Forum on Eucharist and community sends message to bishops

Published Date: May 22, 2009

Some Catholic theologians and Church workers from across Asia have sent a message to Church leaders saying the Eucharist, the core of Catholicism, should be a bridge connecting faith in God with everyday life.

Father Michael Amaladoss (left) and Bishop
Johannes Pujasumarta of Bandung

Some 80 theologians, missioners and lay activists from 11 Asian countries attended the forum, titled “Eucharist and Community – Beyond All Barriers.” The International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs (ICMICA) and Seoul-based Woori Theology Institute (WTI) jointly organized the May 18-20event at St. Benedict Retreat Center in Seoul.

The two groups held the forum ahead of the ninth plenary assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops´ Conferences (FABC), scheduled to take place in Manila Aug. 10-16 under the theme of “Living the Eucharist in Asia.”

At the end of their gathering they issued a declaration saying they were committed to developing a more comprehensive catechesis on the Eucharist, showing its relevance to daily life. They also said they are committed to using the power of the Eucharist for a more effective appreciation of the FABC´s triple dialogue with Asia´s peoples, cultures and religions.

The keynote speaker, Jesuit Father Michael Amaladoss, had pointed out that the Eucharist is basically a “community meal,” a symbolic action that he said has ritual, social and mystic levels.

“The symbolic action to be real and authentic should celebrate life. But if the community does not actively strive for it, then the community should not celebrate. That is why reconciliation involving mutual forgiveness may have to precede the celebration,” said the director of the Institute for Dialogue with Cultures and Religion in Chennai, southern India.

The basic principle of the Eucharist is the full, conscious and active participation of the people, he stressed. “The community as the Body of Christ is the celebrant, while the priest is a ´minister´ and thus a servant of the community,” he added.

Lawrencia Kwark Eun-kyung, ICMICA secretary general, told UCA News on May 20 that the forum was an attempt by the laity to communicate with Church leaders in Asia ahead of the FABC plenary. “Another aim was to build and strengthen networks among theologians and Church activists,” the Korean woman added.

Participants also included Bishop Johannes Pujasumarta of Bandung, Indonesia; Protestant Bishop Dhirendra Kumar Sahu, general secretary of the National Council of Churches in India; and Maryknoll Father William LaRousse, ecumenical secretary of the FABC Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

Taking “the five loaves and two fish program” that Bishop Pujasumarta described as an example, their declaration also pledged to develop a variety of “sharing plans and projects” at the local community level.

The Indonesian bishop told UCA News he initiated the movement for the poor in 1992, while serving as vicar general of Semarang archdiocese. He said the sharing program was aimed at students in Catholic schools, who saved and collected money for poor students and their families.

“Since I´ve learned about reality and the Eucharist in various countries, this meeting seems to me a ´living catechism´ on the Eucharist,” he said.

Father LaRousse, also a presenter at the forum, told UCA News it was a good experience of how Christians from diverse countries reflect on living the Eucharist in Asia.

“From my experience in Davao, Philippines, I expect bishops will hear the good result of this forum,” he said.

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