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POPE-VISITS (UPDATED) (CORRECTED) Aug-6-2008 (640 words) With photo. xxxi
Pope says as China's influence grows it should open itself to Gospel
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI, visiting the birthplace of an Italian missionary to China, said that as China's economic, cultural and political influence grows "it is important that this great nation opens itself to the Gospel."
St. Joseph Freinademetz, who was born in the northern Italian village of Oies, showed the Chinese people of the late 19th century that it was possible to maintain their culture and remain fully Chinese while embracing the Gospel, the pope said.
The pope and his brother, Msgr. Georg Ratzinger, went by helicopter Aug. 5 from their vacation residence at the Bressanone seminary to Oies to visit the house where St. Freinademetz was born.
Speaking to several thousand people who had gathered to see him in Oies, Pope Benedict said the saint "shows us the path of life and is also a sign for the future of the church."
"He is a saint of great relevance: We know that China is becoming more and more important in political and economic life and also in the life of ideas," the pope said.
The pope said St. Freinademetz demonstrated to the Chinese people of his day the fact that "the faith does not mean an alienation from any culture for any people because all cultures await Christ and are not destroyed by the Lord. In fact, they reach their maturity."
Pope Benedict prayed that the saint would be a model for all Christians, reminding them to live their faith and to realize that only in Christ will peoples and cultures unite.
The papal trip to Oies was the first publicly announced outing of the pope's July 28-Aug. 11 stay in the northern Italian Alps.
But after spending a week behind the Bressanone seminary walls, Pope Benedict paid an unannounced visit Aug. 3 to the nearby village of Sant'Andrea, praying at the tomb of Father Anton Agreider, a missionary friend who died in 2003.
No one was expecting the pope and, in fact, the pastor of the Church of St. Andrew, where the village cemetery is located, was on vacation and missed the papal visit.
Margit Jocher, who lives across the street, told the Italian news agency ANSA: "I saw the dark cars stop right out front. The pope and his brother got out and went toward the tomb."
A few people in the village came out to see what the commotion was, but the pope's security detail would let only the children get close to the pope. Jocher's daughter and son, Johanna and Mathias, were among them.
Things were different in Oies, a small collection of houses outside Val Badia, which was part of Austria when St. Freinademetz was born in 1852, but is now part of Italy.
The Vatican had given villagers and visitors three days to prepare for the papal visit; locals organized a small concert for him in the church and outsiders trekked over hills and through meadows to be on hand.
The pope's remarks about China in St. Freinademetz's home village came just two days after Pope Benedict had expressed his best wishes for China as it hosts the Olympic Games.
Vatican Radio asked Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, if China was particularly present in the pope's thoughts and the spokesman responded, "The church continually has its heart turned toward China," as does the pope.
The example of St. Freinademetz "is very important," Father Lombardi said. "He went through a process of learning about and appreciating Chinese culture" and in the end was "extremely loved by the Chinese."
The saint's example, he said, shows "the possibility of understanding one another, of dialogue and of bringing a spiritual message to China with full respect for the extraordinary culture of this great country."
END
Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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