austraLasia
1504
Joseph Cardinal
Zen: a 'Study in Scarlet'
ROME (Pisana):
25th March 2006 -- "The ring, man, the ring: that was what he came
back for. If we have no other way of catching him, we can always bait our line
with the ring. I shall have him, Doctor -- I'll lay you two to one that I have
him. I must thank you for it all. I might not have gone but for you, and so have
missed the finest study I ever came across: a study in scarlet." Thus spake
Sherlock Holmes, in the story by that name, 'Study in Scarlet'. I normally
skip supper at the Pisana, and 'might not have gone' but for the visit of our
Cardinal. And indeed, the ring was a thing of wonder, newly bestowed
today by Pope Benedict XVI. Fr Savio, Provincial of China Province, has a
photo of it taken during this evening's meal - at least I think he has, as he
was busy photographing the Cardinal's finger! At least it gave austraLasia
the chance to catch the man we had missed earlier.
Joseph
Cardinal Zen was amongst his own - and what an historic occasion it was, when
you reflect on it. Many members of his family, of his Salesian family, a
childhood friend too, joined the Successor of Don Bosco and the Cardinal for
Evening Prayer followed by a 'supper' of Chinese proportions, if you get what I
mean. The courses were beyond count. But you don't want to hear
about the food, the ring - you want to know what he said and what was said of
him.
Three minute Good Nights are an art form.
Cardinal Zen used artistic license to extend the time, but still kept the
art. One immediately appreciated the Salesian pedigree of this man.
You can read the rest in the daily papers - his poor childhood, his father who
wanted to be a priest but as a first generation Catholic couldn't...the five
Masses each Sunday....but 'the papers' won't give you the Salesian pedigree: Don
Braga (a true founder in his own right: China, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand,
Japan, East Timor...they all come either directly or indirectly from that man),
Don Massiminio his novice master, Don Quadrio at the Crocetta (not to mention
Don Bertetto and others); then his time in a Chinese Province that was growing
so rapidly it could have become two - then the war, the poverty, the expulsions,
....his eventual period as Provincial then teacher in Chinese seminaries - 'a
veritable grace of God', then his nine years already guiding the Hong Kong
Church, and now ' the Pope's choice confused me, until I came to accept that it
is on behalf of the Chinese people'.
What sort of a man do
we have here? If the French Revolution proclaimed Liberté, Egalité,
Fraternité, this man's rallying cry is Liberty (as a Chinese),
Education (as a Salesian), Church (as a Bishop and now
Cardinal). More than once he spoke of the passing of winter and the coming
of spring - in China. 'Now seems the time', he mused, and urged us to pray for
religious freedom in China. He made the none-too-subtle point that it is
not just the Church which needs relations with the Chinese Government, but 'it
is the Government which needs relations with the Church, otherwise it cannot of
its own accord handle the surge of religious longing' that is going on in
China. A point well made.
The Rector Major toasted
His Eminence a little later during supper, first with 'Cardinal Mendoza', but then with the gift of a small (but
very heavy) bronze statue of Don Bosco surrounded by youngsters, a 'reminder of
our return to the young'. He recalled his own emotion at the mention of
Don Braga, but also from his recent visit to China. He recalled another
'cup', the cup of martyrdom and indeed the chalice given by Don Albera to St.
Louis Versiglia who, on its receipt, said he would fill it, if not with his
blood then with sweat. He filled it with both.
The
Cardinal spoke briefly after this gift. Yes, there is the dream of Don
Bosco, he said, and he knew that Don Bosco had seen this moment too. But
he then reminded us that he had also chosen a 'dream of Don Bosco' for his
episcopal coat of arms (you will find it on the Bosconet Home
Page, scroll down): the two columns and the anchor of
hope.
His final words give us a glimpse of the man, his
Sherlock Holmes touch, when you come to think of it. He had dealt
regularly with Fr.Viganò when he was teaching in China. At one point
Fr Viganò said to him, 'Sai, che la furbizia è una virtù salesiana'. 'You
know, shrewdness is a Salesian virtue'! In 'Study of Scarlet',
Doctor Watson makes this comment, as he picks up a magazine from the famous
detective's table while the latter was munching his toast and marmalade: "Its
somewhat ambitious title was 'The Book of Life', and it attempted to show how
much an observant man might learn by an accurate and systematic examination of
all that came in his way. It struck me as being a remarkable mixture of
shrewdness and of absurdity". Indeed! Zen and Holmes have something
in common methinks.
GLOSSARY
Cardinal
Mendoza: a superb Spanish brandy. It is said that it is the one
'cardinal' which does harm to
nobody!
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