The Catholic Church in Asia stands at the crossroads of history amid poverty, climate change, political conflicts, disagreements and economic collapse, said a leading Asian church leader.
Cardinal Charles Bo of Myanmar, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, made the comments during his address at the opening of the federation’s golden jubilee celebrations August 22. The jubilee programs will conclude Oct. 30, with a two-week FABC gathering in Bangkok.
“We gather amidst suffocating clouds of conflict and displacements, the collapse of the economy, frightening climate change, pandemic and starvation of millions. Secularism is on the ascendency in the traditionally Christian world,” said Bo.
Authoritarian leadership is also becoming the norm in too many countries, he added.
“Democracy faces stiff challenges. Fundamentalism and religious violence threaten global peace. We are called upon to examine ourselves as to what could be the role of Asian churches in these challenging moments,” the cardinal said.
“Asia is a virtual mosaic of cultures; the church reflected that diversity,” Bo said.
He said Asian Christianity is in the process of shedding its alien baggage and becoming truly indigenous to the region.
“The incorporation of the cultural and the religious is what theologians refer to as inculturation,” he said.
Cardinal said much had been achieved in the past 50 years, and he thanked the theologians and others who provided the intellectual identity to the FABC.