SEOUL (UCAN): “We [must] reflect very seriously on how to theologise the Asian heritage and values by illuminating them in the light of Christian faith while preserving them, and how to dynamically testify to the gospel in an Asian context,” Archbishop Peter Chung Soon-taek of Seoul told a gathering of Asian theologians on May 5.
Archbishop Chung was a keynote speaker at the week-long meeting of Asian Catholic theologians that ended on May 7 in the South Korean capital, the Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation reported.
Themed The Future and Theological Prospect of the Church in Asia, the gathering was organised by the Office of Theological Concerns of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences [FABC]. About 20 people attended the meeting including Bishop Adrianus Sunarko of Pangkalpinang in Indonesia; Auxiliary Bishop Midyphil Billones of Cebu, the Philippines; and Bishop Gerald John Mathias of Lucknow, India.
Archbishop Chung also pointed out the need to focus on pastoral care for migrants. “The reality is that not only is the Church [demanding more] pastoral care for migrant workers and multicultural families, but more efforts and consideration are being requested for the understanding and integration of all members of society,” he said.
The archbishop also voiced concern over the plight of people displaced due to the climate crisis. “Amid the ecological crisis, ‘the cry of the poor’ has become an important voice that the Asian Church needs to listen to,” he said,adding, “It is regrettable that the poor are suffering more damage due to climate change in Asia.”
He also pointed to the growing influence of universalism, secularism, and fetishism reasons for the loss of faith and a turning away from the Church.
Bishop Sunarko presented his views on a Church’s mission based on agape—unconditional love—and self-sacrificing love in the joy of the gospel. He stressed that this paradigm, based on Pope Francis apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium [Joy of the Gospel], should be at the very heart of the gospel proclamation in Asia
Teresa Choi Hyun-soon, a professor at Jesuit-run Sogang University pointed out the need to train the laity to understand their role and importance in the Church.
“Sufficient education on the identity and mission of the laity is also necessary, and in particular, helping them realise how dignified they are and how important they are in the Church, providing a venue for them to participate, and giving them some degree of initiative, if necessary,” she said.
