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Gospel Saints Papal Teaching Congregation Pontifical Mission Societies Urban University Mission texts Animation Statistics From the Holy See Testimonies Martyrology Jubilee 2000 Church life Missionaries Religious institutes Movements & Associations Catholic universities Culture History Art Cinema / Photo Radio & tv Music Poetry Health Technology Geography News 360° Dossier In-depth study Interviews Stories Book review Children’s corner		PATTAYA, Thailand (UCAN) -- Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith has urged the Church in Asia "to strengthen the faith and missionary formation of Catholics in Asia as soon as possible." The Sri Lankan prelate, secretary adjunct of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples at the Vatican, also encouraged the bishops of Asia to move ahead with plans to hold their own mission congress. He offered these recommendations and others in an inaugural address he presented during a symposium on "Evangelization in the Light of 'Ecclesia in Asia,'" held Sept. 3-8 in Pattaya, 100 kilometers southeast of Bangkok. Some 60 bishops, lay delegates, priests and Religious attended the event, which was organized by the Office of Evangelization (OE) of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC). The following is the full text of Archbishop Ranjith's address (only the punctuation has been slightly edited for consistency):   ASIA UCAN DOCUMENT - EVANGELIZATION IN THE LIGHT OF 'ECCLESIA IN ASIA' "Evangelization in the light of Ecclesia in Asia" Your Excellency, Your Grace, My Lord Bishops, Dear Fathers, Sisters and dearly beloved brethren, participants at the seminar on "Evangelization in the light of Ecclesia in Asia" . . . I thank you all and especially His Grace Archbishop Telesphore P. Toppo, the Chairman of the FABC Office for Evangelization, and Father Saturnino Dias, Executive Secretary of the OE, for the kind invitation extended to me to share a few insights and reflections with you at the seminar on the all important call the Lord has placed on the church in Asia, to a strong commitment to Evangelization, and which call has now been renewed by our universal Shepherd, Pope John Paul II, through the apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in Asia" (Church in Asia, EA). Yes, Evangelization is the central and overriding theme of "Ecclesia in Asia." In fact the continental Synod of Asia was called for precisely because the Pope wished to see that in each continent and for us in Asia specifically, the "Bishops," as the heads of their local churches, "could address the question of evangelization according to the particular situation and needs of each continent" [EA 2]. This call for a renewed Thrust in Evangelization re-echoes the words of the Pope, expressed earlier at the sixth plenary assembly of the FABC in Manila, that "if the church in Asia is to fulfill its Providential Destiny, evangelization, as the joyful, patient and progressive preaching of the saving Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, must be your absolute priority" [EA 2]. Why Evangelize ... ? Evangelization then is not an option for the church -- it is its most profound duty and the very reason for its existence. Stated Evangelii Nuntiandi (Pope Paul VI's apostolic exhortation on missionary activity, EN): "Evangelizing is in fact the grace and vocation proper to the church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize, that is to say in order to preach and teach" [EN 14]. The teaching is clear. The church in Asia exists in order to evangelize, or shall I paraphrase Rene Descartes, saying the church in Asia exists if it evangelizes. We ought to, then, consider "Ecclesia in Asia" as yet another reminder and an invitation to us in Asia that the church here cannot but be an evangelizing community of Christ's disciples. We are not church if we do not evangelize. In fact we know that evangelizing is the duty of every baptized Christian because: a.] It is the command of the Lord, His parting and all-important wish from the community of disciples [Mt. 28:18-20] with the reassuring promise of His presence and guidance, up to the end of times. b.] It is the fullest realization of Jesus' precept of Love through which He called His disciples to "Love one another" as He loved them -- dying to save them from the shackles of sin and death. Our love for our brethren ought to lead us well beyond merely altruistic considerations and on to the realm of the spiritual, yearning to become their redeemers. We cannot respond to Jesus in the words of Cain -- "Am I my brother's keeper?" Jesus wants us to yearn for the salvation of our brothers and sisters however difficult the task may be. c.] In a world filled with godlessness, and the loss of meaning with the resultant pessimism, emptiness and suffering experienced by many, it is the duty of us Christians to share the fullness of life we enjoy in our experience of Jesus and His message of love. States Pope John Paul II in his encyclical letter Redemptoris Missio (The Mission of the Redeemer, RM): "Newness of life in Him is the <Good News> for men and women of every age, all are called to it and destined for it. Indeed all people are searching for it, albeit at times in a confused way, and have a right to know the value of this gift and approach it freely. The church, and every individual Christian within her, may not keep hidden or monopolize this newness and riches which has been received from God's bounty in order to be communicated to all mankind" [RM 11]. The world is yearning for meaning; we have the answer to this yearning and thus have to share it with everyone. d.] We know that in Jesus there is fullness of life. "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" [Jn. 10:10]. In fact, the Holy Father affirms this very clearly when he states, "The church can offer an encounter between Jesus Christ and the peoples of Asia as they search for the fullness of life. In that encounter alone is to be found the living water which springs up to eternal life, namely, the knowledge of the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent [Jn.17:3]" -- [EA 18]. This fullness of life is a consequence of the gift of faith in Jesus which the church has received and it is "a gift to be shared, it is the greatest gift which the church can offer to Asia" [EA 10]. The divine life which we as disciples of Jesus experience within us, and which redeems, creates anew and vivifies, demands it's sharing with others. e.] We are convinced, as Christians, that Jesus Christ is the one and only saviour and that "there is salvation in no one else" [Acts 4:10-12]. Hence it should be our conviction that all have the same right to be saved in Him and consequently it is our duty to assist them. Participated forms of mediation are possible, but they are not parallel to Jesus' own, which is unique and leads to fullness of life [RM 5]. In fact, says the Holy Father: "The church is convinced that deep within the people, cultures and religions of Asia there is a thirst for 'living water'" [Jn. 4:10-12] -- [EA 18]. f.] Evangelization is the most creative expression of our faith -- the fullness of our Christian commitment. Redemptoris Missio states that one's commitment to Mission and Missionary Cooperation is actually "the sign of maturity in faith and of a Christian life that bears fruit" [RM 77]. In fact the Pope reflecting on the history of the church through the hermeneutic of Mission states: "Missionary drive has always been a sign of vitality, its lessening is a sign of a crisis of faith" [RM 2]. The invitation that the Pope extends to the catholics in the light of this constatation is to find greater meaning and dynamism to their faith by sharing it -- the key sentence in Redemptoris Missio, in this regard, is: "Faith is strengthened when it is given to others" [RM 2]. The way to make our faith experience truly alive and dynamic is evangelization. The church that evangelizes is a lively church. g.] The largely minority situation of the Christian community in Asia opens out to us, disciples of Jesus, an even more challenging and stimulating atmosphere for a lively mission engagement. We are, so to say, privileged by the Lord, being placed among such a vast sea of men and women who do not know Him, and thus His call to evangelize should be even more vividly felt by us Asians. The Challenge: Bringing back Jesus to Asia In fact, one of the central challenges the Holy Father directs at the church in Asia in this apostolic exhortation is the challenge of finding a way to present Jesus and the message and its Asianness to the people of Asia in a way they can understand and be able to accept. The Holy Father expresses his surprise at the way things have gone so far. He states, "It is indeed a mystery why the saviour of the world born in Asia has until now remained largely unknown to the people of the continent" [EA 2]. Jesus is Asian, affirms Ecclesia in Asia [ibid], and the Holy Father sees the Synod as "a celebratory remembering of the Asian roots of Christianity" [EA 4]. But still Jesus remains in obscurity in His own soil. The Pope feels that perhaps the presentation of Jesus through the Missionary effort of the Church in the past has not been what it should have been. He feels that "Asians tend to regard Jesus as western, rather than an Asian figure" [EA 20]. But Asia needs Jesus and His liberative Message very much. Says the Holy Father: "The peoples of Asia need Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Asia is thirsting for the living water that Jesus alone can give (Jn 4:10-15)" [EA 50]. And again: "Contemplating Jesus in his human nature, the peoples of Asia find their deepest questions answered, their hopes fulfilled, their dignity uplifted and their despair conquered" [EA 14]. Thus "the disciples of Christ in Asia must be unstinting in their efforts to fulfill the mission they have received from the Lord, who has promised to be with them to the end of the age [Mt. 28:20]" [EA 50]. There is no question, then, on the issue of what the most important task and responsibility as well as the orientation of the Church in Asia should be -- it is a missionary Church. It has to bring back Christ to Asia. And according to the Pope, "The great question now facing the Church in Asia is how to share with our Asian brothers and sisters what we treasure as the gift containing all the gifts, namely the Good News of Jesus Christ" [EA19]. It is also a question of hermeneutics. In other words, the question is not only what is to be presented when we announce Jesus to Asia, but much more on how He is to be presented. In my mind Ecclesia in Asia does exactly that -- offering the Church in Asia a programme of work that would present Jesus anew to Asia. The Argumentative structure of Ecclesia in Asia In his presentation of the various themes of the apostolic exhortation, the Pope follows the following argumentative structure: Chapter 1: The present situation of Asia, really the continent of Jesus --the challenge is that Asia is in search of an even deeper meaning to life. Chapter II: And Jesus has the answers to these deepest longings of Asia for meaning -- after all He is Asian. Chapter III: The action of the Holy Spirit in salvation history and in relation to the mission of the Church in Asia, when it presents Jesus as the answer. Chapter IV: The duty of the Christian community to proclaim this Jesus -- the gift of God to Asia. Chapter V: Call communion with Asia and its colourful diversity in order to help the continent discover Jesus as the final and total fulfillment of what they had always searched for. [Dialogue] Chapter VI: Call to solidarity with Asia and its dramatic social challenges [Human Promotion] so that the Christian community may help lead Asia to experience Peace, Justice, Solidarity and freedom, which find their fulfillment in Christ. Chapter VII: Witness and witnesses of the liberative Message of Jesus -- the most effective way of evangelization, to which we ought to commit are lives. The Pope thus presents the challenge [chapters I - III] and posits the centrality of possible approach [Inculturation], lays stress on the need for attitude of Dialogue with the colourful diversity of cultures and religions in Asia and of "loving service to the poor and the defenseless " [EA 32], and caps it all off speaking about the absolutely pivotal and most effective way of evangelization, it is truly Asian indeed, witness. Due to the limited time slot allotted to me, I will now share with you some of my reflections on only a few principal themes of the document, presenting some practical suggestions too for your consideration and possible implementation. Discipleship of Jesus and Transparency [witness] I preferred the word transparency here, than witness, precisely because as Pope John Paul II stated in Redemptoris Missio, "People today put more trust in witnesses than in teachers, in experience than in teaching and in life and action than theories " [RM 42]. And as the Pope correctly affirms, "A genuinely religious person readily wins respect and a following in Asia" [EA 23]. Thus, what is absolutely important for the Church in Asia is not an approach to evangelization merely based on an acceptable or understandable theological presentation of Jesus or on making the Church appear very efficient and very strong, better organized; nor should we think that it is our involvement in dialogue, human promotion or charitable as well as service oriented projects that would bring results -- even the word result is out of place here; but the all-important way is the methodology which the Lord Himself suggested -- transparency of life in being faithful to one's call to discipleship. The Lord wanted His disciples to be "the light of the world" [Mt. 5:14] and "salt of the earth" [Mt. 5:13] and to "be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect" {Mt. 5:48 ]. It is not words that mattered to Him but action [Mt. 7:2]. And the mark of true discipleship for Jesus was the practice of the precept of love {Jn. 13:35]. Indeed Pope John Paul II in Redemptoris Missio reverses the order of preferences between Proclamation and witness found in Evangelii Nuntiandi and puts witness in the first place, calling it "the first form of evangelization." The Pope develops this theme further in chapter VIII of the same encyclical, calling the true missionary a saint [RM 90]. This theme was spoken of much in the assembly hall of the Synod, stressing on the fact that Asia will be convinced of Christ if those who call themselves His disciples will live a life of transparent witness to Him. Thus the all-important option that the church in Asia needs to take in the matter of evangelization is the very methodology of Christ -- moving the existing Catholic community in Asia to a life of discipleship and Christian transparency. Asia believes, as we all know, in persons who live the life of a Sadhu, a holy man. We need to do everything possible to deepen the awareness of Jesus and His message among our communities, in all their components; to motivate them to love and value the person of Jesus, emulating Him in every possible way, and to be zealous and joyful witness and announcers of the salvation and freedom that each of them is already experiencing in Him. Every other strategy is secondary to this all-important option. I feel that in order to launch out on this journey we ought to clear our minds of certain fallacies or doubts that haunt us very often. Among these: 1] That we are incapable of doing so. I recall how at times during the Synod some fathers expressed a sense of pessimism about their ability to present Jesus to Asia as its unique Redeemer. The fallacy here is a certain hidden conviction that it is we who have to somehow convert Asia to Jesus. This is not true. It is really the Lord who touches the deepest recess of the human heart and leads them to Him -- we are only His humble instruments. Paul only planted [1 Cor. 3:6], as we know. 2] That it is important to achieve results here and now. Modern-day management principles are very much oriented to obtaining "results." This is true also in the globalizing economic system that is emerging everywhere today. And surprisingly, though, many are victims of mental stress as a result of that orientation, especially when often failure hits them. In the matter of ecclesial life and our evangelization efforts too we could be conditioned by such a feeling. This to me is again a fallacy. The truth in that we are only the sowers of the seed which the Lord, the master of the harvest, would take care of through others and make bear fruit in His own good time. 3] That we are acting on our own. We often forget that it is the Lord who sends us ["Go therefore ..." (Mt. 28:18-20)]; that he has "all authority in heaven and on earth" [Mt. 28:18] and it is this authority that gives us the mandate, and that He has promised to be with us "always and until the end of this world" [Mt. 28:20]. 4] That we are too small in number and are weak. Jesus in fact called the community of His disciples the "little flock" [Lk. 12:32] and wanted them to take heart at being small and not to be afraid [ibid]. On a number of occasions He spoke in such terms about the Kingdom of God as "being like a mustard seed" [Mt. 13:31]; as "the yeast" [Mt. 13:33] or "the treasure hidden in the field" and "the hidden pearl" [Mt. 13:44-46]. Besides, often, powerlessness was considered an opportunity to experience God's strength in order to be even more committed. St. Paul rejoiced in his sufferings and persecutions because, as he stated: "When I am week, then I am strong" [II Cor. 12:10]. In fact, the dark patches of association, at times, with the powerful colonial powers, in the past, has become an obstacle to evangelization in Asia and the missionary effort of the church suffered greatly. Maybe historical circumstances determined this option. This is not to blame but it is so. The silent and humble entries of missionaries in the first centuries after Christ into India, central and east Asia, China for example, have some more stable results than those through the colonial masters. What is needed is the conviction that God is with us more powerfully when we feel humanly and politically much weaker. Renewal of faith and commitment to transparency Thus recognizing the value of every catholic -- God-given to the church as its missionaries be they Bishops, priests, religious, the laity, from children to the very elderly, and families, ecclesiastical movements -- everyone ought to be motivated and stimulated as urgently as possible to realize their call to a fuller and more complete Christian discipleship through a process of renewal, and personal and communitarian Holiness. Every diocese, parish, institution or movement must be part of this programme. Nobody can give what he or she does not have. Thus, as the Pope says, "a fire can only be lit by something that is on fire." So, too, successful proclamation in Asia of the Good News of salvation can only take place if Bishops, clergy, those in consecrated life and the laity themselves are themselves on fire with the love of Christ and burning with zeal to make Him known widely, loved more deeply and followed more closely. Christians who speak of Christ must embody in their lives the message that they proclaim" [EA 23]. The challenge here is thus transparency of Christian witness and the need to get everyone to value his or her call to discipleship and to live that discipleship twenty-four hours of the day. States the Pope: "To bear witness to Jesus Christ is the supreme service which the church can offer to the people of Asia, for it responds to their profound longing for the absolute" [EA. 20]. This will not be easy but there is no other way. We have to note here the fact that the secularizing world tends to idolize a so-called laicism which places itself in opposition to the spiritual and the religious dimensions of human life. The separation between faith and life, or the church and state, and clergy against the laity, is to me a modern-day schizophrenia. It is not normal. We ought to be convinced and convince everyone else in the church that there cannot be a strict separation between our faith in Jesus and the day-to-day options we take in our social, political or economic activities. The one flows into the other and conditions it and influences it. You cannot be a disciple of Christ one moment and a servant of the demon in the other [Mt. 6:24]. Thus the church has to influence, animate and form all its members to a proper understanding of Jesus, the challenge of discipleship; motivate them to love Jesus in the fullest sense of the word; and stimulate and help them to Christian transparency every moment of their life and a zeal to bring others to that same liberative experience in which they already partake. There is thus a great need to work zealously to renew the faith of the existing community, give it a missionary enthusiasm and confidence, and make it a living community -- where all sectors and every single member feels impelled to evangelize, to say with St. Paul: "Woe to me if I preach not the Gospel" [1 Cor. 9:16]. I believe that this renewal ought not to be just an exercise of the mind or of the structures or of the system only. Such can fail, and indeed it has happened. It has to be instead authentically personal. Structural decisions for renewal continue to be taken at councils, synods, local gatherings of Bishops, Clergy, Religious and others, but that alone is not sufficient. Even the "aggiornamento" much spoken of in the period of the second Vatican Council is still to be realised. Many encyclicals have been written and today we are having one more study session on Ecclesia in Asia. But the question is how can we turn all the good ideas emerging in these documents and meetings into reality? Isn't much of it still only on paper? Has the quality of commitment of our priests, religious and missionaries as well as the laity improved after all these seminars or meetings? Have our parishes and dioceses taken the path to becoming transparent manifestations of Christian discipleship and service to Asia? Have we started journeying on the path to the much-desired-for aggiornamento of the Second Vatican Council truly and authentically? In a world longing for God and searching for deeper meaning -- and so too in Asia -- we, disciples of Christ, ought to be those in whose life the message of the Gospel can be seen, touched and responded to by millions of people. It is only then that Christ can be brought back to Asia in a more fruitful way, for in Asia "people are more persuaded by holiness of life than by intellectual argument" [EA 42]. Let us face this fact today. In fact, the Pope in Ecclesia in Asia outlines a programme through which one could be assisted to achieve holiness of life. His programme consists of the "fruitful listening to the word of God ... prayer and contemplation ... celebrating the mystery of Jesus in the Sacraments, above all in the Eucharist, and ... giving example of true communion of life and integrity of love" [EA 23]. I believe that the shepherds in the first place ought to make it their first responsibility to work out such a programme, see to its implementation in every diocese and parish, and encourage a pastoral and missionary concern to emerge among all ecclesial personnel so that communities served by them become lively and evangelizing communities. The four steps indicated by the Holy Father are important in the formation of a missionary conscience among all the sectors of the church: 1. Exposure to the word of God and the teachings of the church; 2. Prayer and contemplation; 3. Celebrating Jesus in the Sacraments, especially in the Eucharist and, I would add, the Sacrament of Penance; 4. Witness of a life lived in accordance with the teachings of Christ. The all-important need would be to evaluate the present condition of the ecclesial community in each parish, diocese and country and design a package programme to animate and form a missionary conscience and a life of Christian witness among all members of the church, at least in a select area, gear all the resources and personnel available towards realizing this goal and, motivated strongly by the Bishop of each diocese, work it out. All the resources available would also mean the existing ecclesial movements, special apostolates and institutions, and other such bodies. Special attention will have to be paid to the missionary formation of Priests, religious and other such pastoral agents. It must be stated very clearly here that Mission is not merely the responsibility of the missionary religious congregations -- but it is more so of the Bishops and priests. Redemptoris Missio speaks of the primary responsibility of the Bishops in evangelization [RM 63-64]. Every Bishop is the first missionary of his diocese because he shares in the very mission of Christ, the supreme Evangelizer, and succeeds the apostles to whom Christ directly assigned this responsibility. Every diocese exists to evangelize and so also every parish. All priests, as states Redemptoris Missio, "must have the mind and heart of missionaries" [RM 67]. No one is exempt. And a diocese or parish which is not evangelizing is only a lifeless structure. Thus the missionary animation/formation of families, youth and even children, and the stimulation of every catholic to Christian witness and evangelization becomes the absolute and first priority of every diocese/parish - not merely the structures, the finances or the studies or documents produced, and discipline or hierarchical order and harmony. Who is Jesus for Asia ... ? In the process of renewal called for by the Pope, the all-important step would be to discover and help discover the life, Mission and call of Christ -- in its true significance -- by the entire catholic community. I mean entire because still so many have not been exposed to this awareness. Because it is only such a discovery that would give the missionary impetus for a life of missionary zeal and commitment to the church in Asia both as a community and as individual members. The all import question is the same that Jesus addressed to Simon Peter: "But you, who do you say I am?" [Mk. 8:29]. It is the answer to this question that would determine the nature of the believer's consecration to Him. It is the foundational faith which animates true Christian witness and missionary proclamation -- "Who is Jesus for me?" Thus leading and assisting all sectors of the church in Asia to a proper catechesis and experience of Christ, through prayer, reading and contemplation of the word of God and the teachings of the church, the witness of the community, life of worship and Sacraments, and the practice of the precepts of love as well as the strengthening of "concern for the salvation of others," all become extremely important. The central orientation here should be desiring Christ more as a personal experience than as a subject of studies. This is more akin to the religious orientation of Asia. Jesus is not merely an object of study -- He is our Savior and our life. It is an experience. The presentation of Jesus to Asia should not be on what others say who He is, but rather on what I or my community experiences as to who He is. It is, then, not so much a matter of theology alone. What I, a disciple of Christ, present to all those I meet should be "what is Jesus to me?" In this matter, very often theological research tends to be an exercise of intellectual sophistry because it is not anymore "fides quaerenes intellectum" (faith seeking understanding) but rather the other way around. For Asia, religious truths are not merely results of the exercise of inductive or deductive logic. Even in Buddhism, which in its philosophy is oriented towards a very rational approach, popular religiosity is manifestly more oriented to considerations of the Sacred, the unknown and the transcendent. The Presentation of doctrine, soteriology and religious practices in these Asian religious traditions is very much a matter of experience rather than intellectual or rational argumentation. For example, in the East there is no principle of contradiction, and philosophical religious thinking is cyclic in orientation. Jesus is Asian truly, but has been presented to us through Christian theology and doctrine more in the manner of Western, Greco-Roman, philosophical thinking and less in an Oriental way. To search for that language which would present Jesus in a way that can be best understood in Asia is important but has to be more in the way of witness, of sharing a personal faith experience, of prayer and spiritual contemplation of what the Holy scriptures and ecclesial Tradition teaches us, and of the "sensus fidei" (sense of faith) of the community. Ecclesia in Asia calls this search "a paramount challenge" [EA 20]. The face of Jesus ought to be presented in an Asian way and that is not to be in the "treatise" fashion but more in "the sharing" pattern. In such a presentation one must remain faithful to "the church's theological doctrine" [EA 20] but echo an interpretative language which is genuinely Asian. Ecclesia in Asia asserts that St. Paul and even the ecumenical councils which formulated doctrines binding on the church "had to use the linguistic, philosophical and cultural resources available to them" [EA 20]. It is that heritage which has to be "appropriated and shared again and again in the encounter with the various cultures" [ibid]. In other words, what Asian Theologians are expected to do is to deepen further and explain in a terminology truly Asian the Truths about Christ, without seeking to question their veracity or content. Theologians cannot question doctrines but have to seek new explanations for them in a language which can be understood at a given time and in a given culture. The document affirms in a number of places that Asia has already in its possession "seeds" of the truth. Says the Pope: "Through the working of the spirit, there already exists in individuals and peoples an expectation, even if an unconscious one, of knowing the truth about God, about man, and about how we are to be set free from sin and death" [EA 20]. Thus the type of language with which Jesus could be presented to the Asians as their unique saviour is available, already in some way, though imperfect, prepared by God. Genuine Asianness has to be the source from which such language is to be discovered. That Asianness is different from the analytical, rational and de-mystifying, or shall we say de-mythologising, terminology of Western theology. There is a danger, and that is very harmful to theology itself, of making a "fruit salad" out of concepts, expressions which are Western and Eastern at the same time and level. Such an attempt results in doing violence to the rich diversity of thinking and traditions available in each one. It is difficult for someone who is too-much immersed in the modern rationalist theologizing visible in some European universities, even if they are originally Asian, to seek to write a genuinely Asian theological paper without being strongly influenced by such rationalist currents as may be found in them. As I stated earlier, unlike Western philosophical thinking which is conditioned by the principle of contradiction, in the East philosophical thinking is cyclic and oriented to synthesis. It is not cut and dry. Thus theological research in Asia first of all has to keep in mind the philosophical outlook and values of Asian culture. Among the various orientations that determine our life patterns here are the great importance given to the sacred, and to mystery as a way to happiness, the conceptualization of life and respect for life in all its forms as a global all-embracing phenomenon, the value attributed to the experience of God and salvation as more an experience of the inner core of being, the importance given to renunciation and detachment as absolute values, and so many others. Truth is not linear only, it is cyclic in Asia -- it is both this and that as the Buddha taught. The illumined teachers are guides and examples who form their pupils through a process of direct contact, accompaniment and gradual growth. Time too is cyclic. These conceptualizations and their resultant attitudes to life determine the way people understand religious teachings too. The use of symbols in religious teaching and cult is relatively very high in Asia. Secondly, the teachings of the scriptures, the early Christian community, and their subsequent evolution especially in the area of Christology and dogma is a given fact in the belief patterns of our faithful in Asia. They do not dispute or doubt such teachings, even if they may not understand them fully. That attitude is typically Asian and humble and respectful of God and the nobility of Revelation. Yet a greater attempt should be made to present these doctrinal teachings in a way that makes the Asian people feel that Jesus Christ is their true liberator and is very much part of their life. Say the Synod Fathers: "The presentation of Jesus Christ could come as the fulfillment of the yearnings expressed in mythologies and folklore of Asian peoples. In general, narrative methods akin to Asian cultural forms are to be preferred" [EA 20]. The approach ought to be more experiential than ontological. Religion in Asia should speak more to the heart than the mind. In Buddhism the religious attitude is Sraddha -- "a confidence born out of an experiential conviction." It consists of three elements -- full and firm conviction, generated from a deeply personal encounter or experience, and leading and motivating necessarily to consonant living. Thirdly, Revelation is always shown to be born out of the traditions of the teachers, disciples and religious praxis of the people, especially in the area of cult. It is not the philosophers who outshine in oriental religiosity, but the community. A sort of a "vox populi, vox Dei" (voice of the people, voice of God). Thus, for the Christian community too religious traditions handed down have the aura of sacredness with which the ancestors who did so are held and whose life example is considered more important than words. Often in theology there is the danger of not only contesting these popular beliefs but also of even ridiculing them, which is harmful to and disrespectful of the role that the Lord often plays in choosing that which is manifestly weak to confound the strong and the mighty [1 Cor. 1:27-28], a theme recurrent in biblical tradition. A theologian has to show a great sense of respect for the silent and humble workings of God, especially through the religious fervour of the poor. Some say that this is encouraging paternalism. I do not agree with that. Often enough God is shown to choose the poor and the illiterate [1 Cor. 1:27] to be protagonists in salvation history much to the surprise of the others. The mysticism of the East has to find an echo in any attempt at theological study and research. Fourthly, it has to be clearly stated that theologizing has to be always an exercise of not so much the mind, but much more of the heart. The theologian is one who has to always approach his work with a deep sense of reverence for God and for the mystery of Revelation and a deep faith in Him, and theologizing has to be carried out in the context of profound prayerfulness and contemplation. The "angelic doctor" (Saint Thomas Aquinas) spoke of theologizing on one's knees. Prayer and spiritual contemplation are like the sensitivity of the coating on the film which captures the image. The higher one's faith and life of prayer and contemplation is, the greater one is able to explain the revealed word. This attitude of loving reverence characterizes all the servants of God in the sacred scriptures -- even Moses has to cover his face before God [Ez. 3:6]. In the Old Testament this deep reverence and fear of God is often expressed by sayings like "But do not have God speak to us, lest we die" [Ex. 20:19]. Theologizing thus has to be an exercise of humble and reverential discernment. It is certainly not an act of Pride and pedantry; if so, it becomes the modern Tower of Babel. Fifthly, theology is not an end in itself but is a service rendered to the shepherds, assisting them in fulfilling their role of leadership in the community, which service should help edify [1 Cor. 14:5] and strengthen the community in its faith and Christian witness. Theologizing ought to be done with great care and serious and prayerful study and scholarship. It cannot be just journalism. The Pope urges theologians "to work in a spirit of union with the Pastors and the people, who -- in union with one another and never separated from one another -- 'reflect the authentic sensus fidei which must never be lost sight of.' Theological work must always be guided by respect to the sensibilities of Christians" [EA 22]. Joyfulness and Optimism Ecclesia in Asia is a very optimistic approach to the challenge of evangelization in Asia. In fact the Synod itself was a moment of joy, rendering praise and thanksgiving to God for the many marvels He has worked here in Asia - for the gift of Jesus to this continent; the gift of the first community of disciples and all the labour of love of thousands upon thousands of missionaries like St. Thomas the apostle, St. Francis Xavier, Giovanni da Montecorvino, Matteo Ricci, Roberto de Nobili and many others; and for all the other gifts that He had so far blessed this church with. It was also a moment to thank God for the preparation of this continent for the Gospel through its many "ancient religious traditions and civilizations, the profound philosophies and the wisdom which have made Asia what it is today" [EA 4]. The Pope adds a note of caution too, stating that the synod "was not a celebration motivated by pride in human achievements" [EA 4]. Besides, the synod was also an affirmation of Asia's faith in Jesus and a confirmation of its intention to open still wider the doors of Asia to Christ. A note of optimism concludes the Introductory Chapter, stating that "the Bishops and participants bore witness to the character, spiritual fire and zeal which will assuredly make Asia the land of a bountiful harvest in the coming millennium" [EA 4]. Dear friends, a joyful experience cannot be kept hidden. It has to be shared. The Good News of God's great love for mankind made manifest in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, our redeemer, is such an experience. It is this experience which the apostles shared so joyfully and courageously: "This is what has been from the beginning, and what we have heard and have seen with our own eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands" [1 Jn. 1:1]. It is the experience of so many -- men and women who met Jesus, who after an initial crisis understood who He was and proclaimed Him courageously, even in the midst of severe persecutions: "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" [Acts 4:10,12]. It is this conviction that gave them immense courage in the face of severe hardships for the Gospel, and yet, often at the cost of life, they boldly announced Jesus and gave witness to Him with enthusiasm. It is this Mission which was born not only out of the desire to carry out the Lord's command but also out of the immense joy they experienced in their faith in Jesus. What we need to generate in the continent, more than anything else, is that same sense of joy, belonging and courageous witness as well as a sense of service, in His name, directed to all our brothers and sisters in Asia. It may be through our service of building communion and dialogue with all the different religions, cultural and political as well as economic forces in Asia, or it may be in our commitment to the promotion of Human dignity and works of charity. Ecclesia in Asia provides insights into how these may be achieved by the catholic community. Yet, the underlying optimism is more important. Evangelization cannot happen in the air. The Lord has placed us in Asia as His disciples because he wants us to evangelize. He has promised His presence with us. Thus we need not fear or get into despair. Nor should we be pessimistic. With the Lord nothing is impossible [Lk. 1:37], everything is possible. All that we need to do is to commit ourselves to His Mission; look for every possibility He places on our way; enthuse every believer in Christ to be a full-fledged disciple of Jesus by being a missionary, by giving courageous witness to Him; dream new plans for the Lord and launch into the deep -- duc in altum -- as Jesus advised His disciples to do; and like them, the church in Asia too would net in a big harvest. Practical Orientations 1. As we saw above, in the context of Asia, where there are very old and already well-consolidated religious traditions offering a sense of inner freedom and answering the thirst for spiritual liberation of billions of people, and a very minute Christian community, "the little flock" [Lk. 12:32], the most effective methodology for evangelization is none other than a transparent and authentic discipleship of Christ, by all those who profess to be Christian. Asia believes not in doctrine but in experience. It is the continent of contemplation, silence and the call to sainthood - the 'sadhus.' The most important need for evangelization, then, is to do everything possible to urge all Christians on to the path of holiness. This is the best way to show Asia that, after all, Christ, who is a son of its soil, has an even better answer for Asia's deepest longings. It is the way to bring Jesus back to this continent. Such a renewal, I feel, should not be merely a matter on paper or the resolution of another synod or symposium or seminar to be held. We have had enough of that. Instead, as a priority we ought to strengthen the faith and missionary formation of the Catholics of Asia as soon as possible. I was edified to see how through effective coordination between CELAM (Spanish acronym for Latin American Council of Catholic Bishops), the PMS (Pontifical Missionary Societies) and local Episcopal Commissions for Missions, a lot of enthusiasm and action is being generated in the church in Latin America in the matter of evangelization. They have already had six continental mission congresses and continue that programme even now. But what is noteworthy are some of the visible results. From Colombia alone, there are over 2,000 priests working as missionaries in other countries and continents. There are many Bishops eager to send their priests on missionary assignments ad extra (out of the country). I would suggest that the FABC-OE seriously pursue its plan to hold an Asian Mission Congress. You can learn from the CELAM experience. But such should not end then and there with only a set of resolutions. Such congresses should continue to be held regularly. National level preparations too are important. The need is to somehow keep on hammering at it -- until the message just sinks in. "Asia be missionary to your own people and to the world" should be the ritornello (refrain). The Holy Father already spoke of Asia in Redemptoris Missio as the arena for a renewed evangelization effort in the third millennium. He expressed much hope in the capacity of the church in Asia to do so. Thus, starting from parishes, dioceses and conferences of Bishops, a process will have to be launched to form a strong missionary conscience in different sectors of the church. Asian mission congresses fed in by national mission congresses and diocesan congresses as well as grassroots parish and SCC (Small Christian Community)-level programmes should be part of a coordinated and ongoing project for the whipping up of missionary fervour among the catholic community. One of the most important sectors to be thus accompanied should be the Bishops and Priests. They are normally taken up with administration, paper work and routine, as you know. 2. I spoke about missionary formation because unless we give a strong extrovert missionary orientation to especially our Bishops and Priests, they tend to be too-much taken up with their daily routine and the concerns of their own churches. The notion of each priest and bishop being responsible and called upon to help not only their own faithful but much more to yearn for the salvation of also the non-Christians -- exercising pastoral charity towards them -- has got to be stressed. The church ought to look beyond its own horizons. Interreligious dialogue too will become a deeply evangelizing exercise if we keep that perspective before us. 3. The whole outlook has to start in our seminaries and institutes of formation. Still the approach in these places is highly intellect-oriented. Maybe we feel it is the way the world of economics and science is moving on and we ought to ourselves be adequate to that. But we forget that such is basically an orientation of a secularizing society. And mankind's innermost yearnings are not answered that way. I still remember that French girl of about 15 or 16 years who during the youth day celebrations held in Paris some years ago, when invited to address the Pope, told him, "Pere, dites a vos pretres de parler a nous de Dieu" -- Father, tell your priests to speak to us about God. Though apparently religious sentiment is being often laughed at by modern society which idolizes science, technology and secularism, a majority of humanity still yearns for inner and deeper freedom. And that French girl and adolescent spoke on behalf of millions of her peers expressing precisely that yearning Truly, formation has to give a rightful place to academic competence. But the more important concerns should be to develop a heart that, with Christ, can say "I thirst" for the salvation of souls, and to create an outward looking universal or truly catholic, missionary zeal in those who are formed. These men and women, whom God gives to the church, ought to be assisted to value their calling, to grow into a life of transparent holiness in action and conviction through intimacy with Christ, and to acquire a heart that "thirsts" for the salvation of the entire human race and indeed, like St. Paul, the whole cosmos. If what speaks to Asia best is the life of, if I may coin a word, sadhuhood, then that ought to be the absolute and first priority in all formation. "Be saints and be missionaries not merely academics and managers" should be the stress. I feel that the OE should undertake a scrutiny of the approach to missiological formation in Asian seminaries. I find many such seminaries not providing even a course in missiology, let alone a programme of missionary formation. The OE should have a special programme or even a desk for formation, including missionary formation in seminaries. 4. One of the main obstacles to success in our efforts at a renewed thrust in evangelization is a certain "settling down" mentality in a given diocesan church or parish community. This happens in the normal cycle of a person's life too. Thus to settle down, satisfied with what has been achieved so far, and to give up at least to some extent the original enthusiasm is a strong temptation facing all of us. This leads to a routine-oriented, institution- or structure-based, self-centered mind-set. Gone will be the call to a dynamism of outwardness -- say extending beyond one's usual confines -- to non-Christians. But maybe dialogue then becomes an exercise of "Hello, how do you do?" proportions, not anything beyond; to say "Well, we have to attend to our daily needs, don't we?" and to lose the God-given capacity to dream, to invent, to be creative for Him; to feel that if we as a diocese or parish are OK, everything is fine. In such a setup the basically "rootless," "frontierless," "routineless" nature of our missionary calling and its inner spirit-stimulated dynamism dies. Can we go for a change in our mind-set? I feel that this is the most difficult challenge for us Bishops and Priests especially. "What would St. Paul say if he saw my missionary commitment today" could be a very good question to pose at ourselves. 5. Missionary engagement is the barometer of the liveliness of any given ecclesial community or discipleship at individual level. To the extent that we proclaim and give witness to Christ, yearning to bring Christ and His message of salvation to others, to that extent we are his true disciples or communities of disciples. How far are we committed to that? Can we enhance that commitment? I feel that the OE has a special duty to enthuse the Bishops, chief shepherds of local churches, the Priests, pastors of parish communities, and the Religious, soldiers of frontier mission, to do everything possible so that they themselves become committed, forward-thinking and zealous missionaries of Christ. They should also be then stimulated to work towards a strong missionary formation of families, of ecclesiastical movements, of youth and of children. 6. The missionary formation of youth and children has to be taken special care of by all those who are responsible for the pastoral and missionary outreach of the church, I mean especially the Bishops and Priests. The Missionary Childhood programme has proved to be very effective in this matter in parts of Asia and in many areas of Latin America as well as Africa. I feel that the Bishops could make more use of this programme in order to ensure an ongoing and effective missionary formation of the large number of catholic children the church is Asia is blessed with, for they, if guided and empowered correctly, can be the zealous and effective missionaries of Asia tomorrow. Special exposure programmes for Bishops could be organized and the PMS would support such ventures. The same programme could be extended to the juveniles and youth, and by participation to families as it is now happening in some countries of Latin America like Colombia and Mexico. The national Directors of PMS could devise, with the blessings of the OE, a special action plan towards achieving these goals. 7. One final point I wish to make here is the need to establish a supportive mechanism at FABC level to coordinate and support the many initiatives being organized in different countries and dioceses to train and send the laity as missionaries to the more remote areas of Asia for an apostolate of presence, witness and service, and also to look for the lost sheep. Some dioceses already have such programmes, and these could be better-coordinated, supportive programmes organized and the laity be made to be more and more involved in missionary engagements. The above are some of the suggestions that I wish to make. I am sure that during these days of prayer, reflection and dialogue the Lord will guide you to discern His will for Asia and its yearning for true Redemption. I conclude with this quotation, which is directed especially at those of us who are called to be the St. Pauls, St. Francis Xaviers and St. Thereses of Asia: You, O Missionary of Jesus, Remember that: Whenever -- You are getting weak and soft -- they will fail You are doubting -- they will despair You are sitting -- they will lay down But whenever -- You are marching in front -- they will pass you by You are giving one hand -- they will give their lives You are praying -- they will become saints Thank you. Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith 5th September 2002 Bangkok		Index

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