ANCESTORS, cult of.—The cult of the ancestors differs from the simple cult of the dead in that it is directed toward the progenitors of one’s own lineage taken collectively, whereas the latter refers to particular deceased persons, generally, though not necessarily, united with the officiant by ties of blood.
In the Chinese religion, the cult of the ancestors—in which “filial piety” is expressed par excellence—is the one most deeply felt by the people, and it is present within every household. The imperial dynasty had its own temple for the ancestors, with seven chapels, of which the one oriented toward the north was consecrated to the founder of the family; the temples of the feudal princes had five chapels, those of the vassals three, each furnished with the “tablet,” regarded as the place of support of the soul and upon which incense was therefore burned, candles were lit, and offerings were made. The people, in the absence of a chapel, venerated and still venerate their ancestors, represented by the tablets, in a corner of the house; before them all the events of family life—births, coming of age, weddings, and funerals—are consecrated, since the Chinese are firmly convinced that the ancestors continue to take an active part in the life of the family. Only the firstborn may serve as minister of the ancestral cult. The cult of the ancestors in China, which for two and a half centuries nourished a bitter controversy among the missionaries who either defended or denied its legitimacy as virtually an act of idolatry, was declared a civil ceremony and, as such, authorized by a decree of the S. C. of Propaganda (8 Dec. 1939), which considers it an act of homage and not of worship, provided that the tablets are not regarded as the “seat of the soul” and that only the name of the deceased is written upon them. For the whole question V. CIANRESI.
Japan, which owes its civilization to China, similarly venerates its ancestors, whose representative tablet is placed inside a small wooden box in a corner of the house. Indeed, the whole of Japanese religion presents itself as a cult of the ancestors, beginning with those of the imperial family, venerated with
