Catholic bishops in Asia began a two-week general conference in Bangkok on Oct 12 marking the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences’ 50th anniversary, with leaders calling for renewed evangelization in the multi-religious region.
“As the third millennium marches along, history beckons and the Spirit moves: together we say: Onward Asian Church! This is the moment for Asia,” Cardinal Charles Bo of Myanmar, the FABC president said during his opening address to some 275 Church leaders from 29 nations. Along with Cardinal Bo, Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, the head of the general conference’s Organizing Committee and Cardinal Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij of Bangkok, the host of the meeting also stressed the role of the Church’s evangelization in the region, where Christians are a tiny minority.
Cardinal Bo told the gathering that their jubilee “is an occasion for proclai-ming that The Saviour of the world was born in Asia … Yes. We accept that challenge today. Christ, born in Asia, needs to be proclaimed to the vast multitude in this biggest continent.”
“As the dream of Christ returning to Asia, the Asian Church is called upon to exhibit an evangelical enthusiasm for justice and peace. The future calls for a pilgrimage of confidence,” he said.
“History beckons; the Spirit moves us; let us proclaim the missionary call to the Asian Church, let us make this a century of Jesus’ Good News to the whole of Asia,” said the Church leader from Myanmar.
In a message to the general conference, Pope Francis stressed the cultural diversity of the Churches in Asia and ask-ed them to meet regularly.
“It is important for the Regional Conferences to meet with some consistency, as in doing so the Church is formed, is strengthened along the way, and the fundamental question is: What is the Spirit saying to the Churches in Asia?
FABC gathering urged to adopt South American model
The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) must restructure itself to make the Church “relevant and responsive” to the people of Asia, a top-ranking cardinal said.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, a member of Pope Francis’ kitchen cabinet, stressed there was a great need to restructure the Asian bishops’ federation and model it on CELAM, the Federation of Latin American Episcopal Conferences — the FABC’s Latin American counterpart.
The cardinal was speaking at the opening of FABC golden jubilee programs in Bangkok on Oct. 12, where he said suggestions for the restructuring of the FABC have the approval of top Vatican officials, including Pope Francis.
By the end of the two-week meeting on Oct. 30, along with its final document, “plans for a restructured FABC will also have been finalized, or at least a direction for them set,” Cardinal Gracias said.
“I cannot stress how vital our role at this general conference is. We are undertaking to become and remain a prophetic, relevant, and responsive Asian Church at the service of the people of Asia,” he said.
Arunachal’s Miao diocese gets first priest from Ollo tribe
Miao diocese in Arunachal Pradesh has ordained its first priest of indigenous origin.
Salesian Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao on October 11 ordained Father Vincent Rangwang, belonging to the Ollo tribe, at his home parish at Lazu in Tirap district
Auxiliary Bishop Dennis of Miao was present along with a large gathering of priests, wo-men religious, friends and relatives from across east Arunachal Pradesh.
Congratulating Father Rangwang on becoming the first tribal priest of Miao diocese, Bishop Palliparambil said, “This indeed is a proud mo-ment for the Ollo community and for everyone in the dio-cese. However, Father Vincent now belongs not just to the Ollo community but to the whole world.”
Father Rangwang has been ordained for the Congregation of Missionaries of Compassion (MOC), based in Aliabad, Hyderabad.
“Even though you have your strong tribal roots, now the whole world is your family. May you sanctify yourself daily to lead all the people to God,” the bishop told the new priest.
International consultation to seek Christian response to healing ministry
An international consultation began on October 10 in Thailand’s Chiang Mai city to seek a Christian response to health and healing ministry in Asia. Around 60 people, including medical professionals, pastoral care providers, and leaders of Churches, ecumenical councils, and health-related organizations as well as institutions from across Asia, are attending the October 10-12 consultation organized by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA).
The consultation on the campus of Payap University in Chiang Mai is addressing the theme “Faith, Health and Healing: Christian Response in Contemporary Asia.” At the end, it is expected to formulate and adopt an ecumenical declaration on health, healing, and the right to life.
Renowned social activist launches hunger strike for endosulfan victims
Daya Bai, a renowned social activist, launched an indefinite satyagraha to demand justice for the victims of endo-sulfan pesticide on October 2, the International Day of Non Violence and the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
The use of endosulfan pesticide has killed hundreds of people and maimed and deva-stated the lives of thousands living in and around cashew nut plantations in the Kasargod district of the southern Indian state of Kerala.
Daya Bhai, who is in her 80s, sat on hunger strike in front of the Kerala state secretariat in the Kerala capital of Thiruvananthapuram. Around five of her supporters have also joined the protest.
They have demanded the federal government to consider building an All India Institute of Medical Science in Kasargod to provide medical treatment to the victims, for scientific research to assess the physical and mental deficiencies of the victims.
Indian Christian Women Movement to admit transpersons as members
The Indian Christian Women’s Movement (ICWM), an ecumenical forum, has resolved to admit trans persons and LGBT+ persons as members and engage with social and Church issues with “the lens of feminism, liberation and gospel values.” The resolution emerged at the third ICWM convention held September 29-October 2 at the United Theological College in Bengaluru, southern India.
“After braving two years of pandemic, as caregivers, voices against injustice, supporting victims or survivors of violence, abuse and va-rious atrocities it was energizing to meet again,” says a statement issued after the convention.
The convention addressed the theme, “Who will Roll the Stone Away,” alluding to the various “stones” that bar the path of women towards full equality in all areas of their lives. Aruna Roy, president of the National Federation of Indian Women and founder of Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, pointed to the various ways where women could work to remove the “stones” in different areas of their lives.
Indian Church’s liturgical dispute reaches the Vatican
The decades-old liturgical dispute in India’s eastern rite Syro-Malabar Church reached the Vatican when a group of Catholics raised placards during the general audience of Pope Francis.
The close to 100 faithful including women from the Kerala-based Church on Oct. 5 tried to grab the Pope’s attention by dis-playing placards demanding to allow their priests to say Mass facing the congregation, rather than facing the altar.
At least 48 of the protesters were on a pilgrimage to the Vatican while the rest were part of the Indian community in Italy.
The dispute took a dramatic turn last week when Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, the apostolic administrator of Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese, tried to impose the liturgical pattern approved by the bishops’ synod that requires priests to face the altar against the congregation during the Eucharistic prayer until Communion.
The group carried placards with slogans in support of “La santa Messa versus Populum” (the holy Mass facing the people) to the regular papal audience on Wednesday with tens of thousands of people from across the globe present.
“We are happy that the Pope noticed our placards,” claimed Josemon Kammattil, one of the protestors, who is based in Italy.
Kammattil told that they stood at a stra-tegic spot from where Pope returns to his residence after the public audience.
“As he (Pope) moved on while accepting the salutations of the people, he stood still for a second and noticed us holding the placards in silence,” Kammattil added.
He hoped the effort may place the truth before the Pope as the apostolic administrator seems to have misguided the authorities in the Vatican.
“We plan to continue our protests against the synod Mass on Wednesdays and Sundays strictly abiding by the local law,” Kammattil said.
He said close to 8,000 Catholics from the Ernakulam-Angamaly archdiocese are living and working in Italy and the majority among them were against the synod-approved Mass form.
Hijab row hits Catholic school in Kerala
The row over wearing hijab on September 26 led clashes and disruption of classes in Providence School in Kozhikode, a town in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Some activists of the Students Islamic Organization of India stormed the girls’ school in the morning and in the clashes at the entrance three police people were wounded. The police block-ed the protesters and arrested 10 activists.
A new controversy arose in the century-old school managed by the Apostolic Carmel congregation after its management de-cided to ban hijab in the campus in line with their congregation’s policy.
The immediate provocation for the protests was the college refusing entry to an eleventh grader wearing hijab.
“Hijab is not the part of their uniforms and girls should adhere to the uniform policy,” the principal was quoted as saying by Janam Online, a news portal in Kerala. The same policy is being followed in the century-old St. Agnes School and College in Mangaluru, a major town in the neighboring state of Karnataka. Last year, several schools and colleges in an around Mangaluru was hit by the hijab controversy and the case is in the Supreme Court.
The Students Islamic Organization of India targeted the Providence School three days after Kerala observed a shut in protest against raids by the Enforcement Directorate on the Popular Front on India, another Islamic political movement.
Hijab row hits Catholic school in Kerala
Sikkim political secretary denies conversion allegations
The political secretary of the Sikkim Chief Minister on Sept. 30 denied allegations that he was using his position to spread Christianity in the northeastern Indian Himalayan state.
“Today, I am shocked and pained to learn about the wild, unfounded and dubious allegations leveled against me by a former minister and present Dentam MLA N.K. Subba about my faith,” Jacob Khaling Rai, a Protestant Christian who serves as the political secretary of Prem Singh Tamang, says in a statement issu-ed September 30.
A day earlier, ANI news age-ncy reported from New Delhi that Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP, World Hindu Council) working president Alok Kumar had written to federal Home Minister Amit Shah alleging that Rai indulged in “conversions.”
Kumar alleged that Rai was using his post to “spread Christianity and conversion to Christianity” in Sikkim.
He also said that Subba had met him and handed over a compilation of news of public appearances of Rai, “all for the promotion of Christianity and Christian Institutions in Sikkim.”
The VHP leader, a lawyer, also said that he believed that the assignment of a chief minister’s political secretary and the responsibility of a pastor engaged in promoting Christianity are different. “They should not be allow-ed to be mixed,” Kumar asserted in his letter.