In his book, Mere Christianity, the great Christian apologist, CS Lewis wrote: “The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ.”
This Sunday, the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences [FABC] concludes its two-week general conference and 50th anniversary celebration. Held in Bangkok, Thailand.
Charles Cardinal Bo, the conference head, called the event, which as postponed for three years because of the Covid-19 pandemic, “an occasion for proclaiming that the Saviour of the world was born in Asia” and that the Asian Church is called upon “to exhibit an evangelical enthusiasm for justice and peace.”
In his message to the FABC, Pope Francis hearkened back to its origins during the time of Pope St. Paul VI, with the fresh winds blowing from the Second Vatican Council. He noted that Pope Paul, who visited Asia several times—including Hong Kong the Philippines and Indonesia in 1970—found a continent of many, mostly young people. The bishops at the time noted that “culturally diverse societies were awakening to become a true community of peoples” meaning that the Church in Asia was being more authentically for the poor, the young, and in “dialogue with fellow Asians of other confessions.”
This is no less true today than it was in 1970 when the FABC was established. Indeed, more issues have come more strongly to the fore: economies that prey on the poor and feed the greedy [Evangelii Gaudium], the role of women in the Church, the migrant crises, political governance, a transformation of cultures, and religions in society, changing family values, and the issues of gender, indigenous peoples, the needs of young people, globalisation, digitalisation, urbanisation, climate change and the impact on human dignity.
On top of these is the lingering shadow of the pandemic, the strife in Myanmar, the hunger crises in the Horn of Africa, and the dark, brutal, war in Ukraine.
The FABC’s jubilee theme is: Journeying together as peoples of Asia “…and they went a different way.” For the magi who visited the baby Jesus, this meant taking a new path other than the one by which they had arrived—which led back to the malice of Herod—for they were changed by their experience of Christ [Matthew 2:1-12].
Oswald Cardinal Gracias of Mumbai said that the FABC must restructure itself to make the Church “relevant and responsive” to the people of Asia.
In its 50th year and going forwards with the aid of the Holy Spirit, can the FABC and the Church in Asia, find harmony and draw strength in its very diversity, to be a shining “city set on a mountain” for Asia and the rest of the world? SE
