Gabriele Allegra

The major work of Father Gabriele Allegra is the first complete Catholic translation of the Bible into Chinese from the original languages, carried out within the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, which he founded in Beijing in 1945. Begun in solitude in 1935 in Hengyang with the encouragement of Pope Pius XI, this titanic work continued in Hong Kong from 1948 due to the civil war. Surrounded by Chinese Franciscan collaborators, he published the Old Testament in volumes between 1946 and 1954, followed by the New Testament. The complete Bible in a single volume, known as the "Christmas Bible," was published on December 25, 1968, and remains the reference version. He also founded the Sociological Study of Singapore in 1960 to disseminate the social doctrine of the Church and published the first biblical dictionary in Chinese in 1975.

Nicknamed the "Saint Jerome of China," Father Gabriele Allegra shines through his erudition combined with a profound humility. Refusing honors, he performed the simplest tasks and manifested heroic charity toward the sick, regularly visiting the lepers of Coloane in Macau. After his death in 1976, his remains were transferred in 1986 to Acireale in Italy, becoming a place of pilgrimage. His cause for beatification was officially opened on January 14, 1984, by Bishop John Baptist Wu Cheng-chung, Bishop of Hong Kong. On December 15, 1994, Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, declaring him Venerable.

On April 23, 2002, Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing a miracle attributed to his intercession, concerning the scientifically inexplicable healing of a doctor suffering from terminal cancer in Italy in 1985. After a ten-year delay linked to geopolitical issues with Beijing, the solemn beatification was celebrated on September 29, 2012, in Acireale, Sicily. Presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI, the ceremony brought together a large delegation from Hong Kong led by Cardinal Joseph Zen. His liturgical feast is set for January 26.

Rooted in the Franciscan tradition, the spirituality of Blessed Gabriele Allegra is centered on the love of the Word of God, the primacy of Christ, and a filial devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. His legacy remains alive through the Studium Biblicum Bible, a major tool of evangelization for Chinese Catholics. A pioneer of ecumenical dialogue in the Far East, he collaborated with Protestants and preached to Anglicans. He is honored today as co-patron of the Franciscan Custody of Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei.