This panel explores the ways Asian forms of devotion towards the Virgin Mary shed light on the cultural and religious dialogues occurring between Europe and Asia. By looking at Marian devotions within different Asian Catholic communities, this panel discusses the ways European representations of Mary (Lourdes, Fatima, Medjugorje, etc.) are approached, transformed, and contested by contemporary Asian Catholics.
Going beyond the notion of inculturation per se, this panel aims at questioning forms of international dialogue and "inter-culturation" through a methodological study of Marian devotions. Among the many representations of Mary, some are indeed more common than others. And these patterns of devotion vary between the domestic sphere, vernacular sites of devotion, and official churches of Asian Catholicism. But in these different spheres, how common and dominant European representations of Mary are? How are they envisioned to shape normative practices (pilgrimages to Portugal, France, etc.) and narratives (anti-communism, persecution, etc.) of Asian Catholicism? Which aspects of European societies are mobilized to reshape these religious imaginaries?
By focusing at Euro-Asian engagements through a Marian perspective, this panel takes one of the most distinct elements of the papal religion as a tool to systematically question notions of religious localization, globalization, and decolonization. It explores the national, gender and kinships ideals promoted through these devotions in order to provide new material and methodology to document cultural and religious flows between the two continents as well as the on-going making of global Catholicism.
This panel welcomes historical, sociological, and anthropological studies focused on practices in Asia and within diasporic communities.

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Chair: Patrizia Granziera, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos ~ Cuernavaca ~ Mexico

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Paper 1: Heavenly Mother. 

Lazzarotti Marco. The International Research Institute for Archaeology and Ethnology ~ Heidelberg ~ Germany

 

​The image of Mary has certainly had a great impact in the process of China's evangelization. Her influence has transcended the traditional boundaries drawn by the Catholic religion to probably influence some of the major figures venerated in other religions, such as Guanying the bodhisattva of mercy or Xiwangmu or Xi-Wang-Mu, the Queen Mother of the West. Apart from these cultural assimilations, the inculcation of the Virgin Mary in China occurred mainly through the piety practices that missionaries taught to the faithful converts. In this presentation, I will focus on the reality of the Taiwanese Catholic Church, and go on to explore how both the work of missionaries and local clergy and the response of the local church has created a version of the Virgin Mary that is both traditional and original. This dichotomy well represents the Taiwanese Church and its search for identity, between tradition and dialogue.

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Paper 2: Trees, Plants, and the Image of Mary in Europe & Asia. 

Granziera Patrizia. Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos ~ Cuernavaca ~ Mexico

In the Christian tradition we find a close relationship between Mary and trees. As early as the Transitus Marie literature of the second and third centuries, Mary was also associated with the Tree of Life. Moreover, the Fathers of the Church saw Mary related to the Jesse tree of Isaiah's prophecy (Isaiah 11: 1-2). Extending the prophecy of the flowering rod of Jesse, the Church Fathers discerned plants and flower generally to be symbols of Mary and thus perceived that all mention of them in the Old Testament could be seen to prefigure her or in some ways reveal her virtues and endowments. Since Medieval times, European artists have represented Mary with various plants and on top or inside trees. This paper will analyze how these images of Mary were re-shaped when European missionaries reached Asia and spread the cult of Our Lady. This analysis will be based on the examination of European and Asian devotional images and texts.

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Paper 3: The Veneration of Mary Immaculate at Phat Diem Stone Church in Ninh Binh Province, Past & Present. 

Hoang Van Chung. University of Hanoi ~ Hanoi ~ Viet nam 

Phat Diem stone cathedral in Ninh Binh province is a unique model of Euro-Asian architecture. Built more than one hundred years ago, this is one of the centers of Catholicism in Northern Vietnam. Especially, within the cathedral's space, one can find a stone chaple built for veneration of Mary known as "Immaculate Heart of Mary". This paper begins with a brief overview of the history of the cathedral. Then it describes and analyzes artistic features of the chapel, with the focus on the Vietnamese representation of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. Finally, the paper provides some findings on worship activities of Mary.

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Paper 4: The Virgin Mary in Korean & Singaporean Contexts: Debating with the West

Chambon Michel. National University of Singapore ~ Singapore. 

As a key figure of Catholic devotion, representations of the Virgin Mary stand as a crucial object of study to analyze the contemporary making of Catholicism and its intersection with national belonging, modernity, and cultural changes. This paper explores ways in which the Virgin Mary is depicted in South Korea and Singapore today to highlight some of its underlying dynamics as well as its significance for Asian Studies. Based on ethnographic observations, I argue that Marian images and statues that one can find across these two countries can be classified into three prototypes. In Singapore, three types of European forms of Mary are systematically found within local parishes. They each occupy a different location and reflect different devotional and historiographic functions. In Korea, three other representations are structuring Catholic sites: representations are rooted in Western esthetic, representations with traditional Korean symbols, and minimalist and curved representations of the Virgin. By questioning the evolving interplay between these Marian representations in Singapore and South Korea, I argue that these material representations of the Virgin Mary provide an important window to analyze tensions and collaborations between local, national, and global actors of Catholicism -laity, clergy, artists, non-Catholics, and generous patrons. Marian representations provide a methodological tool to discuss the ways in which the papal religion is gradually and dialogically "enculturated" into Asian Societies while remaining in fruitful dialogue with Europe.

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Paper 5: Marian Devotion beyond Rome: The Sheshan Pilgrimage & the Shaping of a Global Catholic Identity

Rychetská Magdalena. Masaryk University ~ Brno ~ Czech Republic. 

This paper explores one of the most significant Marian pilgrimage sites in China—the annual Catholic pilgrimage to Sheshan Basilica in Shanghai. It analyses its historical development, religious significance, and contemporary dynamics. Drawing on fieldwork data collected during the pilgrimage, historical sources, and recent scholarly discussions, it analyzes its cultural and religious importance. In recent years, the Catholic Church has been undergoing a broader transformation in its self-perception, striving to redefine itself as a truly global institution rather than one rooted in Western (European) traditions. While the Church may appear to be anchored in Rome, today it is becoming increasingly active and visible beyond Europe. Pope Francis has played a pivotal role in this transformation by promoting inclusiveness, dialogue, and humility, which encourages the Church to embrace diverse cultural expressions of faith and fosters a more universal Catholic identity. This complex global geopolitical reality is mirrored in the everyday experience of Catholics, and Marian pilgrimage is a great example of this. This study focuses precisely on this phenomenon, exploring how the Sheshan pilgrimage reflects the broader transformations within the Catholic Church Since 2018, a more legalistic and restrictive regulatory framework on religions has been observed in the People's Republic of China. Despite these intensified restrictions, the Sheshan pilgrimage continues to attract large numbers of participants, highlighting the resilience of Catholic communities and the adaptive strategies they employ to sustain heritage practices. This paper further investigates the experiences and motivations of pilgrims, the role of the local Catholic community, and the impact of tourism-related activities on the sacred site. This exploration of Marian devotion in the Asian context contributes to broader discussions on inculturation, and the ongoing reshaping of Catholic identity.

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Paper 6: The Legion of Mary in Kaifeng in the Early 1950s. ​

Papis Valeria Stella. (Facoltà Teologica di Lugano (Università della Svizzera Italiana) ~ Lugano ~ Switzerland)

My presentation aims to describe the spirituality of Legion of Mary (LM) in the city of Kaifeng (Henan, China) from its foundation in 1947 until the expulsion of the last PIME Fathers in late 1953. The LM is a Catholic lay organization, founded in Ireland in 1921. Its members have a strong devotion to the Vergin and follow a strict set of rules, contained in the Handbook of the Legionary, written by the founder, Mr. Frank Duff. The theological base of the LM is Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort's True Devotion to Mary. Since 1946, thanks to the Vatican internuncius, Msgr. Antonio Riberi, the organization became the most important form of Catholic Action in China. Despite its crucial role, the LM has been overlooked by scholars except for its events in Shanghai. Consulting the documentation at the PIME (Pontificio Istituto Missioni Estere) General Archive in Milan, I was able to trace the History of the LM in Kaifeng, the see of an archdiocese not so internationally exposed and lacking important cultural centres. There, the persecution against the LM began on Eastern 1951, when some of the most fervent legionaries (mainly young women) were incarcerated for defending their archbishop Msgr. Gaetano Pollio. Most of them were released after 6 months but for the following years they were forced to house arrest and went through different kinds of discrimination. Until 1953, despite the limitation to their personal freedom, they maintained an intense spiritual life, based on the rosary and different forms of self-mortification. They secretly exchanged messages with Fr. Giovanni Carbone, their spiritual director. These interesting correspondence is stored in the above-mentioned archive and describes how the legionaries' Marian devotion acquired both the militaristic connotations described in the LM Handbook, and the sense of total trust and abandonment to the Blessed Virgin, typical of the Montfortian spirituality.

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