ASIA - Cardinal D'Rozario: "Women, families and young people in Asia: witnesses of the Gospel"

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Dhaka (Agenzia Fides) - "Women and families in Asia witness the Gospel despite many challenges and difficulties": says to Fides Cardinal Patrick D'Rozario, CSC, Archbishop of Dhaka and President of the Office for the laity and family, within the Federation of the Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC). "In Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Singapore, there are families and women who, in their daily lives, undergo threats and abuse but give a heroic witness to the Gospel. And there are young people who are looking for the meaning of life and who tell their joy, having found it in Christ", says the Cardinal.
"Small Christian lay communities give valuable help at a pastoral level. We are confident to see the inspiration and the action of the Holy Spirit that allow Christian communities in Asia to prosper", he explains.
As Fides learns, in the recent meeting of FABC delegates working on the theme of the family, Pope Francis’ exhortation "Amoris Laetitia" was taken as a point of reference.
"The Office for the laity and the family, within the FABC is trying to promote a kind of work carried out in close collaboration among experts in different Asian nations, in order to be more effective. The first workshop, held in Vietnam, sought to explore new opportunities for the faithful and to think about the preparation for the next general assembly. Particular focus was placed on the forthcoming Synod on Youth, to be held in autumn 2018, and will be an opportunity to create bridges between young Asians and the institutional Church, so that we can listen and learn", he said.
Cardinal D'Rozario recalled the important appointment of Asian Youth Day, to be held in the first week of August 2017 in Yogyakarta, in Indonesia. "The specific goal is to accompany young Asians to reflect and share their experiences of faith, lived in local churches, culturally diverse; and of course, to promote the involvement of young people in the work of evangelization of the Church, so that they can share the values of the Kingdom of God and be joyful witnesses of the gospel, working for social justice and peace in their respective nations".
"What we want to share - he concludes - is the belief that living the gospel in the Asian context means having your heart open to everyone, communicating messages of faith, hope and love to every young Asian. With the help of the Holy Spirit, and according to God's will, we are called to build a fraternal world, which is home to every creature", he concludes. (SD-PA) (Agenzia Fides, 3/7/2017)