A native of Caltagirone, Sicily, Father Nicolò Longobardo became, in 1610, the successor of Matteo Ricci as Superior General of the Jesuit China Mission. Being made a mandarin by the Emperor, he was a renowned orator and is said that he still gave sermons at the Southern Cathedral when he was nearing the age of 90. Relieved from his leadership post and replaced by Father Giovanni Aroccia in 1622, Longobardo passed away in Beijing at the venerable age of 95. At his funeral, the Mandarins honored him by bowing their foreheads to the ground in accordance with the Chinese ritual.
A native of Caltagirone, Sicily, Father Nicolò Longobardo became, in 1610, the successor of Matteo Ricci as Superior General of the Jesuit China Mission. Being made a mandarin by the Emperor, he was a renowned orator and is said that he still gave sermons at the Southern Cathedral when he was nearing the age of 90. Relieved from his leadership post and replaced by Father Giovanni Aroccia in 1622, Longobardo passed away in Beijing at the venerable age of 95. At his funeral, the Mandarins honored him by bowing their foreheads to the ground in accordance with the Chinese ritual.
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