Kung Teh-cheng, the Confucius's 77th direct lineal descendant passed away at 88 years old on Oct 28, 2008.
Kung held a hereditary office with a mouthful of a title in Chinese, 「大成至聖先師奉祀官」, or simply the Sacrificial Official to Confucius, leading the annual official ceremony honoring the sage on his birthday in the Republic of China.
This is the only public office inheritable in the ROC created in 1935 to replace the imperial peerage of Duke Yansheng, 「衍聖公」, first created by the Sung's Dynasty in 1055.
The imperial peerage was bestowed to the eldest male of Confucius's direct lineage. The tradition is honored ever since the Sung Dynasty and continue into the modern form by the ROC.
Though the office is more symbolical than substantial, more ritual than actual, being an advocate of meritocracy and also a proponent for the separation of state and religion (Confucianism is sometimes mistaken for a religion), I would humbly suggest that this office should cease without a single dint of disrespect to Confucius and his descendants.
As I am gradually developing my identify as a liberal Confucianist, I am nevertheles of the view that China should remain secular and meritocratic.
The rationale of the imperial peerage is very much centered at the ruling class' patronage of Confucianism as an imperial doctrine justifying and ordering the state and the society. There was, I suppose, as much similar consideration when this hereditary office was created by the KMT government under Generalismo Chiang in 1935.
The role of this office is more appropriately belonged to the Kung's family, clan and/or his followers in the form of an NGO outside the government domain. It is inappropriate to sanction this office in the republican era into a hereditary public office.
In my opinion, it is legitimate and I am in support for the government to promote the teaching of Confucius including creating Confucius Academy everywhere like the PRC or honoring Confucius by declaring a public holiday as the Confucius Day.
前考試院長、孔子77代嫡孫 孔德成病逝
(2008/10/29 00:03)
生活中心／台北報導
前考試院長、大成至聖先師奉祀官孔德成，28日上午10點50分，因為心臟衰竭，安詳辭世台北新店慈濟醫院，享年89歲。靈堂暫設慈濟醫院地下二樓助念堂。
中國宋代獨尊儒術，自宋仁宗至和二年起，孔子家族嫡長孫世襲「衍聖公」爵位，以彰顯孔子德教，弘揚儒家精神；國民政府時期，民國24年1月18日將「衍聖公」改為「大成至聖先師奉祀官」，明令孔德成擔任奉祀官並宣誓就職，迄今已73年。
這也是我國目前僅存的世襲特任官。 內政部表示，奉祀官的設立具有傳承孔孟道統，發揚儒家思想之重要意義，主要任務為出席祭孔釋奠典禮，擔任奉祀官職務。
孔德成民國9年生，曾任教台大、輔大和東吳等校研究所，擔任考試院長9年，畢生致力於儒學之倡導與傳承，3年前，因為行動不便，未再出席祭孔大典。2008年台北孔廟祭孔大典，由他的秘書鄭毅明出席代為上香。
另由其長孫、孔子第79代嫡孫孔垂長擔任孔廟「崇聖祠」主祭官。
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Bro, I find this posting very illuminating. Never did I realise that these classical ceremonial office remains in existence.
I feel it is positive for Chinese to have regard and appreciate its heritage by preserving a centuries old peerage. This is a common practice in Europe but whether it should be an official government position is another story.
The question is whether such an arrangement is compatible with the proper function of a modern day government. On this point, I disagree that Confucianism should be treated as a religion. It is cultural and should be treated as a cultural heritage. The state should not have a role in religion but it should have a role in culture and heritage.
A possible alternative would be to host such persons within a self-sustaining non-governmental but quasi-state body like the Acedemie Francais. The Academie is funded by the state as the defender of the French language and culture.
An analogous body would be a positive step to Chinese cultural renaissance.
Just to share an anecdote. One of my father's classmates in the National Chengchi University in Taiwan in the 1960s was a decendent of Confucious. I still have a group photograph where he stood at the back, because he is very tall. In the university, no one was allowed any special previleges but they made an extra long bed for him all because of his ancestry. So there was special treatment even 3000 years later.
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