RSSPapal delegate Cardinal Francis Arinze opened the plenary assembly of Asian bishops today, stressing the Eucharist’s transforming power, and its role in building communion and solidarity among Church members and the people they live with.
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Papal delegate Cardinal Francis Arinze at |
It matters “a great deal for the life of the Church in Asia how the ineffable mystery of the Holy Eucharist is believed, celebrated and lived in this vast continent in which more than 60 percent of humanity lives,” the Nigerian cardinal said.
Noting that one-fourth of the world’s priests and seminarians are in Asia, he conveyed Pope Benedict XVI’s blessing on participants of the 9th Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) Plenary Assembly, which has the theme, “Living the Eucharist in Asia.”
The cardinal was delivering his homily during the 8:30 a.m. Mass on Aug. 11. One hundred and twenty bishop delegates and priests, Religious and lay partners attended the event, together with other Vatican officials, bishops and guests from various regions and organizations.
Cardinal Arinze said one way the Eucharist transforms lives is by leading the faithful to help the poor live a more dignified life.
“God does not want a few people to grab most of the good things in this world and thus become an oasis of enjoyment and overspending, while the majority remain a desert of want and misery,” he said, quoting “Gaudium et Spes” (”Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World”) from the Second Vatican Council.
Presidents of the Catholic bishops’ conferences of Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Laos and Cambodia, Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam were among those who concelebrated at the Mass. The Philippine bishops’ conference’s president-elect, Bishop Nereo Odchimar of Tandag, was also present.
Other bishops came to represent countries where there are no bishops’ conferences. East Timor, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Nepal were among these. There were no bishops of the government-sanctioned Chinese patriotic Church or the underground Church present.
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Bishops from India attending the |
In his homily, Cardinal Arinze highlighted the missionary dimension of the Eucharist saying, “the love that we celebrate in the sacrament is not something we can keep for ourselves…by its very nature it demands to be shared with all.”
However, he stressed that evangelization is not proselytism and cited canon law forbidding the latter. Cardinal Arinze clarified that evangelization refers to sharing the Christian faith, bringing the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ to people who freely and willingly welcome this proclamation.
Proselytism “seeks to influence people to embrace a certain religion by means that exploit their weak position or put some other pressure on them,” he said.
He also acknowledged that Catholics in Asia live among other Christians and people of various religions. “It is not possible to celebrate together the same Eucharistic liturgy” until the bonds of communion are fully re-established,” Cardinal Arinze stressed. He noted that other Christians “do not yet share with us full Catholic unity.”
For Archbishop Peter Fernando of Madurai, in India, Cardinal Arinze’s reflections on evangelization were relevant to the experiences of his local Church. “We are accused of trying to convert non-Catholics through our schools, our charity work, but we simply share blessings with the needy,” the prelate told UCA News later.
For the large population of Hindus in his region, he said, he feels “they appreciate what we do.”
He added, “A few radicals instigate persecution and killings of priests, Religious and lay people,” thinking their social services are used to convert others. “They are also angry that we are having some success among the tribals who are not Hindu.”
After Mass, the delegation went to the Pius XII center for their assembly.
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Participants of the plenary assembly pose for a photo |
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