Preference for the Christ-Child Over the Cross

In the sixteenth century, Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci journeyed to China, bringing religious art to share the Christian story with those unfamiliar with it. The Chinese readily embraced images of the Virgin Mary cradling her child. However, their reaction to the crucified Christ was starkly different. When Ricci introduced paintings of the crucifixion and explained that the God-child had grown up only to be executed, they responded with shock and revulsion.

The Chinese preferred to worship the Virgin Mary rather than the crucified Christ. In some ways, we who celebrate Christmas…