ASIA/SINGAPORE - “The Church is growing and making progress: even the Holy Father has congratulated us,” says Archbishop Nicholas Chia

Singapore (Agenzia Fides) – “The progress of our small Church, from a pastoral spiritual, and formative perspective are evident: even the Holy Father has congratulated us and offered us encouragement,” Archbishop Nicholas Chia of Singapore told his community, in a report on the results and fruits of the recent ad Limina visit to the Vatican, made by the Bishops of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei.
Archbishop Chia said: “We had audience with him individually and together as a Conference. The Holy Father was very kind and cordial in our meetings with him. He expressed his joy in meeting with us as well as with all the various Bishops’ Conferences and was very happy to learn about the situations of the various churches in the world. He was impressed with the progress of the church in our region and encouraged us in the work of evangelization.”
One of the aspects highlighted by Benedict XVI was our “efforts to promote interreligious relations and ecumenism,” which are very important for those regions of eastern Asia and should be even more valued during the Year of St. Paul.
The Asian Bishops also celebrated Mass at the Tomb of Saint Peter and of Saint Paul, in the two Roman Basilicas, renewing their own commitment at the service of the Asian people.
In preaching the Gospel in southeastern Asia, the Archbishop said, “we are very grateful to the Paris Foreign Missions (MEP), who celebrated their 350th Anniversary of the foundation and we were able to join them for this solemn celebration,” the Archbishop said at the close of his statement.
The Catholic Church in Singapore is a small community with a long history: its origins date back to the first European colonies of the early 16th century and greatly coincide with the history of Catholicism in Malaysia. In the late 1800s, Singapore broke off from Malacca and erected a Diocese, with an extension of only 639 km. sq. The number of Catholics present has gradually risen. Today, there are 175,000 Catholics, out of 4.4 million people. The territory holds 30 parishes with 73 diocesan priests, 67 religious priests, 163 religious brothers, 179 religious sisters, and 49 Catholic schools. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 7/7/2008)