office, told ucanews.com that Cardinal Sepe and Bishop Li introduced their respective dioceses to each other.
They both mentioned Father Ricci’s contribution to the friendship and cultural exchanges between China and Italy before they ended their meeting by praying the Lord’s Prayer in Latin together at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral, she said.
The delegation will then attend another seminar and other activities at the Italy Pavilion of the World Expo in Shanghai on Oct. 28.
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, who is paying his first state visit to China, will attend the same World Expo activity.