Front row, from left:
Abbot Blasio Park, OSB (Waegwan Abbey, Korea); Fr. Norbert Du, OSB (Congregation of St. Ottilien, Germany); Monsignor Antoine Camilleri (Under-Secretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States); Abbot Primate Gregory Polan, OSB; Abbot Philip Davey, OSB (St. Bede Abbey, USA); Bro. Luke Hsu, OSB (Wimmer Priory, Taiwan)
Second row, from left:
Fr. Joseph Wong, OSB CAM (Camaldoli Monastery, Italy); Fr. Anastasius Li, OCSO (OCSO Generalate, Rome); Mother Maoro Sye, OSB (Prioress General, Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing); Abbot Jeremias Schröder, OSB (President of the Congregation of St. Ottilien, Germany); Bro. Nicholas Koss, OSB (Wimmer Priory, Taiwan); Bro. John Chrysostom Long, OSB (St. John’s Abbey, USA); Fr. Anthony Wesolowski, OSB (Wimmer Priory, Taiwan)

The Benedictine Commission on China (BCC) brings together representatives from Benedictine monasteries throughout the world to exchange information about the work of their communities related to China and to discuss cooperation on projects for China. The meeting is held each year at Sant’Anselmo on the first Saturday after Ash Wednesday; this year the meeting was held 9 March.

The Abbot Primate, Abbot Gregory Polan, O.S.B., is the head of the BCC. The monasteries of monks active in China include St. Ottilien Archabbey (Germany), St. Vincent Archabbey (Latrobe, PA, USA), Waegwan Abbey (Korea), St. John’s Abbey (Collegeville MN, USA), Camaldoli Monastery (Italy), St. Procopius Abbey (Lisle, IL, USA) and St. Bede Abbey (Peru, IL, USA).

Benedictine Sisters involved with China are the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing, the Olivetan Benedictines (Busan, Korea) and St. Benedict’s Monastery (St. Joseph’s, MN, USA). Representatives from Alliance for International Monasticism (AIM) and from the Generalate of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (OCSO) usually also participate in the meeting.

Each meeting also has a specially-invited guest speaker. In recent years, these speakers have been representatives from the Vatican knowledgeable about negotiations with China. Among the topics discussed in the BCC meeting this year were cooperation with educational institutes in China and the formation of young Chinese monastics.