1. a Chinese
2. a Catholic
3. with local cultural inclinations that seem to border paganism
I have all 3. so predicament is: i want to honour my dead relatives, ancestors, who are not Catholics, or Christians. Well, u know the usual, its not the usual offering of masses, rosaries, divine offices or prayers ... but involving the use of incense joss sticks...and candles.
Many cases and debates have been circulating. Protestants are quite clear about it: no way hozaay! anything that looks or relates to the most remote that is paganistic is an absolute no-no.
For Catholics, how?
Well, it was ok can no problem in the 16th century. then, century later, cannot..then another century actually still cannot, but we say "yes" to it to save face and our life from the knife. then, followed by several centuries of ban. Mother church sat down and reassessed the situation, weight all options, and yes, prayed for divine intervention and reasoning to prevail.
In the end, Chinese won midway to as far as being allowed to offer joss stick incense in a joss bowl/urn, use ancestral tablets, kowtow and bow thrice to photos as per the old custom...to even as far as offering of fruits or food in front of photos & pictures.
I have been researching on this for quite a bit, and managed to rest my troubled conscience everytime i light a joss stick.
Our belated Holy Father, Pope Pius XII in 1939, agreed to lift the ban on ancestral worship and veneration of ancestral and images/tablets of the dead for Asia in his decree "Plane Compertum Est" . Full details spelled out are:
- Catholics are permitted to be present at ceremonies in honor of Confucius in Confucian temples or in schools;
- Erection of an image of Confucius or tablet with his name on is permitted in Catholic schools.
- Catholic magistrates and students are permitted to passively attend public ceremonies which have the appearance of superstition.
- It is licit and unobjectionable for head inclinations and other manifestations of civil observance before the deceased or their images.
- The oath on the Chinese rites, which was prescribed by Benedict XIV, is not fully in accord with recent regulations and is superfluous.* (taken from wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_Rites_controversy)
not good enough? want more ecclesiastical backing?
go to: www.catholic.org.sg/liturgy/bulletins/7%20-%20Ancestors%20Veneration.htm (Archdiocese of Singapore)
There you go, now, we have papal backing and support that lifts this ban forever to the delight (and perhaps confusion of future Asian Catholics)
To strengthen this stand, Vatican II has future developed the stand of tolerance, to one that of embracing diversity of cultural observance & traditions. ie "inculturation".
Now we have Chinese New Year Masses, people lighting joss sticks and offering to images & crucifixes of Jesus and the blessed saints.
Need I say anymore?
Lets go Chinese and pray our way...only to our only Lord & Saviour who is king and hope of all mankind, without a guilt or worry in the world haha...
