Rev. George Varughese (Shaji Karackal)
For centuries, many in the East have viewed Christianity as a “Western religion”—a faith that began in the Middle East but was claimed, shaped, and exported by Europe. But there is a powerful truth often forgotten: Christianity reached China long before Europe ever looked East.
Meet Rabban Bar Sauma. Born in Beijing around 1220, he was a Chinese monk of the Nestorian faith, a branch of Christianity that had traveled the Silk Road for centuries. While the West thought they were the sole guardians of the faith, Bar Sauma was already walking its ancient paths in the East.
The Reverse Journey In 1275, at age 55, Bar Sauma didn’t set out to conquer or trade. He wanted to visit Jerusalem. He and his young student, Markos, sold everything and walked west, braving deserts, mountains, and bandits. When war blocked their path to the Holy Land, they didn’t turn back. Instead, they were chosen for a mission that would change history.
The First Chinese Ambassador to Europe In 1287, the Mongol ruler sent Bar Sauma to Europe as an ambassador. He traveled to Constantinople, Rome, Paris, and Bordeaux. He met Popes, Kings, and Emperors—not as a subject of the West, but as a representative of the East.
• In Rome, the Pope allowed him to celebrate Worship in his own Nestorian tradition, right in the heart of Catholic Europe .
• In Paris, he marveled at the great churches and universities, describing them with the wonder of a man who had walked the Silk Road .
• In Bordeaux, he shared communion with King Edward I of England, proving that faith could unite East and West .
Bar Sauma’s journey shattered the idea that Christianity was just a “Western” faith. He showed that the religion had deep roots in Asia, and that a Chinese monk could walk into the courts of Europe and be welcomed as a brother in spirit.
His story is a reminder: Faith doesn’t belong to one culture or continent. It travels with those who carry it, crossing borders, languages, and empires.
“He was the first known traveler from China to reach Europe, proving that the Gospel had already walked the Silk Road long before the West ever looked East.”
Bar Sauma didn’t seek fame. He sought connection. And in doing so, he connected two worlds that thought they were too far apart to meet. That’s the mission of Christianity in every age.
