QUESTION: What is the message of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conference (FABC) to Christians?

ANSWER: The caption of the conference itself is wonderful: “They went through a different way.” It is taken from Mathew 2:12, which is about the three kings who came and adored Jesus; they were from Asia, and Jesus was also from Asia. After worshiping Jesus and offering him gifts, they “went through a different way.” The entire discussion of FABC was cent-red on the Asian Church, which is a powerful entity that is spread over 29 nations. We have a rich tradition of meditation, interiority and a simple way of life that drew inspiration from Buddhism, Jainism, Indian Philosophy etc; but, at the same time, we have not made the Church walk through them in the way grown-ups would do. We simply emulate the European system, which is fading away now. The whole discussion centred on this Asian way of being the Church, the Asian way of contributing to the universal Church. It was so surprising to know that many Churches like the Church of Nepal, Bhutan, Philippines, Japan etc are so powerful. All the participants said that the Asian Church should tread a way that is its own. That does not amount to going out of the Catholic Church, but making the Catholic Church truly more universal.

Bp Raphael Thattil
Shamshabad