ASIA/SOUTH KOREA - Signs of hope for the family in Asia: conclusions of 8th Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences FABC

Monday, 30 August 2004

Daejon (Fides Service) - There are “great signs of hope” for Asian families who live and witness to Christian values. This emerged from the 8th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, FABC, held in Daejon (South Korea) 17 to 23 August on the theme “The Asian Family Towards a Culture of Life”. At the end of the meeting, remarking on the context in which Christian families live in Asia, conditions of tiny religious minorities, the Bishops said that nevertheless they were able to bear witness to values such as respect for life, for children for the elderly, and hospitality.
The assembly was attended by 186 delegates representing local Churches all over Asia, including 6 Cardinals, 25 archbishops, 60 bishops, 29 priests, 3 Brothers, 8 Sisters, 55 lay men and women.
The Cardinals were, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, President of the Indian Bishops’ Conference; Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Catholics in Ernakulam-Angamaly; Cardinal Julius Rijadi Darmaatmadja, Archbishop of Jakarta and president of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference; Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man, Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam); Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-hsi, Bishop of Kaohsiung (Taiwan). There were also two representatives of the Holy See Cardinal Fumio Hamao, President of the Pontifical Council for the pastoral care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, and Archbishop Robert Sarah, Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples was also present.
In the final statement the Bishops do not deny the difficulties facing families in Asia increasingly affected by cultural globalisation, individualism, materialism and secularism and they say “only a culture of life inspired by the values of the Kingdom of God preached by Jesus”, can promote the good of families. A culture of life means “protection of human life in all its dimensions, from conception to natural death” and the “primacy of human dignity above efficiency and economy”.
During the meeting the Bishops reflected on problems affecting many families in Asia following the working paper Instrumentum laboris: poverty, migration, exploitation of women and children, problems connected with globalisation and secularism, those of traditional cultures.
The challenges highlighted in the working paper, included the spread in Asia of an anti-family culture, lack of respect for life, increase in the number of divorces. The Church intends to help families meet these challenger with the Christian vision of the family.
Besides general discussion, work groups were formed according to region and language. In the debate on “interreligious dialogue and the family” couples forming mixed marriages gave their testimony. In fact marriages between people of different religions are a growing challenge for the Church’s pastoral care in Asia.
A special guest at the meeting was Bishop Wilton Gregory, President of the US Bishops’ Conference who said that despite the many difficulties encountered by Asian emigrant families in America, “they give exemplary testimony of unity, harmony, love and dedication”
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 30/8/2004 lines 44 words 466)


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