The Holy Father was pleased to learn that you will be attending the Seventh Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, to take place in Samphran, Thailand, from 3 to 12 January 2000. With vivid memories of his recent visit to New Delhi for the conclusion of the Special Assembly for Asia of the Synod of Bishops, His Holiness asks you kindly to convey to those taking part his warm greetings and the assurance of his prayers for the success of the Assembly. His Holiness is confident that the bishops will find fresh ways of meeting the challenge of proclaiming the saving message of Jesus Christ in Asia, and he prays that their communities will always be aflame with missionary zeal to make Jesus known, loved and followed (cf. Ecclesia in Asia, n. 19). Entrusting the Assembly to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the first agent of mission, the Holy Father cordially imparts his apostolic blessing to all the participants.

     I wish to begin by expressing a word of deep gratitude to Archbishop Oscar Cruz and the other members of the Bishops' Preparatory Committee of this Plenary Assembly for extending to me an invitation to participate at the opening of this important Assembly. In the name of the Holy See and of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples I take this opportunity to thank the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences for the work accomplished in favor of the Church in Asia over the last twenty-six years since your first Assembly in 1974.

     The present Assembly is important, not only because it is taking place at the beginning of the Great Jubilee Year, but more importantly, because you have gathered so soon after the publication of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Asia.

     Exulting in the goodness of Asia's peoples, cultures, and religious vitality, and conscious at the same time of the unique gift of faith which she has received for the good of all, the Church in Asia cannot cease to proclaim: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures for ever (Ps 118:1).[1]

     And we do give thanks to Almighty God as we shout courageously and proclaim with joy and conviction in this Great Jubilee Year: "Ecce natus est nobis Salvator mundi, Behold the Savior of the World is born to us, born in Asia!" (EA, n.2) (He has the right of citizenship in Asia.) Be not afraid small flock! For God has redeemed us; God loves us; "God has so much loved the world that he gave us his only Son, that whoever believes in him may not die but have eternal life" (Jn 3:16).

     We give thanks to God, especially during this momentous time in human history as we celebrate the dawn of the Third Millennium, because "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory: the glory of the only Son of God coming From the Father, filled with enduring love" (Jn 1:14).

     A few days ago, the world witnessed the deeply moving and symbolically rich ceremony of our Holy Father opening the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica and inaugurating the Great Jubilee Year. The beauty of that rite was accompanied by the haunting melody of a Japanese koto playing the Sakura, and by the decoration of the portals of the Porta Santa with garlands, scented water and incense, done by representatives of Asian nations, all evocative of ancient rituals which have deep roots in Asian soil.

     How significant, then, that representatives of Asia were those chosen to take part in these initial ceremonies, while representatives of the other continents followed, perhaps suggesting yet again what has been reiterated so often: "It was in Asia that God revealed and fulfilled his saving purpose from the beginning!" (EA, n. 1) Yes, the "Church in Asia sings the praises of the God of salvation" because God "sent his only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ the Savior, who took flesh as an Asian!" (EA, n. 1) Asia has every right to be joyful at the dawn of this new era, this new Millennium. You will have an opportunity in the coming days to exchange pastoral experiences and reflect more deeply on the richness of the Synodal experience of almost two years ago, as well as this post-Synodal period where our hope is "that in (this) Third Christian Millennium a great harvest of faith will be reaped in this vast and vital continent" (EA, n. 1). Let us pray that the future millennium, and indeed the century we have just entered, will be a time of special grace for Asia.

     The worldwide Catholic Church, together with all of humankind, has just crossed the threshold of the Third Millennium, with the rich experience of 2000 years of life in the light of Christ. Our identity comes from this experience of God the Father, revealed through his incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, by virtue of the Holy Spirit.

     Your own rich patrimony of faith has been enriched in the recent past by the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, by the collection of recent papal teachings and of those of the various Synods of Bishops, by the documents issued by your own Federation, and most recently by the Post-Synodal Exhortation Ecclesia in Asia. The concrete implementation of this last document is now the task of the churches in Asia. The analysis of Ecclesia in Asia is the main duty of this Seventh Plenary Assembly of the FABC. The example of the churches of the other continents, such as in Africa and the Americas which preceded the Synod for Asia, can be an inspiration also to you.

     In this spirit, I invite you today to listen:
- To listen to all the churches in Asia, living in many different cultures;
- To listen to the churches in other continents;
- To listen to Peter; to listen to the Universal Church, presided over and guided by the Successor of Peter in Rome.[2]

     In this way, your Assembly will act in the spirit of communion of the churches and with the churches throughout Asia. This Assembly will also act in a spirit of communion with the Universal Church through communion with the Successor of Peter.

     At the same time we must constantly keep in mind that the Church is communio et missio - communion and mission, communion for mission. "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (Jn 20:21). May our common reflections on Ecclesia in Asia move us towards the "great harvest of faith" (EA, n. 1).

     The experience of the Synod of Asia brought out more clearly the complex realities and diversities of the many civilizations and cultures of this continent. As was noted, "we cannot but be amazed at the sheer size of Asia's population and at the intricate mosaic of its many cultures, languages, beliefs and traditions which comprise such a substantial part of the history and patrimony of the human family" (EA, n.6). This intricate mosaic presents to the Church in Asia a challenge to both proclamation and dialogue leading to evangelization in all possible ways and means. During the Synod, we noted in our reflections the contrasting faces of this immense land: a continent marked by religious and cultural realities, one noted for economic and social realities often at wide divergence with each other, and a continent with its own particular political realities.

     Asia is the birthplace of the major religions of the world, including Christianity, a point which we must continue to recall in the face of certain affirmations that the Church is a "foreign religion."

     All of these varied realities offer new and exciting challenges to the Church in fulfilling the missionary mandate she has received from Christ: "Go there and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and know that I am with you always, until the end of time" (Mt 28:19-20). The fortuitous coming together of the conclusion of the Synod for Asia and the celebration of this Great Jubilee offers to us a special graced moment to reflect on the question: "Why the Savior of the world, born in Asia, has until now remained largely unknown to the people of the continent?" (EA, n.2). More importantly, the Church in Asia, the theme chosen for these days together offers an opportunity to seek new ways to renew the Church in Asia, while renewing your commitment to the mission of making Jesus Christ better known to all. For as Ecclesia in Asia states: "If the Church in Asia is to fulfill its providential destiny, evangelization as the joyful, patient and progressive preaching of the saving Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ must be (your) absolute priority" (EA, n.2).

     The experience of the Synod showed clearly that there are a variety of pastoral situations in this continent. Because of this variety, we must also understand the need for a variety of methods employed to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. The need to address the challenges offered by these various pastoral situations with a variety of methods in dialogue with different cultures and religions is an urgent priority because "the Church in Asia finds herself among peoples who display an intense yearning for God. The Church knows that this yearning can only be fully satisfied by Jesus Christ, the Good News of God for all nations" (EA, n.9).

     This is the unique contribution which the Church has made and continues to make for the peoples of Asia, to proclaim faithfully and courageously that "Jesus Christ, (is) true God and true man, the one and only Savior for all peoples," as you have once more proclaimed in the Synod for Asia. (EA, n.10). The uniqueness of this, of the Incarnation of the Son of God made Man, is the central mystery of our faith, and at the same time is of the utmost importance for human history. The event of the Incarnation, which we celebrate so joyously during this Jubilee Year, must be preached, manifested and announced to all men and women, in every age, at every time. This is God's precious and inestimable gift to humanity; and through faith, we carry this gift within us. It is a precious gift, and one which is meant to be shared with others out of selfless love.

     Therefore, the gift of faith inspires us to carry out the missionary task of the Church which is "to bring to the world the true light, Christ the Lord."[3] For without faith, a faith which is not only intellectual, but also which is alive and rooted in our daily life, our ability to fulfill this missionary mandate will be weakened.

     In a special way during this Jubilee Year, our faith in God the Father is marked by the loving embrace he gives to us as children. It is a faith anchored in God's immense and unconditional love for us, a love which is inclusive of all, especially the poor and marginalized. It is a faith marked by God's mercy, exercised through acts of charity towards our neighbor. Therefore, our faith in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, is one which is all-embracing, unconditional, inclusive, and realized through mercy and charity.

     "The whole of the Christian life is like a great pilgrimage to the house of the Father, whose unconditional love for every human creature, and in particular for the prodigal son, we discover anew each day. This pilgrimage takes place in the heart of each person, extends to the believing community, and then reaches to the whole of humanity."[4] And so our faith, which is a pure gift from God to us, given out of his immense love, is a gift which we in turn place at the disposition of our neighbor, in example of Jesus Christ: "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you!" (Jn 15:9).

     The Good News of Salvation is found in this phrase from the Creed: the Good News is that God, in his infinite wisdom and love, sent his only Son "to redeem those who were under the law, so that they might receive adoption as sons" (Gal 4:4-5). The Good News is that God has visited his people, that the Word became flesh (cf. Lk 1:55, 68; Jn 1:14). What is most important for our faith in Jesus Christ is the recognition that he became man for us and for our salvation, as we proclaim each time we recite our Profession of Faith: "Qui propter nos homines [note here - for all men, not just for those who are Christians] et proper nostram salutem descendit decaelis. Et incamatus est." He took on our weak human nature in order to reconcile us to the Father. The Word became flesh so that "we might know God's love"; the Word became flesh "to become our model of holiness"; the Word became flesh to make us "partakers of the divine nature."[5]

     Chapter II of Ecclesia in Asia offers a magnificent exposition on Jesus the Savior: A Gift to Asia. We are reminded that this gift of faith in Jesus Christ is one which we not only received and interiorize, but it is one which we must share. As we were reminded in Redemptoris Missio: "Those who are incorporated in the Catholic Church ought to sense their privilege and for that very reason their greater obligation of becoming witnesses to the faith and to the Christian life as a service to their brothers and sisters and as a fitting response to God." (RM, n. 11). As again was so beautifully expressed in the opening of the Holy Door on Christmas Eve, Jesus is the door through which we must pass to meet God (cf. Jn 10:7). "As the Father's definitive Word, Jesus makes God and his saving will known in the fullest way possible. No one comes to the Father but by me, Jesus says. He is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life" (EA, n. 12).

    Our task as bishops, pastors, and missionaries is to be just as strong and convincing in our own confession of faith in Jesus Christ, the one, unique and universal Savior of humankind. "Jesus is the Good News or the men and women of every time and place in their search for the meaning of existence and for the truth of their humanity" (EA, n. 14). The mission of the Son of God on this earth, the incarnation of God, is a unique fact, wholly singular, a mystery central to our faith and deeply important in and for the history of humankind. St. Paul boldly describes Jesus as "the only mediator between God and man" (1 Tim 2:5). Further we are told explicitly in the Scriptures that there is no salvation in any other name, "for there is no other name in the whole world given to men by which we are to be saved" (Acts 4:12). "Even for those who do not explicitly profess faith in him as Savior, salvation comes as a grace from Jesus through the communication of the Holy Spirit." (EA, n. 14). The challenge before us is to have the courage to preach our faith in Jesus Christ with conviction, manifest it with Sincerely, and proclaim it humbly with clarity and forcefulness. Any weak christology weakens the roots of mission.

     The event of Pentecost underscores the centrality of the Holy Spirit in fulfilling the Church's mission. It is and through the power of the Spirit that the Apostles received the courage and ability to preach the Good News, to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ, and to manifest openly their faith that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Messiah, the fulfillment of the Scriptures (cf. Acts 2:22,39; 3:12,26; 4:9-12; 5:29-32; 13:16-41). Not only do the Apostles preach the Good News of Jesus Christ, but they call their listeners "to accept Jesus in faith, and to let themselves be transformed in him by the Spirit" (RM, n.24).

     "Under the Spirit's guidance, the history of salvation unfolds on the stage of the world, indeed of the cosmos, according to the Father's eternal plan... The Incarnation of the Son of God is the supreme work of the Holy Spirit" (EA, n. 16). The presence of the Holy Spirit in Asia has marked the history of our faith from the Old Testament times, through the life of Christ and the ensuing two thousand years of missionary activity. Our hope and confidence is that the power of the Holy Spirit continue to en-kindle in us the fire of faith, making us ever greater evangelizers, witnesses and faithful collaborators in the Church's missionary activity, guided always by the Holy Spirit, the principal agent of mission!

     Above all, we are confident that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, will guide the Church in Asia as she faces the challenge of inculturation and dialogue with other religious traditions and cultures. We commit ourselves to a dialogue of life with these religions and cultures, confident that the Spirit builds the Kingdom of God, preparing peoples' heart for the seeds of faith (cf. TMA, n.45) "The Spirit's presence ensures that the dialogue unfolds in truth, honesty, humility and respect" (EA, n.21).

     One of the greatest challenges to the Church in Asia is a renewal of her missionary spirit, especially as we stand on the threshold of the Third Millennium. For if we speak of a renewed Church in Asia, we should recall what I quoted earlier, that "missionary activity renews the Church, revitalizes faith and Christian identity, and offers fresh enthusiasm and new incentive. Faith is strengthened when it is given to others" (RM, n.2).

     In recent years, during meetings with many of you during your ad limina visits to Rome, as well as in various meetings during my travels throughout Asia, I have spoken openly about the need of seeking new evangelizers, new missionaries from among the peoples of this vast continent. Already there are many wonderful and hopeful signs, in the growing number of local Missionary Societies of Apostolic Life, such as those in India, Thailand, Korea and the Philippines, as well as Asian members of international missionary institutes, and the dedication shown by the first priest volunteers as Fidei donum missionaries to other dioceses or countries, without forgetting the precious work of so many women Religious.

     I am humbled before the image of hundreds of dedicated men and women, priests and Religious, catechists and lay missionaries from your nations who work under often impossible conditions to preach the Word, not only in their own villages and towns, but also willingly moving to neighboring areas where there are greater needs -even willing to cross borders into countries where the Word has yet to be preached! They undergo hardship, trial and, even the fear of open persecution, out of the love of Jesus! They have followed a long line of local and foreign missionaries who, over the centuries, suffered the same hardships and faced martyrdom in order to bring the light and love of the Gospel to India, China, Japan, Korea and throughout Southeast Asia.

     I watch with deep admiration the silent preparations being made by some local churches concerned with their sister Church in Mainland China, preparing young men and women filled with faith to be prepared to be evangelizers to this particular church, when, God-willing, the doors of this great nation will again open to missionaries. We all felt the absence of representatives of the Church in Mainland China at the Synod for Asia, and we pray fervently for that day when we can again be together.

     The Witnessing Church has been present throughout the history of missionary activity in Asia. Christians both yesterday and today have offered the witness of their lives in harmony with the message they preach; and through this eloquent witness exercised in and through their lives and their actions, they have brought many to the full truth of the Gospel. As the Apostle Paul, inspired by the prophet Isaiah, wrote: "How blessed are the feet of those who announce good news! (Rm 10: 14-16). The challenge for the Church in Asia is to continue to inspire from your ranks, and especially from your youth, new bands of disciples filled with this same missionary spirit, ready to "proclaim nothing other than the power of the Lord's Cross" (EA, n.49).

     Perhaps one of the most difficult challenges to the Church in fulfilling her missionary mandate in Asia concerns the exercise of religious liberty and the right of any human to follow his or her conscience. The missionary activity of the Church, especially in Asia, unfolds among nations where other world religions are present, and - with the exception of the Philippines - where the community is often a small minority. Repeatedly since the Second Vatican Council, this missionary work takes place in a spirit of respect for and dialogue with other religions and cultures, "The Catholic Church rejects nothing of what is true and holy in these religions."[6] Therefore, the principle of dialogue becomes important when it is "taken as an attitude of respect and friendship... directed at mutual understanding and enrichment, in obedience to truth and respect for religion."[7]

     While recognizing that "Asia has often demonstrated a remarkable capacity for accommodation and a natural openness to the mutual enrichment of peoples in the midst of a plurality of religions and cultures," (EA, n.6) recent history also shows in some areas a growing tendency towards intolerance, hostility and open violence against the Church, her personnel and institutions in an attempt to silence, if not completely obstruct, any form of proclamation and witness of the Good News, at the expense of denying religious freedom to many people.

     Religious freedom or liberty is considered today on an international level as among those rights which are fundamental to all human beings The Universal Declaration of Human Rights,[8] which is a civil non-denominational international document, recognizes that the right to religious freedom includes the right to manifest personal beliefs, whether individually or with others, in public or private, and even the right to change one's religion without risking any negative consequences (Art. 18). This important statement is developed in the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief of 25 November 1981, and in the work of subsequent monitoring agencies which have helped to focus the attention of the international community on the inalienable right to religious freedom.

     Often enough this fundamental human right of religious freedom is ignored or even denied in some States under the guise of maintaining public order and of avoiding social and civil discord. At the same time certain key words surrounding the evangelizing mission of the Church, such as conversion - which is the ultimate goal of proclaiming the Good News - are presented as harmful and violent. This overlooks the fact that, in her missionary activity, the Church approaches men and women in total respect of their freedom: "The Church proposes, she imposes nothing. She respects individuals and cultures and she honors the sanctuary of conscience," as was reiterated in Redemptoris Missio.[9]

     After presenting Ecclesia in Asia in New Delhi two months ago, in his address to representatives of other religions and other Christian churches, the Holy Father underlined the close connection between freedom and peace. "Religion and peace go together: to wage war in the name of religion is a blatant contradiction. Religious leaders in particular have the duty to do everything possible to ensure that religion is what God intends it to be -a source of goodness, respect, harmony and peace! This is the only way to honor God in truth and justice![10]

     This teaching is built upon that which was already stated so eloquently in Dignitatis humanae, which states: "The human person has a right to religious freedom ... all should have immunity from coercion."[11] The Church categorically refutes the concept of proselytism in the original meaning of the word, whereby one can use illicit or coercive forces, rather than offering faith. As was stated in the Second Vatican Council: "The Church severely forbids forcing anyone to embrace the faith, or to persuade or attract him by unbecoming pressures, just as it upholds the right a person has not to be deterred from embracing the faith by unjust harassment."[12] At the same time, the Church affirms as a fundamental human right the freedom of each person to confess publicly one's faith and to be able to propose it to others. To this religious freedom comes also the right to embrace a religion, or even to change one, or "to be converted," meaning to change one's religion. On the part of the Church, conversion is simply this: the offering or proposal of faith in Jesus Christ, whereby the one who is converted is free to accept that faith.

     In the same meeting with religious leaders in New Delhi, the Holy Father went on to explain: "It is vital to recognize that there is a close and unbreakable bond between peace and freedom. Freedom is the most noble prerogative of the human person, and one of the principal demands of freedom is the free exercise of religion in society. No State, no group has the right to control either directly or indirectly a person's religious convictions, nor can it justifiably claim the right to impose or impede the public profession and practice of religion, or the respectful appeal of a particular religion to people's free conscience ... Religious freedom constitutes the very heart of human rights. Its inviolability is such that individuals must be recognized as having the right to even change their religion, if their conscience so demands" (n.4).

     I have quoted this passage at length because it encapsulates so perfectly the heart of religious freedom, religious liberty.
 As pastors of local flocks, your special call is to protect the right to freedom of conscience and religion of all those under your care, as well as defending other basic human rights (EA, n.34). I would take this opportunity to express the gratitude of the Holy See for the courage and strength shown by so many of you in recent years in upholding these basic human rights in troubled areas throughout Asia. Some of you have withstood threats to your personal security, and attacks against yourselves, all out of a deep love and faith in Jesus Christ. Many local communities of those who are persecuted for their faith are hidden pillars of the Church. Be not afraid!

   My reflections today have touched upon many aspects for a true missionary renewal of the Church in Asia. Above all, during this momentous time of the Great Jubilee, our attention is symbolically and spiritually drawn to the Holy Door, the door through which we pass to receive salvation. As we journey together in this special pilgrimage, our mission of love and service is the invitation of the Church and of the Holy Father to the peoples of this vast continent: "Open wide to Christ the doors of Asia!"[13]

     Asia, this is your time!

     Asia, the Lord Jesus stands at the door of your hearts and knocks!

     Asia, God opens before you the horizons of a new humanity more fully prepared for the sowing of the Gospel; respond to this promise with a new spirit and dedication!

     Asia, may the eloquent witness of your martyrs be the seed of ever new life for the Church in every comer of the continent! Asia, as we cross the threshold of the Third Millennium, may the love of Jesus Christ the Savior be yours, and "may Asia have life, and have it abundantly!"

FOOTNOTES:
1 Pope John Paul 11, Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Asia (EA) (6 November, 1999), n.1.
2 Irenaeus of Lyons, Adversus Haereses, 3.3: Ad hanc enim ecclesiam propter potentiorem principalitatem necesse est omnem convenire ecclesiam, hoc est eos qui sunt undique fideles, in qua semper ab his qui sunt undique, conservata est ea quae est ab apostolis traditio. (For with this Church [of Rome], because of its more powerful preeminence, all churches must agree; that is, all the faithful in the whole world; for in her the apostolic tradition has always been preserved for the benefit of the faithful everywhere.)
3 Pope John Paul II, "Bull of Indiction of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000," Incarnationis Mysterium, (29 November 1998),n.1.
4 Pope John Paul II, Catechism of the Catholic Church (October 1, 1, 1992), nn. 458, 459, 460.
5 Ibid., nn. 458, 459, 460
6 Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Declaration on the Relation of the Church to NonChristian Religions, Nostra Aetate, (1965), n.2.
7 "Dialogue and Proclamation": Reflections and Orientations on Interreligious Dialogue and the Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Vatican City: 1991), n.9.
8 Recued d'Instruments Internationaux, ONU, New York 1988, p.4.
9 Pope John Paul II, Speech to Representatives of other Religions and other Christian Churches, Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, (November 7, 1999), n.3.
10 Ibid., n.3.
11 Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Declaration on Religious Liberty, Dignitatis humanae, (1965), n.2.
12 Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Decree on the Church's Missionary Activity, Ad gentes, (1965), n.13.
13 EA, n.4. Cf. Pope John Paul 11, Address to the Sixth Plenary Assembly of the FABC, Manila (January 15, 1995), 10.

     At the beginning of this new Millennium, the doxology of the great 4th-century Asian theologian-saint, Gregory Nazianzen, comes to mind. The Church in Asia is rooted in the communion of the loving Father, Son and Spirit. The Church is here precisely to journey together with all the peoples of Asia, to the One and Triune God, from whom all communion, all unity and harmony, all love and peace spring.

     On this common Asian journey, the Church's "only joy is that which comes from sharing with the multitude of Asia's peoples the immense gift which she herself received - the love of Jesus the Savior. Her one ambition is to continue his mission of service and love, so that all Asians 'may have life and have it abundantly"' (Ecclesia in Asia [EA], 1999, n.50).

In the brief moments that I am privileged to speak in this VII FABC Plenary Assembly, I wish to reflect with you on the vision of a renewed Church in Asia and the challenge that it poses to all of us.

     Since their first meetings in 1970 (Manila) and 1974 (Taipei), the Asia bishops have been convinced that God is speaking through the social, religious and cultural situations of the peoples of Asia, that God is calling the Church to renewal. That is, if the Church is to fulfill her mission of evangelization.

     What might this vision of a renewed Church in Asia be? Allow me to recall seven images or movements toward a renewed Church that the Asian bishops have indicated.
 

1.	To renew the Church in Asia is to move from passivity and anxiety to active integral evangelization, hence toward a renewal of the sense of mission (see V FABC Plenary Assembly, Bandung, 1990). We evangelize because we believe that the Gospel is a leaven of social transformation. We evangelize because we believe in Jesus as Lord and Unique Savior, and we must witness to him and the Kingdom he proclaims. We evangelize because we believe that "the Lord is the goal of human history, the focal point of the desire of history and civilization, the center of humankind, the joy of all hearts, and the fulfillment of all aspirations" (GS, 45; see For All the Peoples of Asia [FAPA] Rosales and Arevalo, eds., 1992, pp. 279-81). To evangelize, the Church cannot be uninvolved in the joys and sorrows of Asian peoples. She cannot be triumphalistic. She has to be a humble companion and partner of all Asians in the common quest for God, in the struggle for justice and harmony, for a better human life The Church has to be a lowly servant of the Lord, and of Asian peoples, in the journey to God's Kingdom. She has to be a Church of compassion for the weak and the oppressed (FAPA, pp. 283-84).
2.	To renew the Church in Asia is to move from an abstract and noninvolved universalism to the building of a "truly local Church," that enfleshes the "Body of Christ in a given place and time," a church "incarnate in a people, a church indigenous and inculturated." It has to be a church "in dialogue with the great religious traditions of our peoples," in "dialogue with the people, especially the poor" (I FABC Plenary Assembly, Taipei, 1974; FAPA, pp. 14-16).
3.	To renew the Church in Asia is to move from institution to deep interiority. With interiority the "experience of God's presence and action is intensified and deepened, the heart opened to the fresh outpouring of love, goodness, gentleness - of all the fruits of the Holy Spirit" (II FABC Plenary Assembly, Calcutta, 1978; FAPA, p. 32). The Church has to become "fully a true community of prayer - a deeply praying community whose contemplation is inserted in the context of our time and cultures of our peoples today" (FAPA, p. 3 1). Integrated into everyday life, "authentic prayer has to engender in Christians a clear witness of service and love" (FAPA, p. 34).
4.	To renew the Church is to move from individualism toward an authentic community of faith (111 FABC Plenary Assembly, Bangkok, 1982). Its communion is rooted in the life of the Trinity. It has to be a community of authentic participation and coresponsibility, one with its pastors, and linked "to other communities of faith and to the one and universal communion" of the holy Church of the Lord (FAPA, p. 56). The movement in Asia toward the Basic Ecclesial Community expresses the deep desire to be such a community of faith. At the parish and the diocesan levels, the Church has to be a "community of communities."
5.	To renew the Church in Asia is to move from clericalism to lay empowerment (IV FABC Plenary Assembly, Tokyo, 1986). Empowered by the gifts of the sacraments and by their own personal talents and skills, it is the laity that can ably bring the Good News of Jesus to bear upon the fields of business and politics, of education and health, of mass media and the world of work. This is their common vocation - to be a Gospel-leaven in their own milieu. It requires a spirituality of discipleship.
6.	To renew the Church in Asia is to move from comfortable and uncritical relationships with the rich and powerful to a "Church of the poor" and a "Church of the young" (Manila, 1970; FAPA, pp. 5-6). "If we are to place ourselves at the side of the multitudes in our continent, we must in our way of life share something of their poverty ... .. speak out for the rights of the disadvantaged and powerless, against all forms of injustice" (FAPA, ibid.). In this continent of the young, we must become "in them and for them, the 'Church of the young... (FAPA, p.6).
7.	To renew the Church in Asia is to move toward active involvement in generating and serving life in Asia societies (VI FABC Plenary Assembly, Manila, 1995). Asia is barraged by death-dealing forces of injustice, conflicts, and unauthentic economic, political, and cultural developments, inexorably pushed by the forces of globalization. The Church responds and offers a vision of authentic life, life with integrity and dignity, life with compassion, and sensitive care of the earth; a vision of participation and mutuality, of a reverential sense of the mystery and the sacred, of peace and harmony, of solidarity. It is a vision of full life promised by Jesus, to be shared with the multitudes of Asia through our authentic discipleship in service to life.All these dimensions of renewal should make the Church what she claims to be - a true prophet, a countersign to the prevailing situation in Asia, a pointer to the Father and Son and Holy Spirit, a sign of God's Kingdom, now here and yet to come. Credibly, the Church must embark on a journey of renewal so as to live a "new way of being Church."

     This is the vision of Church that the FABC has developed in the past 30 years. Is the vision still valid for the third Millennium?

     In the light of the Holy Father's post-synodal exhortation, Ecclesia in Asia, the FABC vision remains valid and urgent. Without any shadow of doubt, the FABC has been very clear and consistent about its confession of Jesus as the One Lord and Savior. It has also been quite clear that its confession of Jesus is to be proclaimed in Asia through the mode of respectful conversation in faith and love, the mode of dialogue. Has not the Holy Father himself acknowledged this when he observed: "The actual celebration of the Synod itself confirmed the importance of dialogue as a characteristic mode of the Church's life in Asia" (EA, n.3)?

     Imperative and urgent, the FABC vision of a renewed Church poses a challenge to the entire life and mission of the Churches in Asia. With the resources that God gives us, we shall resolutely and patiently pursue our mission of evangelization, of which the main agent is the Holy Spirit. With our Asian brothers and sisters of other faiths, we shall continue to help transform our Asian realities and bring them closer to the Kingdom of God. But we must continually discern what image of Church we are projecting to our Asian brothers and sisters. Do they see us embodying the compassionate self-emptying and self-giving of Jesus the Lord, who became a humble servant for our sake? To what extent is the Church in Asia inculturated? Are we bringing a Gospel of Life meaningful and understandable to Asian peoples and cultures? Are we a Church of dialogue? Are we a participatory Church, where the laity actively play their role of coresponsibility in the life and mission of the Church? Are we a Church of the poor? Do the youth find a home in the Church? Are we, finally, communities of prayer, men and women of God-experience, Spirit-led people, whose lives bear witness to communion and transcendence?

     In the Third Millennium the ultimate challenge is, in the final analysis, the vision of a renewed Church as an authentic disciple-community. The Church in Asia cannot be an effective sign and proclaimer of Jesus and the Kingdom of God, unless she follows the radical footsteps of the humble Jesus is his own redeeming servant-journey of the Paschal Mystery.

     We cannot credibly and effectively do the tasks of proclamation, inculturation, interreligious dialogue, ecumenical dialogue, human promotion in the light of the complex realities of Asia, unless words are translated into action, belief into life. Or in other words, unless mission stems from profound communion with the Triune God, apostolic action from the wellsprings of a profound spirituality of following Jesus-in-mission.

     A formidable challenge, indeed. But the Holy Father himself reassures us with the words of Jesus: "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom" (Lk 12:32). The Pope continues: "Those who believe in Christ are still a small minority in this vast and most populous continent. Yet far from being a timid minority, they are lively in faith, full of hope and vitality, which only love can bring" (EA, n.50).

     In this VII FABC Plenary Assembly we pray that we may, indeed, be so.

     The FABC has made many different pronouncements about the Church in Asia and about Asian society on the occasion of its plenary assemblies, the workings of its Offices, the publication of its FABC Papers. The Special Assembly for Asia of the Synod of Bishops also gave its rich and enriching Asian ecclesial vision and socio-moral insights. Lately and significantly, the Holy Father himself, John Paul 11, delivered his Post-Synodal Exhortation Ecclesia in Asia.

     What now? What pastoral directions should the Church in Asia take during these propitious times at the start of the Third Millennium ushered in by the Great Jubilee Year 2000? In other words, what definite and defined ecclesial agenda should the membership of FABC draw up and implement as its contemporary pastoral priorities?

     To help somehow our plenary assembly answer this question, though briefly and not exhaustively, it might be good to go to some prime pastoral concerns - the more salient truths pointed at and the more signal themes developed by the aforesaid three basic sources.

1.	The proclamation of Jesus as the one Savior of the world, as the central pastoral agendum - a proclamation with no uniform pattern, and thus receptive of variant approaches, such as in terms of an "initial proclamation," to be completed by a "fuller catechesis" about Jesus Christ as true God and true man.
2.	The Asian approach to mission and evangelization, catechesis and the-ology, and other ecclesial programs, beginning with life and its ac-companying concrete realities and particular circumstances.
3.	The FABC perspective of and focus on the "new way of being Church as a communion of communities," taking into account that the Basic Ecclesial Community is precisely one "new way of being Church in Asia."
4.	The triple dialogue with the poor, with cultures, and with peoples of other religions, envisioned by FABC as a mode of evangelization, viz., human liberation, inculturation, interreligious dialogue.
5.	The encouragement of the work of inculturation, including explora-tions in inculturated theology and liturgy, in the formation of the clergy and the religious, in spirituality and popular religiosity, and the like.
6.	The emphasis on authentic witnessing of life and the true God-experi-ence, nurtured by prayer, in the task of proclamation.
7.	The integral and integrating role of formal education in evangelization in the Asian context, urging a rethinking and reprogramming of the apostolate of education in relation to service of the poor.
8.	The imperative of a solid foundation in the social doctrine of the Church, to be given to all Catholics and all those willing to listen, for an inte-gral human development.
9.	The full engagement of the Church in the work of human rights, hu-man promotion, justice and peace, taking into account the evangeliz-ing character of such work.
10.	The urgent and consequent requirement wherefore of a holistic and contextualized formation of the laity, seminarians, and religious, a spiri-tual renewal of priests, and a more authentic witnessing of persons in consecrated life.

     A quantitative survey of the interventions made by the members and participants in the Special Assembly for Asia of the Synod of Bishops may be of interest for purposes of recall, and to indicate the prevalence of inter-est thereon:

1. Numerical Counts

     Inter-Faith Dialogue (23 Interventions); Local Church/Communion/ Participation (18); Inculturation(16); Church of/with the Poor (11); Glo-balization(IO); God-Experience/Asian Spirituality (10); Youth(7); China (7), Ancient Apostolic Churches of the East (6); Personal Homily on Christ (6); Witness of Life (6); Asia as Cross-Cultural Missionary Churches (5); Women (5); Laity (5); Social Communications (6); Ecumenism (4); In-digenous Peoples (4); Family Life (4); Education (4); Clerical and Lay Formation (4); Holy Spirit (4); Christology (3); Asian Methodological Approach (2); Christian Social Doctrine (2); Human Rights and Peace (2); Migration (2); Universal Church (2).

2. Single Interventions (14 topics)

     Health Care, Priestly Identity, Cultural Patrimony, African-Asian Con-tact, Biblical Association, Religious Life, Law and Freedom, Non-Need for Inculturation, Abortion, Pontifical Mission Societies, Mongolia, Laos, North Korea, Siberia.

     The total number of interventions was 192.

3. Proportionate Counts

     Seventy-six percent (76%) of the interventions (146) dealt with four main topics: the Asian churches in dialogue with other faith traditions (43 interventions); the Church becoming Asian by dialoguing with living cul-tures (41 interventions); the churches learning to dialogue with the poor (33); and the Asian church as a church of the laity (29 interventions).
 

Note:

The majority of the Synodal participants considers the threefold dia-logue with other religions, with cultures, and with the poor, as the context, approach, and content of the New Evangelization.

1.	The Plenary Assembly may wish to undertake the overall task of read-ing "the signs of the times" of the new century - such as the reality, the positive elements and negative factors of globalization, liberalization and urbanization - in order to pray, reflect, and plan together contem-porary and timely responses to the challenges made to the Church in Asia within the context of the Church's mission in Asia, and to launch and carry forward this pastoral blueprint.
2.	The workshops of the Plenary Assembly may want to recognize an Asian solidarity that could be effectively brought about by the phe-nomenon of globalization in human, social and cultural realities, in financial, industrial, economic concerns; and to seek, discover and en-courage contemporary and realistic pastoral responses from the many social entities in the Church. The Assembly then may also opt to es-tablish cooperative efforts with non-Catholic and/or secular Asian and world groups having similar or compatible concerns.
3.	The Plenary Assembly may desire to take one step beyond the Special Assembly for Asia of the Synod of Bishops by building on those par-ticularly Asian main themes formally brought to the fore thereat, by setting up manageable goals, through identified persons or entities in discernible sequence of steps, with proposed time-targets, subject to periodic evaluation, and the like.
	Do the goals of this Plenary Assembly appear clear?

     What next then? What shall we look into now? What will the Plenary Assembly resolve? Where will the Church in Asia go from here in this decade?

     From the outset, the plenary assembly preparatory committee accepted as a working principle that the Seventh Plenary Assembly would be a par-ticipatory happening for the member bishops' conferences and associate members, with a pastoral input representing as many Asian resources as possible. All the workshops, considering the many pressing pastoral top-ics, would also be representative. The preparatory committee would also be open to proposals for additional workshops on topics not first included, but now considered to be worthy of special treatment.

     The immediate input for the workshops is to be found in the Assembly's two position papers and the discussion guides prepared for each workshop. These papers hopefully were to be made available to the workshop partici-pants long before the Plenary Assembly. However, many of them were still arriving at the printer until shortly before Christmas. (And then, a fire in the printer's shop destroyed the entire printings, and they had to start anew! We bless the Hong Kong Caritas Press for their untiring cooperation!)

     The reports of all the workshops were presented in the Assembly Hall for comment and for addition and alteration, verbally or in writing. In this FABC Paper only the main pastoral recommendations of each workshop are provided. (The complete texts of the two position papers, the workshop discussion guides, and the workshop reports, and other resources, are avail-able on the web site of UCANEWS: www.ucanews.com/html/fabc-papers/fabc-o.htm and also at fabcol@ms8.hinet.net ).

     In accordance with the FABC Statutes all resolutions and proposals of FABC meetings are offered to the FABC membership as recommendations for their consideration, and are not binding upon the individual bishops' conference, diocese, or ecclesiastical constituency. The Plenary Assembly is a moment of joint reflection, sharing and mutual support in the life of the Church in Asia.

     Reference: Workshop Discussion Guide FABC Paper No. 92a

     Social Communication comprises all ways of communicating in hu-man society. It includes the mass media as well as other communication forms. In its deepest sense, it is "a giving of self in love" (Communio et Progressio, n. 11). The varied communication channels accessible to some parts of Asia today make the questions of "choice" and "selection" crucial. In areas where access is limited to only a few, the disparity between the rich and poor becomes ever more pronounced.

     On the other hand, new communication technologies provide opportu-nities and challenges extending beyond national and continental borders. Bishops and Church leaders should not neglect this. Neither should they neglect the fact that the whole life of the Church is communication. In all of its ministries, communication is central.

     We commend the various communication enterprises working for the Church in their struggle to promote Gospel values and human development, despite limited resources and political restrictions. Some examples are Catholic publishers, radio stations, news agencies, institutions involved in training and production, especially those serving the faithful in remote areas.

     Radio Veritas Asia, an FABC project that has served as Asia's "missionary voice" for 30 years, needs special mention. We ask the bishops of Asia to renew their commitment to support this continental radio station (cf. Ecclesia in Asia, n.48)

We also commend the FABC-Office of Social Communication for its
efforts to clarify concepts and develop understanding of "social communication" among Asian bishops. We commend its initiatives to encourage and facilitate research through the Asian Research Center (ARC) for Religion and Social Communication.

At the same time, we urge the Office to :
 

*	Develop closer collaboration with and facilitate networking among Catholic media professionals and young media users so as to enrich the Church's understanding of social communication with their input
*	Take initiatives to demonstrate innovative communications that can inspire and encourage local Churches of Asia to develop their own effective communication activities;
*	Provide useful practical referrals to the local Churches as they try to develop their social communication activities.

     We hereby recommend the following :

1.	Bishops and other Church leaders should be trained in communication skills and media relations. New bishops, in particular, may be trained in conjunction with the leadership seminar conducted for them by the FABC.
2.	The Church should make use of all means of communication available at its disposal. Beside Radio Veritas Asia and the other mass media, it should explore the possibilities of utilizing cyberspace, as well as traditional forms, such as dance, songs and poetry in which the cultures of Asia are so rich.
3.	Communication training should be an integral part of the formation of priests and religious. An appropriate syllabus should include the theology, theory and practice of communication.
4.	The Church should recognize and encourage media productions that promote Gospel values and human development, as well as the active involvement of Christians in the secular media.
5.	Central to all communication is the "witness of life." The more we are in communion with God in prayer and in action, the more effective is our communication. Because God himself communicates through us, we are better able to dialogue with the world.

     All these proposals seek to answer the challenge posed by the Holy Father in Ecclesia in Asia (n.48) and Redemptoris Missio (37c), that it is necessary to integrate the Gospel message in the "new media culture":

     It is not enough to use the media simply to spread the Christian message and the Church's authentic teaching. It is necessary to integrate that message into the 'new culture' created by modem communications.

     Reference: Workshop Discussion Guide FABC Paper No. 92b

     We, pilgrim people, experience a call to continue God's saving action in Jesus Christ for the fulfillment of God's Kingdom of life, with a renewed focus on personal and community faith life, in order to provide effective witness to Gospel values, through a personal relationship with Christ and openness to be evangelized by the poor and marginalized. We also realize we are entering a new stage in the journey to God which challenges us to seek new understandings, expanding relationships and a spirituality adequate to this moment in Asia.

1. Mission

*	Religious life refuses to accept boundaries. It is a dynamic life-giving and life-sustaining movement. It remains a primary agent of change in the Church.
*	A need for wider participation in the life and mission of the Church in Asia (EA, n.45).
*	Request FABC, religious congregations and other bodies to monitor the work of religious working in difficult situations in certain Asian countries, and find new ways of giving affirmation, practical assistance and effective solidarity.

 2. Community Life

*	Encourage, recognize new ways of being community for mission (EA, n.44).
*	A life of prayer and contemplation that is genuinely Asian must be the wellspring for meaningful presence within community and in community outreach.
*	A sense of hospitality, an openness to people of other walks of life.
*	Stewardship of community resources: accountability, transparency, ethical aspects of investment policies, requirements of justice, structural solidarity.

3. Formation - Initial and Ongoing

*	Update resources and opportunities for spiritual growth "in response to cultural forces which tend to marginalize the religious dimension of life, if not actually to deny it" (VC, 103).
*	A spirituality of justice in an interdependent and suffering world.
*	Formation be in line with the triple dialogue advocated by FABC, include adequate exposure to Asian realities, namely, the poor, cultures and other living faiths.
*	Train formators in the Asian context, with an emphasis on evangelical feminism.

4. Relationships Between Religious and Diocese

*	The call to integrate with the pastoral plan of the diocese is based on a respect for the particular charism, and:
*	An understanding of the pastoral plan which includes outreach services beyond the Christian community.
*	Communion with the laity.

5. An Appeal

*	We encourage religious to view their vocation within the wide context of Asian religious traditions.
*	In the case of male religious communities of brothers and priests, we urge the members to rediscover the religious dimension of their vocation.
*	We urge efforts be made to deepen their appreciation of the role of religious brothers.

6. Closer Collaboration

*	With FABC, and existing Asian associations of religious, e.g., SEAMS, AMOR.

     Religious life refuses to accept boundaries. It is a dynamic life-giving and life-sustaining movement. It must remain a primary agent of change in the church.

     Therefore, we recommend:

     New styles of formation in an Asian spiritual context, a formation that includes solid grounding in scripture, theology and anthropology; exposure to forms of prayer and contemplation that are genuinely Asian; that will provide a wellspring for meaningful presence within community and in community outreach; and a spirituality of justice in a suffering world. We suggest a climate of feminism that flows from the Gospel values of love, compassion and service.

     Integration with the pastoral plan of the diocese, based on a respect for the particular charism, and on an understanding that the pastoral plan include outreach beyond the Christian community; and the sharing of the particular charism and spirituality with lay partners, even those of other faiths.

Reference: Workshop Discussion Guide FABC Paper No. 92c

     We reiterate our past endorsement of the recommendations of the 1993 FABC Consultation on Women, and of the Bishops' Institute for the Lay Apostolate I and 11 on Women.

     Among which we would like to specify that priority be given to facilitating the implementation of our vision of a participatory Church by :

*	Setting up a women's commission/desk in each country; and efforts be made to have a corresponding commission/desk in all dioceses and parishes.
*	Ensuring women constitute at least 30% of all Church councils, committees, or bodies.
*	The formation of priests should include: -A healthy interaction with women
	- Gender sensitivity training
	- Rereading, reinterpreting and rediscovering the Scriptures to include the women's perspective
	- Courses of theology and study of the papal teachings on women
	- The presence of women professors and women students in seminaries

*	In the Church's mission for justice, dioceses and parishes should encourage initiatives to form women's groups for education, empowerment and social advocacy. Net-working with women's groups, both secular and of other faiths.
*	Since the Church has powerful resources in its women membership, these should be identified and utilized, as is already being done in all spheres of secular society.
*	Bishops cannot know the signs of time unless they dialogue with women There is a need for bishops/pastors to dialogue with, listen to, and understand women.
*	Women need to be heard in all associations within the Church, to enable their experiences of life to bear on decisions taken. Therefore, there is a need to create an atmosphere for dialogue also at the levels of the diocese and parish.
*	In the parish and in rural areas, women should be organized into groups for empowerment, through the imparting of knowledge of their rights, awareness of their dignity, and development of skills for participation in social, economic and political life.
*	Social advocacy on behalf of women domestic workers, migrant workers, and other unorganized workers, for humane laws regarding their rights and their dignity.
*	Marriage preparation courses should stress the role of complementarity, mutuality, coresponsibility, and the covenant bond in the marriage relationship. It should include a catechesis of the sacrament of marriage, and the teaching of the papal documents on women/marriage, to enrich and support married and family life.
*	Networking with other groups to promote advocacy for upholding the sanctity of human life, especially that of the girl child, from conception to death.
*	Educational institutions should include curricula that impart an education for life, where girls are educated in self-confidence, self-respect, to discover their personal dignity; and boys are taught to respect women, develop correct attitudes, and educated in gender sensitization.
*	Sex education given to boys and girls in schools should be revised to include the sacredness of women's capacity to be cocreators with God.
*	Our educational institutions should make available their facilities to provide education, income generating skills, professional training, and personal development for girls/ women.
*	The student's catechesis should provide for a social outreach through field experiences.

Reference : Workshop Discussion Guide FABC Paper No. 92d

The Priest as an Ecclesial Man

     To carry out the ministry and mission of Jesus in Asia, the priest must be an ecclesial man: well-grounded in his individual Church (Latin or Oniental Rite); able to form a communion of communities within the Church (parishes, renewal groups, etc.); open to solidarity with other communities (other Churches and ecclesial communities, other religions, people of good will and the poor).

The Priest in the Asian Context

     To realize the mission and priestly ministry of Jesus in Asia today, in addition to realize the traditional understanding of priestly formation according to its human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral dimensions, we look also to the more Asian images of the priest as the man of mature personality, man of the sacred, man of dialogue, and man of humble service. By man of the sacred is meant that the priest deeply experiences the salvific love of the Triune God and is dedicated to following Jesus. By man of dialogue is meant an openness and skill for dialogue with communities both within and outside the Church. By man of humble service is meant that, through a loving attitude, the priest generously serves the Church and all human beings in the Spirit of Christ. These four dimensions must be integrated as they are mutually interdependent.

     Although all these four Asian images are important and mutually dependent for in priestly formation in Asia, the man of the sacred is critically important. In other Asian religions, holiness is given great value; holy men receive great respect. Priestly holiness is intrinsically linked to and developed through priestly ministry; dedicated ministry enhances holiness and holiness enhances ministry. Further, this holiness, which is a love for God, for men and women and for nature, is nourished by prayer, deep meditation upon the word of God, sacramental life and service.

     Formation should keep a focus on Christ as the model of holiness for the priest. We also need role models of zealous, holy priests on the formation staff. In leading the seminarians toward human maturity and holiness, freedom, discipline and responsibility should go hand-in-hand.
 In face of the plurality of religions and cultures of Asia, the priest in Asia needs to develop the ability for polite, respectful dialogue with the vast majority of Asian people who are not Catholic, as well as with people of his own Church communities. Further, because of the economic and social difficulties of Asian peoples, the priest should approach them as humble servant, concerned for the true development and human promotion of Asia's different nations, with a special concern for the poor. This dialogue and service should remain open to evangelization, sharing Christ with other communities.

The Process of Formation

     In the process of formation, the following areas should receive important consideration.
 

1.	The selection of candidates should ensure that each has the proper motivation, human qualities and basic faith-life necessary for a future priest. Modern methodologies of discernment can aid in this selection process.
2.	The process of selection of formators should involve a holistic approach - spiritual depth, pastoral/evangelical experience and effectiveness, and academic competence must all be considered.
3.	All those involved in seminary training, including the teaching staff, should be considered part of the team of formators. In this context, the leadership role of the rector and his immediate formation staff is of critical importance in creating an atmosphere of sacredness, dialogue, service. The priests and people with whom the seminarian does his pastoral work should also be enlisted as formators.
4.	Formation should be given in small groups for better personal guidance (with the moderator system). And for the sake of fostering human maturity, guided exposure programs should be introduced.
5.	We need an effective program to develop a contextualized curriculum, with a continuing system of evaluating this curriculum.
6.	In order to be properly rooted in his own individual Church, seminaries should be provided for each individual ecclesial rite.
7.	We need effective ways of evaluating both seminarians, and the whole seminary system. Evaluation of seminarians should include evalutions of the seminary faculty by self, peer, staff, and people ministered to. The spirit of such evaluation should be positive evaluations of the seminary faculty by self, peer, staff, and people ministered to. The spirit of such evaluation should be positive.

1.	A "spiritual year" may be helpful in some areas. The timing of this year would necessarily be according to need, i.e., after the minor seminary, before theology, during theology, etc.
2.	In order to have an opportunity outside the seminary to grow and reflect upon his vocation, a regency period between philosophy and theology may be profitable for some.
3.	As has already been suggested by the Special Assembly for Asia of the Synod of Bishops, an institute for seminary formators in Asia, in a place which is accessible to all participants from Asia, should be established within three years.

     (A question only. Is it not possible to reduce the number of courses in the syllabus; and also to revise and adapt then to the Asian context?)

Reference: Workshop Discussion Guide FABC Paper No. 92e

     Becoming fully human and fulfilled priests of God to his people is an on-going and life-time process. What is of fundamental importance is that the individual priest himself must desire and want to appropriate his continuing formation. This attitude needs to be inculcated in seminary formation. Programs for ongoing formation will be linked to and will flow from seminary formation programs.

     In view of the Second Vatican Council's emphasis on church as community, and the call of the FABC for a "New Way of Being Church," a primary role of the priest is that of builder of communion. Thus, his primary role is one of a person on a journey to fullness of life in communion with God, the bishop, the presbyterium and the people.

     In order to achieve these goals we propose the following the following periods of service, which span a priest's life.

Apprenticeship

     The first three to five years of priestly ministry.

     The first year: In the first year of his priestly life the young priest needs to have a happy experience of his ministry. Hence, the following steps are recommended:

*	He is appointed to serve only with a carefully selected, experienced parish priest.
*	He should not be overloaded with pastoral assignments.
*	Bishops cannot know the signs of time unless they dialogue with women There is a need for bishops/pastors to dialogue with, listen to, and understand women.
*	He should have regular reviews with the parish priest and his own peer group.
*	The bishop should encourage him by personal contacts with him, and by affirming him in his work.

The Other Years of Apprenticeship
 

*	Regular review programs covering all areas of pastoral life are to be drawn up, especially by the apprentice-priest himself, with the help of a program director.
*	He should develop links with his fellow priests in deanery and presbyteral meetings.

Midlife

     In midlife there should be programs to help promote the human growth of individual priests. These programs should look into areas of a deeper spirituality, not forgetting the fear and trust issues which can disturb the commitment of the clergy. Moreover, during the regular annual retreat and other gatherings of priests, the clergy should be given the opportunity to review their priestly lifestyle. A longer and more intensive program should be devised (according to the needs of the diocese), with the help of outside experts, aimed at going more deeply into basic questions (related to per-sonal commitment, fear, trust), and leading to personal conversion.

The Golden Years And Senior Clergy

     This should be a happy period, when one can enjoy the fruits of past endeavors. These priests should be considered an asset in the diocese -their rich experiences should be appreciated and shared; their advice and guidance sought.

     Special attention should be given to their security needs.

Retirement

     In his retirement a priest continues to contribute to the diocese through his wide experience and priestly lifestyle. It is the duty of the diocese to value their presence and to enhance their sense of belonging. Much care must be taken that the elderly clergy be given the full support they deserve (emotional, material, etc.,). Also, where necessary, insurance programs should be created to support the retirement plans of elderly priests who are in need.

Programs for Priests with Special Needs

     In cases where therapeutic help is needed, experts in the field of psychology and spirituality must be employed. In fact, the opening of a center to attend to these special cases is often called for.
Rehabilitation of erring priests (alcoholism, infidelity to priestly vows, etc.) must naturally be conducted by well-trained and prudent experts.

Programs for the Development of Pastoral Skills

     Besides ongoing formation regarding the human development of the priest, attention is to be paid to pastoral skills. Some areas which need attention are:

*	Preaching the Word of God in an attractive style, and feeding people with the Word of God.
*	Attention to the healing ministry
*	Liturgy celebrated with decorum and as a community celebration
*	Personal prayer-life, developing in an ongoing relationship with God
*	Capability for the "three-fold dialogue" (culture, poor, religions)
*	Discern, encourage, and guide personal charisms in his community.

     Keeping in mind what is said above with regard to the different stages of priestly life, we propose the following:

*	Each diocese should have a clearly defined program of ongoing forma-tion.
*	Apprenticeship programs, especially for the first year, should be adopted in each diocese.
*	Clearly-defined sabbatical programs: rest, spiritual renewal, updating courses.
*	Introduction to new ecclesial movements, and training in how to guide them.
*	An institute at national or regional levels where the priest may go for
*	Short courses of spiritual renewal, ashram experience, etc.
*	Updating sessions on human sciences, globalization, bioethics, etc.
*	Before appointment as parish priest-or any special assignment, or a chap-laincy, a short course on the required skills, expectations, e.g., adminis-tration, accounting, etc, be provided.
*	Develop, and make known, centers for priests in special needs, e.g., the ASSIST program, Affirmation House, etc.
*	Priests should be helped to develop and enhance their preaching skills to become more charismatic in their preaching (programs, seminars, etc.)

Reference: Workshop Discussion Guide FABC Paper No.

     Worldwide, 145 millions of people are living and working in countries they cannot call their own. On top of these are some 50 million forced to flee their homes. Asian migrant workers number 15 million at least.

     These alarming figures and the emerging issues certainly demand a response from the Church, which, by her nature, "is in solidarity with the world of migrants ... who remind her of her own condition as a people on pilgrimage from every part of the earth to their final homeland." (Pope John Paul, 1999 World Migrants' Day Message)

     The Church, in a multiethnic, religious and cultural setting, thereby also enlivens the message of hope and life amidst death-dealing forces by "...follow(ing) Jesus in his 'preferential journey' with the poor and (will) assist(ing) in the liberation of the materially poor, of indigenous peoples., displaced persons, of

     In view of the magnitude of the problems, and faced with the distinct triple realities of Asia-material poverty, variety of cultures and rich reli-gious traditions manifested in the persons and conditions of migrants and refugees, dialogue is imperative in the Church's pastoral and social care of these disadvantaged and displaced peoples. This should be undertaken in the context of : 1) ecumenism and interreligious dialogue, and partnership with other Christian Churches and religious traditions; 2) the universal personhood and rights of migrant workers on land and at sea, refugees and displaced persons (IDPs) taking primacy over creed, race, nationality, po-litical orientation and culture (IDPs), as well as over their legal status in countries of origin and destination.

     The following goals for action were drawn up and need to be considered in the planning and implementation of regional and diocesan pastoral programs for people forced to move:
 

*

Structure: Setup an office for migrants on land and at sea, refugees and itinerant peoples within FABC, to serve the program planning, imple-mentation and networking needs for of the national bishops' conferences in their responses to the migration and refugee issues/ concerns, in coop-eration with the religious congregations and lay organizations with charism for migrants and refugees.

     (This was first advocated in 1992 during the Symposium on the Filipino Ministry and has been the reiterated in subsequent meetings/consulta-tion (Hong Kong, 1993; 6th FABC Plenary Assembly, Manila, 1995; 1996 Consultation, Manila). The most recent move for the establishment of this office was aired during a regional meeting of episcopal commissions on Migration of the Catholic Bishops' Conferences of Asia and the Pacific (Kaoshiung, September 19999). This need has been expressed by pastoral workers all over Asia, secretaries and national directors of episcopal com-missions on migration of Asian Bishops' Conferences, and the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerants itself.
 

*	Integration: Evolve integrative schemes to respond to the need for: a) comprehensive pastoral and social care work program; b) community dynamics that facilitate and promote the participation and 'belonging' of the migrant/refugee, as well as the nurturing welcome of the host/refu-gee community; c) family dynamics that bridge the intergenerational gaps and socio-cultural differences between migrant worker parents & their children, and their respective psycho-social needs.
*	Formation: Provide formative inputs to: a) migrant workers on land and at sea, refugees and IDPs to being faithful to the Gospel, and to witness-ing this in their lives, as well as living out the nurturing values of pri-macy of the family, joyful and compassionate relationship with God and neighbor; b) church workers to effectively provide culturally and gender sensitive pastoral and social care for migrants and refugees and IDPs.
*	Conscientization: Sensitize migrant workers; employers; sending and receiving governments, recruiters; and local Christian communities to respond to the dehumanization of migrant workers. For refugees, this will address states and communities of origin and refuge, UN agencies, international and local NGOs on the multiple disadvantage of refugees in terms of : ethnicity, religion and political rights.
*	Reintegration: Develop and promote reintegration schemes between and among Churches of origin and destination to enable migrant workers and their families to manage the economic benefits from overseas migrant work experience, and discourage the making of overseas labor migration as a family strategy for survival. For refugees and IDPs, this involves repatriation/reintegration/ resettlement schemes between and among churches of origin, and refuge to enable returnees to rebuild their lives in peace and security.
*	Networking: Establish linkages between and among churches of origin and destination, as well as with other Christian churches and religious traditions for program planning and implementation.
*	Advocacy: Pursue policy advocacy with sending and receiving govern-ments, UN agencies, the international and local NGOs, other Christian churches and religious traditions for the rights of migrant workers (land and sea-based) refugees and IDPs regardless of their legal status.
*	Education: Provide sensitizing education to children of migrants through existing educational institutions, as well as informal education groups.
*	Staffing: Appoint qualified church workers who, as much as possible, are of the same nationality or are familiar with the language and culture of the migrant workers on land and at sea, refugees and IDPs.
*	Affirmation: recognize and support efforts of church workers in providing pastoral and social care to migrant workers, refugees and IDPs. These pastoral and social initiatives range from sacramental care to medical services, legal aid, policy and human rights advocacy and counseling.
*	Priests should be helped to develop and enhance their preaching skills to become more charismatic in their preaching (programs, seminars, etc.)

Reference: Workshop Discussion Guide FABC Paper No. 92g

     A large proportion of the Catholic Community in Asia belongs to the indigenous peoples of the great continent. They form the most important groups that have responded to the Gospel. Hence, they deserve the special attention of the Church.

     The major effort of the Church in the field of inculturation and dialogue has been, until recently, with the great cultural and religious Tradi-tions of Asia, quite unaware of the sturdiness of the little Traditions that are related to the cultures of indigenous peoples.

     There are national situations in which tribal land is protected by law, and tribal people are given subsidies and official assistance. In other situa-tions, they suffer from various forms of injustice. Their forests are cut down. They are economically exploited. They are politically excluded. Opportu-nities for education and health-care are limited. They themselves are con-sidered second-class citizens.

     Nearly all the tribal communities suffer from economic disadvantages, inexperienced in a "money-economy," and totally unused to saving and investing habits. Their cultures are under pressure from the dominant na-tional cultures and from strong modernizing trends. This leads to a process of detribalization.

     These communities need to be helped to preserve their identity and the core values of their cultures. They should be assisted to retain their dignity and pride in themselves. They should be helped to regain their self-confi-dence and shake off their inferiority complex. Their languages need to be promoted. Their culture symbols should be preserved and brought back into use in their changing contexts.

     The Catholic Church has been working among many of these tribes for a long time. The Evangelical Churches has been ahead of us in many areas. Many tribal languages have been given a written script and a literature de-veloped. Their cultures have been studied and described by missionaries. Their children have studied in missionary schools, and given shelter in mis-sionary boarding houses. Their sick have been cared for in missionary hos-pitals. Missionaries also have taken up cases of injustice against the tribes, their lands, their rights, and their interests.

     Tribal cultures and tribal values can offer correctives to the culture of the dominant communities, and to the materialistic worldview of the emerg-ing global community. With their casteless, egalitarian and democratic characteristics, and their spirit of sharing, nearness to nature, spiritual vi-sion of the world, simplicity, fraternity, hospitality, and human touch, tribal communities can remind more advanced societies of certain precious val-ues they stand in danger of losing.

     Simple as they are, tribal communities are vulnerable, not only eco-nomically and politically, but in many other ways too. Their members, especially the young are quick to imitate changing fashions, are victims to tempting economic offers and short-term advantages, and act against the long-term advantages of their own communities. The first persons to be educated from among them can become exploiters of their own people. Even church leaders can take advantage of their docility and spirit of coop-eration.

     Thus, even those actively engaged in the service of the tribal people should avoid being overdominating, and retain a participatory style of func-tioning.

-	The first to be educated among the tribal people can become bridge-build-ers between their communities and the larger society. Church personnel too can fill such a role. The Church must continue to help the tribal people in the preservation and development of their languages and cul-tures, support education, health and social activities, and defend their iden-tity and their interests. Church personnel will do well to keep in touch with the teachers, poets, artists, and writers among the tribal people who assist in the collective thinking of the communities and who give new directions to their common destines. It is precisely such people who en-able their communities to discover their identity and their potentialities and urge the on to new heights and possibilities.
-	Every society has a right to develop at its own pace and in the manner it wishes to do so. It is not for the missionary to press them in any direction. He/she offers the gift of the Gospel in a manner in keeping with the ge-nius of the tribe. He/she tries to integrate their rich symbolism into Church life. Inculturation should be the common responsibility of the pastors, experts and especially of the believing community. The sensibilities of the believing community should never be ignored.
-	There is still a long way to go to presenting the Eucharist in a meaningful manner to the tribal people, while being faithful always to the main struc-tures of the Mass as pre-served for us in the ancient Christian traditions.
-	The Bible may be studied and presented as a tribal document. Theologi-cal reflection in tribal contents can be very fruitful for the promotion of Church life. Centers of studies should be set up in tribal areas for the promotion of such inculturation and theological reflection. More super-ficial inculturation will be found inadequate Gifted tribal people should be given opportunity the pursue higher studies.
-	Tribal people have to confront external pressures of various degrees. Some still live in total isolation. Others are in danger of being swamped by the non-tribal. Tribal people should be helped to a process of cultural analy-sis to rediscover who they are, how they have become what they have become, what their problems are and how they may confront them. Study of their history and reflection on their collective experiences are preserved in their oral tradition, myths and stories, will help them to build up a legitimate pride in their identity and their collectives selfhood.
-	Many of the reflections above have come up during the Hua Hin meeting of September 3-8, 1995, organized by the FABC Office of Evangeliza-tion. The recommendations made in that meeting should be followed up. The national commission or office of every bishops' conference should coordinate activities, reflection and studies on behalf of tribal peoples. Such a commission should plan and promote evangelization among tribal communities. From time to time meetings of missionaries working in tribal areas should be organized at local, national and international levels. Special training programs should be devised to empower tribal people for the apostolate. Tribal people should be helped to enter into an ongoing dialogue with the larger society, and with the universal Christian heri-tage, for common benefit of both.

Reference: Workshop Discussion Guide FABC Paper No. 92h

     We rejoice in the recognition made by the Special Synod for Asia of the role of renewal movements "in building communities, in providing op-portunities for a more intimate experience of God through faith and the sacraments and in fostering conversion of life" (EA, 25).

     Likewise, we rejoice that "the Synod Fathers underlined the value of basic ecclesial communities as an effective way of promoting communion and participation in parishes and dioceses, and as a genuine force for evan-gelization" (EA, 25)

     The Holy Spirit impels the churches and Christian communities of this continent to move forward in these two areas, which indicate a new way of being Church in Asia. For this to be achieved more effectively we would like to share the following observations.
 

1.

There are many renewal movements that are active in the continent, the "Charismatic Movement" being only one of them. To make room for all of them, some pastors prefer to designate what is happening as a "renewal of Christian life in and through the power of the Holy Spirit." What all these renewal movements should emphasize is the personal encounter of people with God, which is sometimes referred to as a "baptism in the Spirit" in the context of a "Life in the Spirit seminar." It is the interior substance of the renewal that should be emphasized rather than the external form.

2.

We urge the different renewal movements to identify their special charism or the particular concerns of