The new president of the Federation of Bishops’ Conferences of the “continent of continents” relaunches the proclamation of the Gospel in the face of injustice and conflict, according to Pope Francis’ Magisterium.
In a continent marked by “blessings and atrocious injustices”, the Catholic Church has the responsibility and mandate to “proclaim a God of justice”, ordering the mission of the Church under the Magisterium of Pope Francis, as expressed, in particular, in the documents Evangelii Gaudium and Laudato Si’. At the beginning of his mandate as new president of the Federation of Bishops’ Conferences of Asia (FABC), Charles Maung Bo, a Burmese cardinal called to the rank of cardinal by the reigning pontiff in 2015, in an interview given to Vatican Insider reflects on the role and mission of the Church in the “continent of continents”. In a context such as that of Asia, characterized by the pluralism of religions, cultures, ethnic groups, for Catholic communities, Bo explains, the path of dialogue is an indispensable paradigm. The path of interreligious collaboration for the baptized has the power to create deep mutual understanding and empathy, fostering respect and benevolence in the most diverse societies. And “life in dialogue” leads believers in all communities to deepen their faith by rediscovering in an evangelical way the value of otherness, whether cultural, social or religious. Once a relationship of mutual trust has been established, believers of different denominations can together address specific social problems present in each context, such as marginalization, immigration and poverty.
Your Eminence, what is the current condition of the Catholic Church in Asia?
“The Church is at the crossroads of history: in a cultural climate that challenges Christ’s message with ideologies and technologies, the Asian Churches seek their own way to proclaim the Gospel. Catholics in Asia are altogether about 143 million, or 3.2% of the global population of the continent, which amounts to about 4.4 billion people. I believe that today, on a global level, in the global relationship of faith with the contemporary world, a crucial step in giving Christ to modern humankind lies precisely in Asia. I firmly believe that we are living in the millennium of Asia. In the Synodal Exhortation Ecclesia in Asia, John Paul II recalls that in the first millennium the Cross was planted on the soil of Europe, in the second it touched the Americas and Africa, while in the third millennium a great harvest of faith will flourish in this vast and vital continent. This is an indispensable vocation for us. The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) is facing these challenges, that is, how to make operational the mandate of proclaiming and bear witness to the Gospel in multicultural and multi-religious societies such as those present in Asia”.
Are there particular traits that define the way of evangelization in Asia?
“Asia is a continent that shows blessings and atrocious injustices. Our God is a God of justice. I believe that the mission of the Church in Asia should be refocused on the theme of justice. Pope Francis has published in his Magisterium two precious documents on this subject: one, Evangelii Gaudium, touches the issues of economic and social justice; the other, Laudato si, focuses on environmental justice. Many people and populations in Asia are victims of such injustices and the mission of the Church, in her proclamation of the Gospel which restores dignity to every man and woman, cannot ignore these situations. In particular, it can be noted that a substantial part of Catholics in many Asian countries are indigenous peoples. From the coasts of southern China to the central areas of India, there is an enormous geographical area where the indigenous people have lived for centuries in harmony with nature, until the market economy has created turbulence and hardship. The Church in Asia is called not to lose contact with these peoples and to accompany them to reaffirm their dignity and their rights.
The baptized in Asia live a “life of dialogue”: what does it mean?
Dialogue is for us an indispensable paradigm. The Asian continent awaits the encounter with the message of Christ and in Asia the proclamation of the Gospel passes through the path of dialogue, generating peace and peaceful coexistence. FABC has already acknowledged, in its theological and pastoral reflection, the need to continue the “dialogue of life” in three areas: with the poor, with cultures and with religions. First of all, the closeness to the poor and the protection of their dignity is an area and a commitment in which one can meet believers of other religions, collaborating for the common good. We must also consider the vast mosaic of Asian cultures, which calls us to be present in various cultural realities and to encourage their encounter with the Christian faith. Moreover, some areas of Asia continue to be wounded by chronic wars. Conflicts abound. The Catholic Church, bearer of the message of Christ, is called to be an antidote to the culture of hatred and to heal known or hidden wounds. Reconciliation is the road to the new evangelization in Asia. Indigency, hatred, clash of cultures and religions challenge us and deeply involve us in this threefold path of dialogue”.
How do you see the future of the Church in Asia?
“I see it full of challenges that we always put in the hands of God, fully aware that every challenge is an opportunity, a kairòs, that is, a favorable moment to proclaim the Gospel. We are convinced that the future of Asia lies in its rich tradition of multicultural, multi-religious and multiethnic coexistence. At a deeper level, a promising future can be seen in the values and virtues of compassion, goodness and justice present in the great religious traditions and cultures of Asia. The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, which was founded in 1973 and now includes 19 Asian Churches and 8 others as associates, has already made a long journey, overcoming various obstacles and accompanying the small flock of the baptized to the “continent of the continents”. Today our journey continues, with the desire that Christ the Lord truly becomes the way, the truth and the life, for the Catholic communities scattered in Asia”.
