ASIA - “Living the Eucharist in Asia”: next Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) to be held in the Philippines

Thursday, 15 January 2009

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Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) – An official statement from FABC offices in Bangkok says that the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) will celebrate its 9th Plenary Assembly from August 10-16, 2009 in Manila. The assembly normally takes place every four years, and is an important moment for exchanging experiences and for analyzing and planning for the Asian Church.
The encounter was postponed because of the Synod of Bishops in October 2008, set for January 2009, however it has since been postponed once more to Summer 2009. This year's assembly theme will be "Living the Eucharist in Asia."
The Bishops of Asia will discuss the centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the Church. The sessions during the Assembly will be an opportunity to analyze this reality, taking into account the contribution of various nations and the various geographic/cultural areas of the vast Asian continent. The Assembly will be preceded by the preparatory seminars organized by the FABC and the texts for theological and pastoral reflection that will be circulating in the Asian Dioceses until August.
For the FABC, the next few months will be a challenge especially in terms of communication and internal relations. In June 2008, there was an encounter entitled “Eucharist as Communication,” linking these two topics. As was affirmed in another seminar held by FABC delegates at the end of 2008, the Church in Asia should make an effort to improve reciprocal communications in order to increase communion and collaboration.
The sector in which the benefits of communication are most evident are: youth ministry, the mass media, interreligious dialogue, and formation of the clergy.
The FABC has placed among its priorities social communications and using the “new pulpits” of evangelization, i.e. all the modern means of communication available.
The Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) is an association of episcopal conferences in Asia, established with the approval of the Holy See. Its purpose is to foster among its members solidarity and co-responsibility for the welfare of Church and society in Asia. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 15/1/2009)