European Parliament Honors Jesuit Missionary Ricci

The plenary session of the European Parliament opened on Jan. 19 in Strasbourg, France, with an exhibition on Jesuit Father Matteo Ricci, a symbol of intercultural dialogue.

The exhibition’s theme is “Meeting of Civilizations. Father Matteo Ricci, European ambassador to China of the Ming Dynasty,” and many authorities of Macerata, Italy, the birthplace of the missionary, were present for the occasion.

“Ricci teaches us how to understand and relate with China,” said Antonio Tajani, vice president of the European Commission. “The key to the success of Ricci was to address the confrontation with China in terms of excellence, an approach and a way that are still valid today in the relations with this country representing a great opportunity for Europe.”

The exhibition presents Ricci and his work as a model of fruitful intercultural relations, underlining its European character and highlighting that first encounter between European and Chinese civilizations for which he was responsible both through his learning and through friendship.

The trilingual exhibition, curated by Filippo Mignini, Director of the Macerata Ricci Institute for the Relations with the East, is a reconstruction of Ricci’s life and work showing the first decisive meeting between the two civilizations from the year 1582 until Ricci’s death in Peking in 1610. [Missouri Province]