Xu Guangqi
late-Ming-dynasty Chinese politician, Scholar, Lay Catholic leader and Servant of God (*1562 – †1633)
Who they were
Xu Guangqi or Hsü Kuang-ch'i (April 24, 1562 – November 8, 1633), also known by his baptismal name Paul or Paul Siu, was a Chinese agronomist, astronomer, mathematician, politician, and writer during the late Ming dynasty. Xu was appointed by the Chinese Emperor in 1629 to be the leader of the Shixian calendar reform, which he embarked on with the assistance of Jesuits. Xu was a colleague and collaborator of the Italian Jesuits Matteo Ricci and Sabatino de Ursis and assisted their translation of several classic Western texts into Chinese, including part of Euclid's Elements. He was also the author of the Nong Zheng Quan Shu, a treatise on agriculture.
Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), until this page is written up in full.
The miracles
A cause for canonisation has been opened, which is what Servant of God means. Heroic virtue has not yet been declared and no miracle has been examined.
Why that counted as sanctity
Limited information is available on this saint so far.
The cause
The cause continues. No postulation address is published here yet. Favours received through this person’s intercession, and offers of help, are best sent to the religious order or congregation they belonged to, or to the diocese where the cause was opened; either will pass them to the postulation.
Connected on this site
- Matteo Ricci Venerable“He also worked with several Chinese elites, such as Xu Guangqi, in translating Euclid's Elements into Chinese as well as the Confucian classics into Latin for the first time in history.” — Wikipedia
- Santi, beati e testimoni — Servo di DioPaolo Xu Guangqi — Servo di DioPaolo Xu Guangqi — Laico — Shanghai, Cina, 24 aprile 1562 - 8 novembre 1633
- Wikidata Q420427 — dates, feast day and identifiers (CC0)
- English Wikipedia — Xu Guangqi (CC BY-SA)
Not yet written up in full. The Catholic source above names this person; the name, dates and step come from Wikidata and are not yet checked against Church records.