Chinese priest: For the Year of the Horse, greater integration with Italians
Rome (AsiaNews ) - The Lunar New Year " is the most important festival for Chinese people all over the world . We want to thank the president of the CEI for the good wishes addressed to us , and I pray that with the new Year of the Horse will bring more determined steps towards a full integration between the Chinese and the Italian communities", says Fr. Joseph Zhang, the Chinese Catholic chaplain of Milan.
Speaking to AsiaNews, Fr . Zhang exlains that New Year's Eve "officially starts tomorrow, but we do not have a chance to do anything before Sunday, 2. We will celebrate together with a Mass at 10.30 am in our local parish: the ceremony will be bilingual, Italian and Chinese. After the mass we perform the rite for our departed ancestors [ in which the dead are remembered and their virtues honored- ed], and then we will make a procession through Chinatown. Soon after, we're going to eat together in a restaurant, of course a Chinese restaurant. During lunch there will be some entertainment, songs and dances, and then the traditional red envelope will be handed out ["hong bao", a greeting printed on a card within a red envelope ed.] Inside there will be some money and a saint, to wish material and above all spiritual wealth for the Year of the Horse".
The festivities of the Lunar New
Year have become familiar even in Italy: "We are guests in a parish, so we
can not do too much. But the fact that so many Italian friends will be
celebrating with us also shows that the situation of the Chinese community is
improving. Yet decisive steps are still needed for a full integration: the
second generation of Chinese in Italy must have a child, and these children
will achieve full integration. At the moment there are still some obstacles
that must be overcome together. "
In any case, said Fr . Zhang,
" in Milan after the riots of 2010 , relations are improving. You can also
see the Italians in Via Sarpi stores, and this is very important for community
harmony. For the New Year I hope that Italians will be closer to the Chinese ,
while the Chinese become more open. Business relations are not enough, we must
build personal relations between the two communities. In this sense I am grateful to Cardinal Bagnasco for the
greeting addressed to us during the opening
session of the CEI . "
Opening the Permanent Episcopal
Council, January 27, the archbishop of Genoa said: "On the occasion of the
Chinese New Year, we express affectionate closeness to those who live and work
in our country , in the hope that their living conditions can grow according to
the expectations
of human dignity and tragic events , such as those that took place tragically
in Prato, never recur. "
The
cardinal was referring to the
blaze on 1st December 2013 in a textile factory owned by a Chinese group in
Tuscany . Seven
people were killed in the fire, all illegal immigrants, the drama threw the
spotlight on the situation of the Chinese community in Italy - about 150
thousand people, of which 40 thousand in Prato - that is constrained to work
grueling shifts in unsafe environments.
Immediately after the massacre Fr
. Francis
Xavier Wang, chaplain of the Chinese community in Prato, told AsiaNews: "The problem is that the
Chinese are not safety-conscious since this kind of tragedy fortunately has
never occurred before. Sometimes hazardous materials are used in a cavalier
manner, increasing the danger. There are often no fire prevention equipment,
and some employers lock doors and gates to supervise better workers. This
painful lesson will help us understand that safety always comes first, and
hopefully everyone will get it. "
The
Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday in East Asia. This
year it falls on the 31st January, when the snake will give way to the horse. Chinese
communities, at home and abroad , celebrate this anniversary by bringing the
family together, paying off all their debts and eating dishes together that
augur prosperity and good health.
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02/01/2023 13:29
