There are a lot of things to see in Beijing, but what fascinated
me the most was how the Catholic Church was treated here, behind
the tattered remains of the Bamboo Curtain. South Cathedral (Nan
Tang), also known as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception,
was built near the home of Father Matteo Ricci, the Italian
Jesuit missionary (1552–1610). Beijing has two “cathedrals.” The
Jesuits who established this and the “North Cathedral” saw one
as a basilica but used the same word to describe them both for
cultural reasons. Only the southern church is the actual
cathedral, seat of the bishop. In Chinese culture, the south is
considered the most important cardinal direction. Thus, anything
associated with it is afforded great honor and respect.The
universal Church is getting ready to mark the 400th anniversary
of Father Ricci’s death in 2010. Pope Benedict XVI wrote
recently to the bishop of Macerata, Italy, the missionary’s
birthplace, noting that the Jesuit was “gifted with profound
faith and extraordinary cu