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Michele Ferrero (born 1967) is an Italian Catholic priest, teacher and writer; in 2025 he is living and working in China.

Logo Latinitas Sinica

He was born in Cuneo, Italy, Salesian of Don Bosco, Professor of Moral Theology and Classics, graduated from Taipei Fu Jen Catholic University. Faculty of Theology.[1]

He holds a doctoral degree in theology and a degree in Classics ("Laurea in Lettere Classiche") from the State University of Torino (Italy).[2] He has served in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Turin, Italy and Jerusalem.

In late 2025, he is teaching Latin and Western Classics at Beijing Foreign Studies University.[3] He works as Foreign Expert in Latin at the International Institute of Chinese Studies[2] (formerly known as National Research Centre of Overseas Sinology) of Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Career

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In June 2011, he promoted the first conference on โ€œThe teaching of Latin language in Chinese universitiesโ€ at the Beijing Foreign Studies University.[4] In 2012, he founded "Latinitas Sinica", Centre for Latin Language and Culture.[5]

He is also chief editor of the "Journal of Latin Language and Culture".[6]

Writing career

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He is the author of books and articles about Taiwan, China and moral theology.

He is the author of "The cultivation of virtue in Matteo Ricci's The true meaning of the Lord of Heaven" (Fu Jen Catholic University Press, Taipei, 2004), an important study on moral issues common to the Christian and the Confucian traditions.[7]

He wrote "Il Cardinale Zen. Rosso Speranza" (Torino, Elledici, 2007).[8] He also wrote "Tuo padre ed io ti cercavamo" (with R. Spataro, Jerusalem, Latin Patriarchate Printing Press, 2007); โ€œSaint Paul educator to faith and loveโ€ (with R. Spataro, Latin Patriarchate Printing Press, Jerusalem, 2008),[9] โ€œSinologia Spiritualeโ€, LAS, Roma, 2011.[10]

Among his other publications are โ€œIl prato dellโ€™arcobalenoโ€ (Torino: LDC, 1991);โ€œDalla Selecta ex Christianis Latinis Scriptoribus di don Bosco alla โ€œCorona Patrumโ€ della SEIโ€, in: G. Proverbio (ed.), โ€œDum Docent Discunt. Per una Didattica delle Lingue Classicheโ€, Patron, Bologna, 2000;[11] โ€œGrano e risoโ€(Cuneo: Primalpe, 2002); โ€œIra e sacrificio nel Confucianesimoโ€, in: M. Marin - M. Mantovani, Ira e sacrificio: negazione del divino e dell'umano? LAS, Rome, 2004;[12] "Education in Confucianism", in: C. Desbouts - M. Mantovani, "Didattica delle scienze", Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Roma, 2010.[13] โ€œMatteo Ricci, Cicerone e il concetto di ยซritoยป nel confucianesimoโ€, in: Rivista liturgica 97, no. 2 (mar/apr 2010)[14] โ€œThe extraordinary experience of priesthood of Father Matteo Ricci (1552-1610)โ€, in: Caputa G. - Fox J., โ€œPriests of Christ in the Church for the Worldโ€, Studium Theologicum Salesianum, Jerusalem, 2010. โ€œChinese Classics in Matteo Ricciโ€™s ๅคฉไธปๅฎžไน‰ and its reception in Koreaโ€, in: Korea University, โ€œChinese Classics and the culture of East Asiaโ€ (ไธญๅ›ฝๅคไปฃๆ–‡ๅŒ–ๅ’ŒไธœAsia, the book is in Korean, Chinese and English), Korea University Press, 2010.[15] - โ€œThe Latin translations of Confucius' Dialogues (Lun Yu). A comparison of key conceptsโ€, in: Confucius and Cicero Old Ideas for a New World, New Ideas for an Old World, Ed. by Balbo, Andrea / Ahn, Jaewon. Series: Roma Sinica 1 De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston, 2019. โ€œLโ€™evoluzione storica della parola latina per โ€œCinaโ€โ€ , in Salesianum 4/2011.The Latin Translations of Confucian Terminology on Government and Rule in a 16th Century Manuscript of Michele Ruggieri, S.J.๏ผŒin: Empire and Politics in the Eastern and Western Civilizations: Searching for a 'Respublica Romanosinica' (Roma Sinica, 2) edited by Balbo, Andrea, Ahn, Jaewon, Kim, De Gruyter; Edition (22. August 2022).[16]

His articles have appeared on periodicals of the following institutions: Salesian University, Rome; Fudan University (โ€œReligion, Ethics, Moral Concernโ€, 2003), Shanghai, Holy Spirit Seminary, Hong Kong (โ€œChing Fengโ€); Seminary of Torino (โ€œArchivio Teologico Torinese).

In 2014 the Commercial Press published his Latin grammar for Chinese students: "ๆ‹‰ไธ่ฏญๅŸบ็ก€ๆ•™็จ‹ Lingua Latina ad Sinenses Discipulos Accomodata" [17] and in 2016 the Commercial Press published "1234 Sententiae, Proverbia et Sigla Latina".[18]

In 2019 published a transcription and translation in Italian of a manuscript containing the first Latin translation of the Confucian Classics: "Il Primo Confucio Latino", LAS, Rome, 2019.[19] He also published in 2025 FERRERO, M.: "Mencio - trascrizione e traduzione del manoscritto di Ruggieri', LAS, Rome, 2025 [20]

Publications

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Ferreroโ€™s books include;

  • "The Cultivation of Virtue in Matteo Ricci's 'The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven': Issues For Moral Theology" (2004) [21]
  • "Your Father and I Were Seeking You" (2007) [22]
  • "Il Cardinale Zen. Rosso Speranza": La Vita e la China del Vescovo di Hong Kong (2007) [8]
  • "Saint Paul: Education to faith and love" (with Roberto Spataro) (2008) [23]
  • "Spiritual Sinology: (Imaginary) Letters From the Middle Ages to Our Times by 50 Missionaries Who Loved China" (2011) [21]
  • "China and Chinese Culture for Beginners" (2015) [21]
  • "1234 Latin Sentences You Should Remember" (2016) [21]

References

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  1. ^ WorldCat
  2. ^ a b "Michele Ferrero". International Institute of Chinese Studies. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  3. ^ "Michele Ferrero". Beijing Foreign Studies University. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  4. ^ Corriere della Sera - Blog - La Cina che ha voglia di latino. Dal blog Le Vie dell'Asia di Marco Del Corona
  5. ^ "Staff Introduction". chinastudies.bfsu.edu.cn. Retrieved 21 April 2026.
  6. ^ "Journal of Latin Language and Culture ๆ‹‰ไธ่ฏญ่จ€ๆ–‡ๅŒ–็ ”็ฉถ | Latinitas Sinica".
  7. ^ Ferreo M., "The cultivation of virtue in Matteo Ricci's 'The true meaning of the Lord of Heaven'" Fu Jen Catholic University Press, Taipei, 2004
  8. ^ a b "The Bishop of Hong Kong's Life and the China he lives in". Bosco Australasia Link. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  9. ^ WorldCat, 'Saint Paul: Education to faith and love'
  10. ^ "Editrice LAS | le Pubblicazioni dell'Universitร  Pontificia Salesiana".
  11. ^ Proverbio G. (ed.), โ€œDum Docent Discunt. Per una Didattica delle Lingue Classicheโ€, Patron, Bologna, 2000
  12. ^ Marin M. โ€“ Mantovani M., Ira e sacrificio: negazione del divino e dell'umano? LAS, Rome, 2004
  13. ^ Desbouts C. - Mantovani M., "Didattica delle scienze", Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Roma, 2010
  14. ^ Rivista liturgica 97, no. 2 (mar/apr 2010)
  15. ^ Korea University, โ€œChinese Classics and the culture of East Asiaโ€ (ไธญๅ›ฝๅคไปฃๆ–‡ๅŒ–ๅ’ŒไธœAsia, the book is in Korean, Chinese and English), Korea University Press, 2010
  16. ^ "Roma Sinica (De Gruyter Brill website)".
  17. ^ "Amazon.cn".
  18. ^ ไฝ ๅบ”่ฏฅ่ฎฐไฝ็š„ๆ‹‰ไธ่ฏญ1234. ๅ•†ๅŠกๅฐไนฆ้ฆ†. 20 November 2016.
  19. ^ "Il primo Confucio latino. Il Grande Studio. La Dottrina del Giusto Mezzo. I Dialoghi | Editrice LAS".
  20. ^ Ferrero, M.: "Mencio - trascrizione e traduzione del manoscritto di Ruggieri', LAS, Rome, 2025
  21. ^ a b c d "Michele Ferrero". Amazon. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  22. ^ "Mario Dosio". Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences. Retrieved 20 November 2025.
  23. ^ "Saint Paul: Education to faith and love". ABE Books. Retrieved 20 November 2025.

External references

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