The other day I was visiting a friend of mine in Sinpeitow, Taiwan. At his home I met a gentleman who was introduced to me as a very successful journalist and an authority on world history. In our conversation, this gentleman told me that, according to his study, all past wars had been won by the side with which the Catholic Church stood. He pointed out, however, that he was not a Catholic, neither was he a member of any religious denomination, but that he had lived his 52 years of life according to the teachings of Confucius. In other words, he was just a typical educated Chinese. Consequently, I asked him if he knew the reason why victory always sided with the Catholic Church. He replied that he thought it was because the truth would always come out triumphantly in due time. I further asked him what he considered to be the truth. He hesitated for a while and then said that the truth was what we Chinese called "Heaven." Pleased with his answer, I told him that the word "Heaven" for the Chinese was equivalent to God for Westerners. The truth is therefore God Himself.
Indeed, from the very beginning of Chinese history and, in fact, at the time of Abraham, the Chinese people, starting with their good emperors Yao and Shun till this day, have formed their own racial characters through two fundamental moral principles, namely, the worship of Heaven and filial piety.
Heaven, to the Chinese mind and in the Chinese heart, according to their traditional knowledge, is a Supreme Being who rewards the good and punishes the wicked, and who is the principle and the end of all things. To Heaven, therefore, the Chinese people pay their highest honor and follow its precepts. That I should say is equivalent to the First Commandment of God. Because of that knowledge of Heaven, the Chinese people never use the name of Heaven indiscriminately, but invoke it with high respect and as an important witness. That I should say is equivalent to the Second Commandment of God. Then on the first and 15th day of each lunar month, the Chinese people kindle incense to worship Heaven in public. That I should say is equivalent to the Third Commandment of God.
Besides the worship of Heaven, the second fundamental principle of Chinese morals is filial piety. On filial piety all good works depend, such as obedience to superiors, amity to friends, kindness to inferiors, sincerity in deed, carefulness in words, modesty in conduct. From this filial piety all evil things are excluded, such as killing, stealing, lying, fornication, coveting, etc. Filial piety is, therefore, the observance of the Fourth Commandment of God, but because of its strict keeping, all other evils which the other commandments of God, the fifth to the tenth, forbid are excluded and all the good works which those commandments prescribe are included. Therefore, I may safely say that Chinese people are natural Christians. To make them supernatural Christians, we need only to give them an elevator to ride, that is, to give them the Sacrament of Baptism with which they may be elevated from the natural level to the supernatural, from earth to heaven. You can imagine, therefore, that when Confucius meets Christ, he will find Him not as a stranger, but as a friend. Likewise, will the Chinese people, particularly the educated ones, when they meet Christ and enter the Church He Himself instituted.
To clarify this point, I should like to tell briefly how an educated Chinese might be brought into the Catholic Church with reasonable facility, and through the conversion of the educated Chinese, we might realize the mass conversion of Chinese people to Christ. Let us now take the case of Lou Tseng-tsiang, former Prime Minister of China and Benedictine Monk of the Catholic Church, and see how he attained the goal of eternal life from Confucianism to Catholicism.
His Family and Education:
Lou Tseng-tsiang was born in Shanghai on June 12, 1871, and died in Brussels, Belgium, on January 15, 1949. He was the only son of Lou Yun-fun and Wu King-ling. His parents were married in 1854. The couple had a daughter born to them before Tseng-tsiang, but she died in infancy. His parents were poor and had to work hard for a living. Tseng-tsiang was born weak. While delivering him, his mother suffered from a sickness known as "water-inflation," and died of it eight years later. Throughout his life, Tseng-tsiang suffered from the early death of his mother. Consequently, he wished all people in the world who still had mothers would enjoy maternal love so that he might share with them in that love and receive from them some comfort for his own loss. His father was a Protestant Sunday school teacher. He was so devoted to that work that every morning he went out to distribute evangelical leaflets. Impressed by the good example of his father, Tseng-tsiang used to give away good reading materials, and in doing that he never counted the cost.
When Tseng-tsiang was 11 years old, his father sent him to a primary school. When the schoolteacher saw that he was such a skinny and shy boy, he despised him on the one hand and pitied him on the other. With other six-year old boys, Tseng-tsiang studied the Chinese classics. On the next day, when the skinny boy was asked by the teacher if he knew his lesson of the day before, Tseng-tsiang replied yes and recited it faultlessly. The teacher was well pleased with him and felt that he was a promising boy.
After two years in the primary school, Tseng-tsiang had thoroughly learned the Four Books. His father then decided to transfer him to a foreign language school, but the entrance examination was very strict. When the school principal learned that Tseng-tsiang had only studied four classical books, he considered him unqualified for the entrance test. But the assistant principal took pity on him and asked Tseng-tsiang to show him his palm. The assistant told the principal that from his palm and his face he seemed to be a smart boy, and asked him if he could recite a chapter from the Analects. Tseng-tsiang recited the designated chapter so fluently that the principal was surprised. He was then asked by the principal, "Why did you start your schooling so late?" Tseng-tsiang replied that it was because his mother was ill and that she was dead. Forthwith, the principal gave him permission to register for the entrance examination. Tseng-tsiang was one of 16 pupils who succeeded in the examination.
It was in his 13th year that Tseng-tsiang entered the foreign language school in Shanghai. There was a very kind old teacher named Alphonse Bottu, who was particularly fond of Tseng-tsiang. When he was 18, Tseng-tsiang got suddenly sick of the same sickness of which his mother died. Because of that illness, he had to suspend his studies for one year. "Everybody thought. I would die, but God saved me," Tseng-tsiang wrote in his later life. After his recovery, he had to catch up with his lost studies and he did so successfully. When he was 21, he left Shanghai for Peiping where he passed the entrance examination for Tung-Wen College.
In Peiping, Tseng-tsiang continued his study of French and French literature. Hisfavorite teacher was the famous professor, Charles Vapereau. In studying French, Tseng-tsiang did not intend to enter diplomatic life because a diplomat had to master Chinese history and literature besides a foreign language. What he intended to do was to study abroad for a few years and then return to China to take up some good position in the Post Office.
Tseng-tsiang's academic record was outstanding. His mastery of the French language could match that of French academicians, and he had a profound knowledge of Chinese literature. He learned Confucius' books so well that his life became typically Confucian. In his old age, he interpreted the Bible in the light of Confucian principles and he supplemented the teachings of the Bible with those of Confucius.
Career and Marriage of Lou:
When he was 22, Tseng-tsiang left for Russia at the request of Hsu Ching-cheng, Minister of China to St. Petersburg, to join the Chinese embassy as an apprentice-translator. Though Tseng-tsiang did not like to become a diplomat, he bowed to his father's wishes to place himself under the wings of Minister Hsu.
Minister Hsu taught his pupil to observe everything, particularly to pay attention to the education of men. "When you enter the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," Minister Hsu said, "you must train diplomatic specialists, because laymen cannot do the job." After having taught him diplomatic protocol, his teacher pointed out to him what the work of a diplomat was. Lou started in the Chinese Embassy at St. Petersburg as a fourth grade interpreter, but because of his teacher's wise guidance and his own efforts, he got promotions rapidly. He later became a very successful diplomat and was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China under four Presidents and was twice Prime Minister.
In his book entitled "Souvenirs et Pensees," Lou wrote: '''When you interpret,' my teacher told me, 'don't be afraid, but be natural and correct to the original ideas and accompany what you say with expressions,' 'In diplomatic relations,' continued my teacher, 'the manner of expression is very important. Therefore I first take you to visit ladies. To them, it does not make much difference if you talk a little too loudly,' After sometime, Minister Hsu told me: 'I am going to visit the Minister of Foreign Affairs and will take you with me. Are you afraid?' I replied: 'Your Excellency has taught me not to cower before the great and the mighty. I am not afraid.' Minister Hsu was very patient with me. He told me beforehand what he was going to tell the Minister of Foreign Affairs so that I might have an easier time interpreting. After the audience with the Minister, Mr. Hsu told me that I had not done badly, except that I was somewhat timid and not natural enough in speaking out. 'You will be all right after some practice,' my teacher encouraged me. That was the first time that I interpreted to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia."
Minister Hsu also taught his pupil international law and principles and regulations of treaties and pacts. Lou Tseng-tsiang spent 14 years in St. Petersburg and from a fourth grade embassy interpreter he was promoted to be Minister of China to Russia.
While he was in St. Petersburg, Tseng-tsiang met a noble Belgian lady, Miss Berthe Bovy, whom he married on February 12, 1899 at St. Catherine's Roman Catholic Church, though he was a Protestant. Miss Bovy was a good Catholic and her grandfather and father were both Belgian generals. She and Tseng-tsiang first met in a diplomatic banquet as she was a close relative of the Belgian Minister, Mr. Leghait, to St. Petersburg. "I love her," Lou wrote in his book "Souvenirs et Pensees," "because of her exceptional mind, brilliant virtue, sober judgment, sound principles, noble conduct, unselfishness, courage in the face of hardship and honesty."
Directions of his Father & his Teacher:
In 1892, when Lou Tseng-tsiang was leaving for St. Petersburg, his father went to Peiping to see him off and gave him a farewell souvenir. "As you are going to Russia and I returning to Tientsin, I have nothing to give you except one word, that is, the word 'Heaven.' Other fathers leave their sons a thousand dollars or a code of moral principles. But if you look at Heaven as you would a thousand dollars or a golden code, then what I leave to you is not little, and thereof I may feel consoled. What you will get from Heaven will be immense. Heaven is most trustworthy, while men are not. In all my life I have trusted Heaven and I have found it most trustworthy. If you put your trust in heaven, you will find it likewise. I hope that you will not look down on the gift of the word 'Heaven,' just because it is not as heavy as a code or as precious as a thousand dollars. I live according to the precepts of Heaven and I feel very happy. I hope that you will do likewise, and when you have difficulties, put your trust in Heaven. But never beg any man for your living. Remember this always."
One of the best pieces of advice that his teacher, Minister Hsu, gave him was this: "The strength of western civilization does not consist in machine-guns, neither in its scientific progress, but in its religion. When you embark upon a diplomatic career, you will have the opportunity to study the religion of Jesus Christ. There are many sects of Christian religion, but you should study the oldest one which will lead you to the origin of Christianity. When you study religion, you must faithfully keep religious laws, study religious organizations, observe religious works. When you retire from diplomatic life, you may advance one step by selecting one of the oldest religious orders which you should enter. Study the secret of the spiritual life of the Order. After you have fully understood this spirit and have mastered the essentials of the Christian religion, then take back to China what you have acquired and spread it to your countrymen."
From Confucianism to Catholicism:
"The spirit of Confucianism has prepared my mind for clear understanding of the nobility of the Christian doctrine. The nobility of Christianity is not connected with the defects of Christian individuals, but from the defects of Christian individuals, the nobleness of Christianity shines out brighter. Three hundred years ago, a high official of the Chinese Imperial Court, Paul Hsu Kuang-chi was also initiated into the greatness of the Christian doctrine through Confucianism. The spirit of Confucianism has made me understand the excellence of the Roman Catholic Church. Because the Roman Catholic Church holds the treasury of immense spirit, the faithful may absorb or use this spirit's treasury for various purposes. It is inexhaustible. The spirit of this treasury is always new and fresh. It flourishes from century to century and fructifies likewise."
Having arrived at this understanding of Catholicism, Tseng-tsiang found it was time for him to carry out the direction of Mr. Hsu to enter the oldest Christian Church. Therefore he went to see Father Lagrange (the priest who blessed his wedding at St. Catherine's Church in St. Petersburg on February 12, 1899), when he was made Minister of China to St. Petersburg, and told the priest his intention to become a Catholic. Impressed by his sincerity, Father Lagrange questioned him on the general principles of the Catholic Church, made him repent his sins and received him into the Catholic Church with a conditional Baptism on October 23, 1911. After being received into the Catholic Church, he went home full of happiness, embraced his wife and kissed her. She did not know that without any external ceremony he was already in the same Church with her. Hence the only thing separating them was now overcome. After a few days, he received the first Holy Communion and on April 4, 1912, he was confirmed by the Archbishop of St. Petersburg.
"My conversion to the Catholic Church was not a conversion, because I was not influenced by anything outside of me. Neither was I converted according to my own plan. My conversion was just a vocation. God led me. God called me. What I did was very simple. I just clearly recognized external circumstances and internal vocation from God, and at the same time I gave recognition to this vocation. What my conscience obliged me to do was to obey God, to follow truth and to fulfill my duty. Hence I could not but join the Roman Catholic Church. Besides, I did not do anything. I only wished to work for the glory of God," Lou Tseng-Tsiang wrote in his "Souvenirs et Pensees."
In the same book, Mr. Lou wrote, "I became a Christian and a Roman Catholic Christian because the Holy Roman Catholic Church is the only Church instituted by Christ Himself. This Church can satisfy all men's noble ideas, good wishes and reasonable needs. This Church enlightens us of the origin of man, of his end, of the purpose for living on earth, the redemption of mankind. The Roman Catholic Church makes my past life attain its perfection. What I thought, wished and pursued, I fully obtained in the Catholic Church. The cultural and traditional systems of our Chinese people are to be perfected through the Roman Catholic Church.
"Only when I entered the Catholic monastery, I really and truly perceived the Catholic doctrine. This perception is first realized in prayers, particularly in public prayers and liturgical services. The liturgy of the holy sacrifice of Mass, the ceremonies of sacraments and the recitation of the Divine Office lead me to know Christ intimately. Recognizing Him to be the Son of Eternal God the Father, we are being restored to amity with God; we are being given the Holy Ghost and through Him we have been bestowed inestimable benefits and made the children of God. Hence, we can call God our Father, and all paternity originates from God."
Lou's Attitude as Diplomat:
I am not going to mention what Mr. Lou has accomplished in his diplomatic life, because there are special books written about it, but I would like to make a few remarks on his diplomatic attitude. While he was Minister of Foreign Affairs in Peiping, he used to take walks by himself through down-town streets. The Garrison
Chief of the city was Chiang Chao-tsung who often met Minister Lou walking, when he went horse-back riding to inspect the city. He once asked Minister Lou, "Why do you walk all alone on the dirty and noisy streets?" Mr. Lou replied, "Just to see if the streets are clean."
He often went to the post office to mail letters himself. The post office was crowded with people, and he had difficulty getting to the counter, so he let the others go first. When the mail-collector asked him if he was Minister Lou, he replied that he was. Then the collector exclaimed in surprise, "Why does Your Excellency come here yourself?" Mr. Lou replied, "I come here to pay you a visit." The collector repeated, "I am not worthy, Your Excellency, I am not worthy." When he went to the telegraph office to dispatch telegrams, the telegraph officer asked him if he was Minister Lou, and he asked the officer how he recognized him. The officer replied that he had seen his picture in newspapers. Mr. Lou then told the officer that he was. The officer was greatly surprised and asked him why he did not send somebody else to do it for him. Mr. Lou replied, "Because my clerk is not worthy to salute you."
Monastic Life of Lou:
The day, April 16, 1926, his wife died, Lou Tseng-tsiang went to see his spiritual director, Father De Munnynck, telling him his intention to enter a religious order. Father De Munnynck was of the Dominican Order which is not the oldest order in Europe. Since Mr. Hsu had enjoined him to enter the oldest religious order, he decided to enter the Benedictine Order which was established by St. Benedict in the Sixth Century. On July 5, 1927, Tseng-tsiang was accepted by St. Andreas Monastery of the Benedictine Order in Brussels as a postulant. Nevertheless, he had to stay in the guesthouse for three months to watch the life of the monastery in operation and to experience the monastic disciplines. On October 4, 1927, he was admitted into the monastery for a one-year probation period through the solemn ceremony of changing secular clothes into religious vestment.
The 23rd Chapter of the Monastic Regulation says: "The monk cannot take or give anything without the permission of Father Abbas. Neither can he possess anything in private. Monks should not have anything personal. Books, tables, chairs, ink, pens cannot be possessed as one's own. They have absolutely nothing personal, including their body and will. All necessities are to be obtained from Father Abbas. What Father Abbas does not permit, nobody may have."
"My countrymen and particularly my friends can hardly understand why I chose such a monastic life, completely separated from the world, burying myself in a European monastery… I proceeded without conscious effort. Frankly, I do not pursue anything, neither do I ask for light, nor for happiness. I only try to do my duty. When my wife left this world, I felt very lonesome. At this stage of my life, I pursued one thing, and that was to find an opportunity for retreat. In retreat I started to pray. I had the mind to find the way which would take me to the House of God. In looking for that way, I remembered well the direction of my teacher, Minister Hsu: "Do not depend on others, but on yourself," and at the same time I remembered what my father had told me: "Trust Heaven." I had then no father, no teacher, and no wife. I could only trust God and myself. The Merciful God has led me and I have now arrived at monastic life", wrote Lou in his memories. He continued writing: "But why did I choose monastic life? Death has separated my wife and me, the monastic life has reunited us, so united that we cannot be separated from each other any more. She watches over me from heaven and I follow her by accompanying her and praying for her. She looks at me from above and I look at her from below. There is nothing that can separate us."
Lou Tseng-tsiang started his apprenticeship of monastic life on January 14, 1928. Regarding the apprentice, Monastic Regulation No. 58 says: "There is an exemplary and elderly monk selected to be the moderator whose office it is to watch over the apprentices carefully if they pursue God sincerely, do spiritual exercises devotedly, obey orders cheerfully, accept insults willingly. His is also to tell them that the way to serve God is arduous, and if they promise to follow it faithfully, after two months the monastic disciplines may be told them and they are warned that these are the disciplines they have to keep. If they can keep the disciplines well, they may enter the monastery; if not, they may return to the world. If after the warning the apprentices are still willing to accept such conditions, they may remain as apprentices and meet all kinds of trials. Six months later, they are again told of the monastic disciplines so that they may understand well what they have to observe once they are accepted into the monastery. If, after that, they are still determined to accept monastic life, they are to be told for the third time four months later the monastic disciplines. After mature consideration, if the apprentices still want to keep faithfully all the monastic disciplines, they may be admitted into the monastery, but at the same time they are warned that once they have entered the monastery, they may not get out of it, neither can they be freed from the disciplines."
Lou Tseng-tsiang was 56 years of age when he started such a strict monastic life. Besides, he had to study Latin, philosophy and theology to attain priesthood. He did not know any Latin before and to start learning such a difficult language at such an age certainly required courage. To illustrate his difficulty in Latin, it is enough to mention that 13 teachers had resigned during the three-year period in which he was engaged in its study. Tseng-tsiang was discouraged in taking up the study for priesthood. Besides, he fell sick on March 18, 1931 and was bedridden for 40 days. He then decided to give up the study for the priesthood, but to remain as a Brother. However, on May 7, 1933, Me. Liu Fu-cheng brought him a chalice for celebrating Mass from his friends in Peiping. Tseng-tsiang told Mr. Liu that he was sorry for not being able to use it because he was no longer studying for the priesthood. After having learned of his reason for giving it up, Mr. Liu complained to the Guest Master of the monastery and asked him if Tseng-tsiang could not become a priest, how they could become Christians. Mr. Liu was then preparing to embrace the Catholic religion. On account of the salvation of his friends, Tseng-tsiang felt that he should continue his study for the priesthood, so he asked his physician Dr. Seberechr de Brages if he could resume his studies. The doctor told him that it would be all right. So, on May 12, 1933, Tseng-tsiang resumed his theological study with Father Eduard. And on June 29, 1935, after having completed his study, he was ordained priest by Archbishop Costantini, first Apostolic Delegate to China and now Secretary General of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith.
From Natural to Supernatural Order:
"I was born a Confucian" said Rev. Pierre-Celestin Lou Tseng-tsiang. "My whole life's nourishment has been Confucius' cultural and moral teachings." Confucius says: "Therefore the good man serves his parents as he would serve Heaven, and serves Heaven as he would his parents." Following this teaching of Confucius, Rev. Lou served God as he served his parents, loved God as he loved his parents. Filial piety for parents became in him filial piety for God. The natural filial piety of Confucius had become the supernatural filial piety of Christ. At the age of 70, he considered himself as a one-year old child so that he might have the Blessed Mother to embrace him and to lead him to praise God in eternity. Because of filial piety, one can always, become young and understand a little what Jesus said: "Unless you become like these children, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven." But to understand fully this biblical quotation, the divine grace is necessary with which one may fulfill to the plenitude what the natural law teaches about filial piety. The redemption of Christ is a crossroad. On this point, the filial piety of man meets that of Christ. Christ leads us from human filial piety to his divine filial piety, and makes us take up his filial piety as ours. Thus He unites us with His Heavenly Father.
It is interesting to note that in the natural order of things, the less one knows, the more he is a child. The more a child understands, the more grown-up he is, and the farther he gets away from his parents. In supernatural order, the more one knows, the smaller he feels and the closer he approaches God. Thus when the time arrives for God to call him to his eternal reward, Rev. Lou acted just like a child approaching his mother. On January 9, 1949 at 2: 30 in the afternoon, six days before he left this world, Rev. Lou was reciting the Lord's Prayer with his secretary. Father Eduard, arriving at the words "Thy Kingdom come," heard him say, "My Father come." Father, Eduard thought he had made a mistake because of his infirmity, so he corrected him by repeating "Thy Kingdom come." Rev. Father Lou, however, repeated "My Father come." Thus for three times, while Father Eduard said "Thy Kingdom come," Father Lou said "My Father come." That is indeed filial piety in sublimity.
Conclusion:
From the story of Abbe Pierre-Celestin Lou Tseng-tsiang, we can clearly see that from Confucianism to Catholicism there is a natural road on which all the Chinese, certainly the educated ones, may walk with ease. The reason why Catholicism is so little known to the Chinese people is because in our work for God we do not make sufficient efforts to adapt the means to suit the taste of the people with whom we work. Indeed, one of the reasons why the people of China are still sitting in the darkness of death today is because those people who are torch-bearers of the Gospel do not care much to apply the means to illuminate the Chinese people, because they have not placed their luminous candle of Christ on high, but in a hidden and low place, and because the Catholic missionaries, after Father Matteo Ricci and his contemporaries in the 16th Century, did not pay much attention to Chinese intellectuals. Hence the Catholic Church has been considered, until recently, as a church for the poor and the ignorant. Who would like to be considered as being ignorant or one of the poor? Psychologically speaking, nobody likes it. But the Catholic Church had so far been presented as such to the Chinese public.
As a Chinese priest, I know my own people. I have lived among them, grown up with them and shared their likes and dislikes. I know that my people are spiritual-minded, religiously inclined and leadership-respecting. Permit me to mention here the reasons why Buddhism has embraced China so universally and so profoundly. Just because the first group of Chinese Buddhists were intellectuals and highly respected people. And these intellectuals went after other intellectuals. Thus the intellectual Buddhist converts commanded the respect of all Chinese people and attracted them to the worship of Buddha. There are in China, before the Communist occupation, more than 1,000,000 Buddhist priests and nuns who lead ascetic and celibate lives. There are as many Buddhist temples or pagodas for Buddhist worship in China as there are churches, Catholic, Protestant and Jewish, in the United States. All the Buddhist monks are well supported and all the pagodas well kept. And this has been done by the Chinese themselves. This is true of Buddhism in Taiwan too.
What Buddhism has done in China, Christianity should be able to accomplish, if not to a greater extent and with better success. But it has to be worked out with the fundamental principles of Confucius in mind and with due regard for the traditional and cultural background of the Chinese people.