China invites the Vatican to Horticultural Exhibition in Beijing
Card Ravasi notes that “at a religious level the dialogue between the official Church and the so-called underground Church has begun,” so "What will happen during the Expo will be a different kind of dialogue, purely cultural. Its task is to create an atmosphere in which it is possible to speak a little more about possible exchange, not only in the religious sphere, but also in the fields of art, culture and scientific research."
Vatican City (AsiaNews) – China has invited the Holy See to Beijing’s International Horticultural Exhibition that will be held from April to October 2019. This will be "the first time that the Holy See officially participates at an Expo," said Alessandro Gisotti, acting Holy See Press Office director, at the press conference presenting the Vatican's participation in the event.
During the meeting, Card Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, answered a reporter’s question saying that "at a religious level the dialogue between the official Church and the so-called underground Church has begun, and it has been a long process.” The prelate will be the commissioner of the Holy See pavilion.
“What will happen during the Expo will be a different kind of dialogue, purely cultural. Its task is to create an atmosphere in which it is possible to speak a little more about possible exchange, not only in the religious sphere, but also in the fields of art, culture and scientific research."
Card Ravasi cited the example of Matteo Ricci and "of a whole series of Jesuits who carried on a dialogue with Chinese culture in an extremely creative and careful way, namely via inculturation."
The prelate noted that the day dedicated to the Holy See, 14 September, comes a day after the start of a national holiday in China.
On this occasion, a symposium on the environment will be held in the Vatican Pavilion, which covers an area of approximately 200 square metres. Documents from the Vatican Apostolic Library on herbaria and the medicinal properties of herbs and plants will be on exhibit.
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