1.1  May your Kingdom come! (Lk 11:2)  This prayer of Jesus is a cry from the heart of Asia -- Asia, an arena of conflict and division, the world's exploited market place, the continent of suffering humanity; Asia, cradle of culture, birthplace of great religions, a continent awakening to new and gigantic responsibilities.

1.2  May your Kingdom come! The plea is both a vocation and a challenge to the Church.

1.3  The battered condition of Asia is before us. Its poverty, wretchedness and misery bear in themselves the contradictions of humanity. Asia "groans with pain, like the pain of childbirth" (Rom 8:22). It "waits for God" to set its "whole being free" (Rom 8:23).

1.4  Deep in the heart of Asia, the Paschal Mystery of Jesus is being remembered, becomes present and is relived. The immersion into the darkness of suffering, pain, death and despair brings the light of the Resurrection -- its hope, justice, love and peace, integral liberation. This we believe because of the promise of the Father.

1.5  We believe that he is calling us to be instruments of his work of liberation. The Spirit of Jesus enables us to discern his call, and we want to listen to his voice today. Our hope based on the Paschal Mystery of Jesus urges us to discover how we can be the instruments of God, the harbingers of the Good News of integral liberation for Asia.

2.1  Therefore, we bishops of Asia have come together in Tokyo, Japan, with laity, Religious and priests, for the Fourth Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC).

2.2  This gathering of ours with the laity marks a very important moment in our common journey that began in Manila in 1970. In that meeting, as well as in Taipei in 1974, we directed our gaze to the task of the Church in the world of Asia. Our gathering in Calcutta in 1978 brought us to the realization that prayer and interiority are indispensable ingredients in facing the tremendous challenges in this continent. When we met in Bangkok in 1982 for the Third Plenary Assembly, it became clear to us that we had to respond to the call of the Lord together, as a community of faith.

2.3  This Fourth Assembly has brought us a deeper and renewed awareness of the urgency of the call, and the need to accelerate the pace of our involvement, since we experience a deep crisis in every sector and a threat to human life and dignity. In the face of the manifold challenges of Asia, we have reflected prayerfully on the theme: "The Vocation and Mission of the Laity in the Church and in the World of Asia." These reflections are made in deep communion with the universal Church. The presence in our plenary assembly of representatives from the Holy See and from other episcopal conferences and federations has helped us to deepen this communion.

2.4  The contribution by countless numbers of the laity to the life of faith among the People of God in Asia cannot be measured. The saga of the laity themselves, preserving their faith through long centuries of their history in countries such as Korea and Japan, stirs our imagination and inspires our hearts. Under changed circumstances, today the laity of Asia continue to share zealously in the mission of the Church as a leaven in the world and a sign of the Reign of God. Many laymen and laywomen are also serving as missionaries in countries other than their own, in various continents. We are grateful to the Lord and to our co-workers, the laity, for this ineffable grace.

3.0.1  We need to confront the dark realities in the heart of Asia -- not in order to moan and wail in despair, but in order that we may be challenged by the magnitude of the task and thus place our hope in the Lord who remains, despite our valiant efforts, the ultimate builder of the Kingdom (cf. Ps 127).

3.0.2  A Basic Presupposition. We are keenly aware that the struggle for a full human life is not confined to the Christian community. We acknowledge that there are many great religious traditions in Asia which form the basis of the establishment, growth and development of the many cultures and nations in this great continent. In solidarity with them, we seek the full flowering of the human person and the transformation of the world of Asia into that which pleases the Creator (cf. Gen 1).

3.1.1  The impact of misguided and selfish power politics on the reality of Asia today in the form of the massive poverty and degradation is beyond imagining. Today's Asia has spawned structures and relationships in the political and economic community that are widening the scandalous gap between rich and poor, denying to the latter a fair and just access to the resources of the earth. Repression, oppression and exploitation are realities that result from the greed of vested economic interests and political power. Ethnic, cultural and linguistic conflicts which unleash violence, death and destruction are also linked with economic and political divisions. The political situation in many Asian countries has become volatile, and a sense of insecurity permeates particularly the minority groups.

3.1.2  Politics needs, first of all, to become a purposeful activity which seeks the common good. The entire People of God is called to engage in such "politics," for the task of infusing the Gospel and Kingdom values of love and justice into the political, economic, cultural and social world of Asia is an imperative of the Gospel. Participation and involvement are duties that flow from the secular implications of the Gospel and the Reign of God.

3.1.3  The involvement of the lay person in political activity confirms his/her rootedness in Christ, who called his community of disciples to be a leaven in the world and thus to labor for the common good. A Christian is a member of a God-people and of the wider community, the good of which he/she is called to promote, protect and serve. To shut oneself totally away from the demands of the political transformation of Asia is, surely, in a sense, a denial of Christian identity.

3.1.4  Attitudes of apathy and indifference allow injustice to go unchecked and political powers to become masters rather than servants of the people. Evil is permitted to prevail simply because good men and women do nothing about it.

3.1.5  Hence, we have come to discover with joy that in all parts of Asia the laity are growing in political consciousness. Even in countries where the Church is a minority, they are gradually shedding centuries-old indifference. Protests, processions, vigils, citizen committees, organized for the cause of justice and the rights of the poor, are the signs of this growing political awareness. The people of the Philippines who, in February of this year, were able to achieve a significant political transformation through active non-violence inspired by faith in the Lord, have given us much to reflect upon.

3.1.6  The need of the hour in Asia is for competent and principled lay people to enter into the realm of party politics and, from within, influence the philosophies, programs and activities of political parties and personalities for the common good in the light of the Gospel. We commend the lay persons who already have contributed much to this area of public life.

3.1.7  In the past, the Church tended to limit itself mostly to the protection of its interests regarding religious freedom, the family and schools. But now the Church is becoming involved in a wider range of issues pertaining to fundamental human rights and freedom, to labor and business, health, women, the arms race, the international order and other issues of justice and peace that seriously affect the peoples of Asia and especially the poor and the downtrodden.

3.1.8  The response of the Church to the Asian reality has to be communitarian in character, if we hope to respond to the deeply entrenched and widespread network of political, economic, religious, social and cultural injustices. Such a response will clearly indicate the presence of the creative and transforming power of the Spirit in the community of believers.

3.1.9  The phenomenon of religious revivalism and fundamentalism in various Asian countries is likewise a challenge. The positive aspect of religious revivalism is a challenge to the Christian towards a deeper renewal of his/her own faith. The negative aspect of the phenomenon, tending to religious dogmatism, fundamentalism and intolerance in precept and practice, has even led to violence and serious conflicts.

3.1.10  The positive aspect is represented by the holistic view of reality. Asian religious cultures see human beings, society and the whole universe as intimately related and interdependent. Fragmentation and division contradict this vision. In the light of the Gospel, how does the Christian base the struggle for peace, justice and wholeness in this holistic vision provided by the ancient religions of Asia? The negative aspect of religious fundamentalism challenges the Christian to witness to the radicalism of the Gospel of love, even in the most provocative, intricate and exasperating situations, and to be an instrument of unity and fellowship among various groups.

3.1.11  In every situation, the whole Church is called to a dialogue of life with fellow Christians of other churches, the billions of other religions and the members of various social groups. Since the laity live in a more direct and day-to-day contact with people of other faiths, they are the ones most called to this living dialogue, especially regarding common problems which affect the life of the community.

3.1.12  Among such problems are: issues of fundamental rights, the rights of tribals and other minority groups, problems of political, social, economic and religious development, and of justice and peace. Here, collaboration is necessary at the local, regional and international level.

3.2.1  The youth of Asia are the mirror of Asia. Of the total population, 60% are between 15 and 24 years of age. The life of the youth reflects Asia's manifold economic, political, cultural, religious and educational problems.

3.2.2  One side of the picture of the life of the Asian youth is more visibly negative. Many are living under wretched conditions, unable because of poverty to liberate themselves from the bondage of ignorance and illiteracy, and are shackled to a life severely limited by inadequate skills and knowledge. They are also vulnerable to the temptations of materialism and consumerism; they become prey to various ideologies that claim to offer liberation from poverty and injustice. And because the doors of education are often closed to them, the sense of social belonging, already eroded by abject material conditions, is even more seriously weakened. Many among those who have had the benefits of education and find themselves unemployed or underemployed, or who see the inconsistencies between what schooling has taught them and what society practices and values, look for security and acceptance in the wrong place and among their often equally confused peers. Anxiety about the future, the apparent hopelessness of the present, alienation and other pressures drive them to seek escape in destructive substitutes like drugs, alcoholism, suicide, vandalism, premarital sex and delinquency.

3.2.3  There is also a positive side to the life of our Asian youth. We have discovered in our gathering that in the present struggles for social transformation in various parts of Asia, the youth are playing a substantial role. They are involved in awakening the consciousness of the people; organizing and mobilizing groups working for justice and peace; serving as community health workers, cathechists and leaders of Christian communities, organizers and members of pastoral teams; etc. They live their lives in witness to Kingdom values; they stand out in contrast to those whose lives seem aimless, immature and hedonistic. The idealism of youth, their energy, zeal and determination, their commitment -- these are some seeds of the Kingdom within them. The Lord's call to be a leaven in the world resonates in a special way in the hearts of Asia's youth.

3.2.4  Full support and acceptance, trust and confidence, presence and availability on the part of other members of God's people will surely empower the youth to become evangelizers, messengers and instruments of God -- not only among their peers, but also among their elders and in the wider society. On the other hand, non-acceptance and lack of support could lead to further alienation. Alienated from their families, from the wider society and from the People of God, the youth would have no other option but rebellion or despair.

3.2.5  The youth of Asia are the Asia of today. The compulsive struggles for liberation in Asia are reflected in the pains of growth among the youth and in their deepest longings for a new world and a meaning for life. The People of God in Asia must become in a certain sense a "Church of the young," if it is to transform the "face of Asia, the continent of the young" (cf. Asian Bishops' Meeting, Manila 1970).

3.3.1  International media have highlighted how tourism and the entertainment industries have exploited, degraded and dehumanized Asian women. However, this is but one aspect of the reality of Asian women today. Many are the injustices heaped upon them because of the traditional societies which discriminate against them and because of the new economic and industrial situations. Dowry, forced marriages, wife-beating and destruction of female foetuses weigh heavily on them, driving many to desperation and even suicide. Modern industry exploits their work -- for example, paying a paltry sum for their hard labor in quarries and on construction sites of local and multinational companies. There is discrimination against them in the employment policies, and as domestic workers they are also abused. In general, Asian society views women as inferior. Such are some of the tragic realities of Asian women that cry out for transformation.

3.3.2  On the other hand, there is a deep and genuine appreciation of women among Asians. A woman is considered the heart of the family. In times of crisis, she is the valiant one on whose shoulders others lean. The advancement and contributions that women have made in the professions -- as doctors, lawyers, managers, accountants, political leaders, teachers, etc. -- have been phenomenal, despite the obstacles placed in their path by tradition. In the Church, women contribute significantly in various ministries of teaching, healing, catechisizing, organizing, etc. They serve as members of pastoral teams. In our assembly we have listened to them and have been made more aware of some fundamental facts and truths about the role of women in Asia.

3.3.3  A woman is an integral human person, no matter what race, class, tribe or religion she belongs to. She is created in the image and likeness of God. To her too was extended the divine call of being responsible for the created world (Gen 1:27). The tragedy is that this image and likeness of God has been degraded and trampled underfoot and she is dominated in various ways. Therefore, women cry out to the Lord for liberation. We have heard this poignant cry from the women themselves, who have articulated here their deepest longings for dignity and freedom. They reminded us that Mary is the Mother of God, that she, a woman, uniquely cooperated with Jesus so that the Reign of the Father may come. It is, therefore, not just a human necessity but a Gospel imperative that the feminine half of the world's population be recognized and their dignity restored, and that they be allowed to play their rightful role in the world and in the Church.

3.3.4  The laity thus have a special responsibility in their respective fields -- be it in business, education, mass media, politics or public service -- to uphold and defend the dignity of women, and to change attitudes, policies, practices and legislation that lead to the discrimination against and repression of women.

3.3.5  But recognition of woman's full personhood must equally be evident among the People of God, the Church. For the Church cannot be a sign of the Kingdom and of the eschatological community if the gifts of the Spirit to women are not given due recognition, and if women do not share in the "freedom of the children of God." They expect significant responsibilities in the ministries and decision-making processes of the Church.

3.3.6  The entire People of God would then become a credible sign of the dignity and freedom of women in society and in the world. The Church could then speak powerfully about the plight of Asian women and become their voice, with an authority unlike any other.

3.4.1  Perhaps the greatest challenge to the Church in Asia is that posed by the Asian family. The Asian family is the cellular receptacle of all Asia's problems, poverty, repression, exploitation and degradation, divisions and conflicts. The family is directly affected by the religious, political, economic, social and cultural problems of Asia, by the problems relating to women, health, work, business, education, etc.

3.4.2  But certain specific problems have been brought to our attention. We have reflected on them in the light of the Gospel. For in the journey towards the Reign of God, the Christian travels not alone but in community, and not only in a general community but in his/her own family.

3.4.3  The adverse conditions which Asian families have to face today are serious and many. Mothers and children at a tender age are forced to undertake hard labor or migrate to cities -- often to alien countries -- in search of employment. A hopeless struggle for survival benumbs the conscience, increases the number of unwed mothers and abandoned children, and causes rampant prostitution and abortion. A contraceptive mentality and population control programs insensitive to moral and religious sensibilities have resulted in the systematic termination of pregnancies. As a result of such a situation, family life is disrupted seriously and traditional family values are progressively undermined.

3.4.4  But we continue to believe that the family as a social unit is a sacred and an important treasure. Most traditions and laws, beliefs and practices are traceable to the family. Closely-knit family ties, filial piety, care and respect of the aged are among the deeply-rooted cultural values in Asia. Such cultural values and traditions are a source of strength for Asian families in deepening their call and providing the most favorable atmosphere for a life of love and communion.

3.4.5  Since grace builds on nature, the centrality of the Sacrament of Marriage for Christian families needs to be underlined. In many Asian countries, the Christian atmosphere also has resulted in a great number of vocations to consecrated life, the priesthood and societies of apostolic life. Christian families have influenced their neighborhood to know and respect the values which Jesus proclaimed, and have produced many lay persons who are true witnesses to the Gospel in their work and professions.

3.4.6  As they listen to the Gospel which calls them to accept their mission in the Church and in the world, the laity will find in the family the most important area for themselves to reflect on.

3.4.7  The first call to be a member of the Church comes normally in the family (cf. Familiaris Consortio, 15, 39, 49). Even before the call is heard in the parish, or the mind opens to the catechetical story of the call to growth and maturity in Christ, the child has already seen, heard and experienced at home the reality belonging to the People of God.

3.4.8  The Christian family is rightly referred to as the "domestic Church," where members assist one another toward a fullness of life in Christ through the ordinary circumstances and events of life. At home, in the family setting, in the daily events of living and giving, the lay mission interiorizes culture as well as belief with an easy connaturality. In the little church of the family, as in the larger Church of the community, the members remain aware of the presence of God, seek to listen to his word in the Scriptures and faithfully practice mutual forgiveness and sacrifice.

3.4.9  The values and attitudes necessary for evangelization of the Asian world are first practiced in the family. Love, justice, peace, truth, freedom, concern for the poor and the needy, faith in God, hope in his liberating goodness and power, responsibility and self-sacrifice and other Gospel values are first learned by precept and example in the family. Here evangelization initially takes place and a "civilization of love" begins. Thus evangelized, the Asian family is enabled to evangelize, reach out to other families and communities and together with them journey into the Reign of God.

3.4.10  Certainly, the most direct and immediate task of the laity in the community of God is to make prosper within the family this double event, at the same time a grace, of evangelizing and being evangelized.

3.5.1  Two important factors in the educational scene of Asia immediately strike us: the illiteracy of vast numbers of Asians, and the high visibility and reputation of Catholic educational institutions, especially in non-Christian areas. These indeed urge us to reflect not only on the role of the laity, but also on the role of the entire Church in education.

3.5.2  Two of many major negative observations are well known to us: that some Catholic schools seem to cater mostly to the middle class and to the rich, and that they seem to support traditional structures and values, rather than act as vehicles of change. Such objections are constant reminders of our priorities for the poor and for transformation of society. They should encourage us to undertake regular evaluation, and we should not set these criticisms aside as simply invalid and uninformed.

3.5.3  How, indeed, can our schools reflect the Church's preferential option for the poor? This truly difficult question requires wisdom and evangelical courage. We do not claim to have the answers, but we do wish to make a number of observations.

3.5.4  Undoubtedly, our schools in Asia have contributed significantly to the battle against ignorance and illiteracy, and have prepared great numbers of people to take their place in society and to contribute to the common good through their professions. And here we acknowledge with deep gratitude the great contribution of the laity, who in the field of education greatly out-number priests and Religious sisters and brothers. The large number of women teachers in primary and secondary education may in a certain sense reflect the image of the Church as "Mater et Magistra." We may rightly say that the laity in Asia play the major role in the essential task of facilitating the growth and maturity of the human person through formal education. Their role in the educational apostolate arises from their basic baptismal participation, especially in the character of Christ as prophet and servant.

3.5.5  For education in schools to become more effective as a vehicle of transformation in society, a true and proper vision and spirituality among teachers are needed. This vision requires that the task of teaching be viewed as a call from God to share in the teaching ministry of Jesus who announced and taught about the Kingdom, and that teaching is not simply the communication of knowledge but even more importantly the formation in values. From such a vision flows a spirituality involving sacrifice, other-directedness, concern, love, justice and other Gospel values. As in catechesis, the more effective is not the one who simply teaches, but the one who also witnesses (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi).

3.5.6  The school has become the setting where it is possible for peoples of different faiths, races, backgrounds, social classes and tribes to become a community. It is also where concern for the poor and the needy and the values necessary to transform the wider society into a true community are actually formed and shared. This kind of community will have to involve the collaboration of the teachers and the families. In a non-Christian environment, such a school community becomes a sign of the peace, justice and love of God's Reign.

3.5.7  We look beyond the formal school system and ask how the laity can carry out the ministry of teaching among out-of-school youth in urban and rural areas. This is not an easy task, yet we see its beginnings in literary programs, training in skills and leadership programs through non-formal education. This is particularly true of the educational work that is taking place in Basic Ecclesial Communities. Here again the laity play a major role. In both tasks, we see the need of innovative programs of education for the lay educators.

3.5.8  Some creative programs to prepare lay teachers for holistic teaching, such as Christian Maturity Formation Seminars and Colloquia on the Ministry of Teaching, are now being implemented in some Asian countries. We believe such formation will enable lay educators be-come more effective in their response to the Lord's call to share in his ministry of teacher and servant.

3.6.1  This is the hour when the laity of Asia are called to evangelize their milieu through those most powerful instruments of mass media which modern technology has created. Pope Paul VI has drawn attention to "the growing role being assumed by the media and their influence on the transformation of mentalities and of society itself" (Octogesima Adveniens, 20).

3.6.2  Finance and the mass media determine to a very large extent the destinies of nations; in fact, finance uses the media to this end. Those in power are well aware of the potentialities of the mass media, which they manipulate to mold public opinion and to consolidate and perpetuate their positions. One test of the freedom prevalent in any society today is the degree of autonomy enjoyed by the mass media.

3.6.3  Today, the mass media in Asia are predominantly controlled by authoritarian governments or by a handful of economically and politically powerful persons, while the vast majority of the Asian people are passive recipients. It has been noted that the impact of Church-supported media on the masses of Asia is minimal. While the consumer society exploits the mass media to further its materialistic ends, the Church in Asia still lags behind in taking full advantage of these most powerful means of proclaiming the liberating word of God to the Asian peoples. Many of us are still not sufficiently acquainted with the idiom and impact of the media.

3.6.4  Still, we happily note the advances of media directly under the care of the Church or influenced by the Church through the laity. The establishment of mass media centers in various parts of Asia, the efforts to educate Church leadership regarding the complexities and power of media, the training of personnel for this specific apostolate have made great strides. Many of the laity in the secular media are faithful to Gospel values and are witnesses to these values -- not only as individual Christians, but also in their professional lives where they exercise a positive influence on their peers and the recipients of their work. An admirable example of collaboration of the People of God -- with the laity carrying most of the burden -- is the crucial role that Radio Veritas has played in the struggle for truth, justice and freedom.

3.6.5  The power of the media within a plurality of cultures is to be recognized and appreciated. Within such a situation the Asian Church sees its task first of infusing Gospel values, then of drawing out more explicitly "the seeds of the Kingdom" found in diverse cultures and religions. Through the mass media, it thus may bring these values to bear upon all efforts at collaboration, unity and fellowship among various peoples in view of the common good.

3.6.6  This vision will require of the People of God, and especially of its leadership, a supportive stance toward the systematic formation and training of the laity to assume even greater responsibilities in the media. This is a pastoral priority in the light of our Asian situation, where the People of God must reach out to millions struggling for social transformation, a struggle that requires an interfaith collaboration.

3.7.1  When we turn our attention to the world of work, we come to recognize that through work of every kind we are participating in God's own ongoing process of recreating and transforming our world. We are responding to the deep aspirations of vast masses of Asian people for liberation from sin and its consequences.

3.7.2  Nonetheless, we likewise recognize that these dreams and efforts for integral liberation are being shattered by complex, mutually reinforcing powers that are often beyond the control of workers: the dominance of transnational corporations and large local companies in traditional industries and their incursion into agribusiness, taking advantage of cheap labor or appropriating the land of small landowners; the banning of strikes and trade unions and so repressing legitimate protest; the exodus of rural workers into already over-crowded urban slums as the cities' cheap labor; the lack of supportive organizations among the vast majority of urban workers, small landowners and landless peasants; long hours of work, harassment, job insecurity and accident hazards; deterioration of health; unemployment and underemployment. Clearly, political, economic and agricultural structures have made both urban and rural workers cogs of an anonymous productive machine, their work a dispensable commodity depending only on the law of supply and demand.

3.7.3  Reflecting upon this tragic situation, we recall the Church's rich social doctrine of work, the dignity and inherent worth of work, and the workers' fundamental rights and responsibilities. We do not intend to dwell on these at this time. The participation of the laity at our assembly has directed our attention to the spirituality of work, an area of reflection which has been largely neglected.

3.7.4  Work is often considered an obstacle to our life with God, as something wordly or secular with no religious meaning. Prayer and spirituality seem to begin only when work ends. A fundamental mission of the laity in the world of work is to recover the religious meaning of human work as an expression of human creativity and a participation in the work of the Creator. The task of transforming the present dehumanizing situation of work begins when the worker rises above the routines and monotony of day-to-day labor and questions the whole of life experience: Why work? What is the meaning of work? What is the meaning of life? These are basic religious questions, expressing deep human aspirations for a happy life, liberation and respect of the person.

3.7.5  Rooted in the Spirit of God, these aspirations cannot be stifled by any work system. So when workers struggle to create a work system more conducive to an authentic spiritual life, their efforts are, in the light of the Gospel, really religious acts (cf. Laborem Exercens, 24-27). This is especially so when these acts are consciously subsumed into the dynamic movement that makes work a participation in the healing, transforming and redeeming activity of Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega of all endeavor.

3.7.6  It is necessary, therefore, that workers look at the activities which promote and defend their rights within the context of such a spirituality. Some of these activities are the formation of trade unions or agricultural associations, efforts to participate in decision-making processes, and mass action for cheaper agricultural fertilizers. The worker will find the meaning of life in such a spirituality of work.

3.7.7  In the light of the Church's preferential option for the poor, our attention is further directed to certain sectors of Asian workers: children forced to work endless hours in shops, restaurants, farms, etc.; young female workers coming from rural areas and often subjected to sexual harassment, inhuman working and living conditions; domestic workers in countries other than their own, who are exploited as cheap labor; migrants from villages to cities and other countries, who are uprooted and forced to struggle for survival under the most adverse conditions; vast numbers of Asian workers, who remain unemployed or underemployed.

3.7.8  The whole Church has to listen with compassion to the problems of the poor and needy workers, and to direct its pastoral concern and programs to their benefit. The cooperation of all Christians with other groups in society at the local, regional and international levels is imperative so that present exploitative and oppressive work systems can be transformed.

3.8.1  Likewise, the transformation of the social structures of the work process is the mission not only of the workers but also of business people, governments officials, managers and policy makers. Cooperation among the different sectors of society is indispensable. This cooperation has to exist at national and global levels, and supposes that all sectors of society believe that the resources of this world belong to the entire human family and that social responsibility means stewardship of the goods of this world.

3.8.2  The countries of Asia have been following either a system of free enterprise or a system of centrally controlled economic development. We realize that neither system exists in its pure or ideal form. Both systems, as they presently operate, have serious drawbacks which prevent people from consciously and creatively shaping the work situation. Free enterprise, or capitalism, proved its ability to organize labor for higher productivity and to unleash the modern technological imagination. Though it has considerably liberated the entrepreneural and managerial classes, it has also degraded the working class to being a dispensable commodity. It has failed to recognize what Pope John Paul II has called the "principle of the priority of labor over capital" (Laborem Exercens, 12).

3.8.3  By contrast, centrally planned economies, or socialism, have rightly stressed that it is the workers who create the economy, but they have mediated workers' control and solidarity exclusively through a centralized state. The workers are left with a new form of social domination, viz. the state. Thus neither capitalism nor socialism, despite their contributions, can provide a new model for the social structuring of the whole process of production.

3.8.4  The future, it would seem to us, lies in pioneering new forms of worker participation in industry -- ranging from the renewal of the cooperative movement to worker cooperation in mixed or privately-held enterprises. This also means shaping an appropriate technology that prevents the concentration of power in the hands of a few, and supporting the use of technology in the service of labor and not the reverse. Such a model means developing small scale technology that workers can own and control, at least as a cooperative.

3.8.5  In this context the laity belonging to the world of business hear the call of God to live out their faith according to Gospel values and the needs of others. This involves a number of options in their businesses -- from the simple exercise of the values of truth, justice and love to their active participation in transforming the social structure of the whole process towards greater worker participation, more discerning consumer guidance, more responsible interventions by governments and a more equitable society.

3.8.6  There is need for principles guiding the conduct of business, something like a code of ethics for business, to enable people in business to permeate their dealings with Gospel values.

3.9.1  At our assembly, the laity have communicated their concerns for the world of health. We thank the Lord for the marvelous advances of medicine, the product of human creativity and endeavor in the war against disease. But we are confronted everyday with serious problems rising from the application of modern medicine: the prohibitive cost of medical services, the overconcentration of medical health delivery systems in urban areas, the inadequacy of preventive medical services, to name only a few. More seriously, we are today witnessing the emergence of bioethical problems significant not only by their extent but also by their growing complexity. All these confront the entire Church, but more particularly the laity in medical services.

3.9.2  The most significant challenges are: abortion; negative attitudes towards Natural Family Planning; the extensive use of artificial contraception; confusion over moral norms on euthanasia; the high incidence of suicide, particularly among our youth; addiction to alcohol and drugs; and other moral issues arising from biomedical advances, particularly in genetics. The laity in the field of health services, physicians, nurses and other medical personnel, in both Catholic and non-Catholic hospitals, have to live day in and day out with these bioethical issues. The entire Church is called upon to support them.

3.9.3  Beyond professional competence, they need to sharpen their understanding of the moral dimension of modern medicine and its practice. They should recognize the Lord calling them to bring the saving power of Christ that can transform the world of health care and make it wholesome.

3.9.4  They have expressed the need and desire for moral formation, so that they may discern what is morally right or wrong according to the Gospel. A genuine moral formation of the laity in all the health services is imperative.

3.9.5  Our medical schools should not spare any effort to teach medical ethics. At the same time, Catholic physicians should be encouraged and assisted positively to become qualified bioethicists. Centers for bioethical studies should be given a high priority by our Catholic higher institutions of learning, particularly our schools of theology. Such centers can provide a network of competence that will facilitate the formation of the laity in the field of health services. Wherever in the health services such Catholic organizations exist, we need to show positive interest and support, and provide guidance in the field of bioethics.

3.9.6  But even greater than the concern for the renewal of our traditional health institutions should be our concern for the great masses of the poor in rural areas who are very often deprived of the basic benefits of modern medicine due to  their poverty and the lack of adequate medical services.

3.9.7  The forgiving Christ is also the healing Christ who reached out to the poor and marginalized to bring them the healing power of God. God's people, especially the laity in health services, must likewise reach out to farmers and workers, the landless and slumdwellers, so that through them the healing touch of God may be felt. This is why the resources of the Church in health services must be channeled to outreach programs that are community-based and community-oriented. It is with joy that we note the increasing number of Churches in Asia which are responding to this serious need.

4.0.1  The challenges of Asia are "the signs of the times" to be discerned by Christians and the Church of Asia. It is in the faith response we give these challenges that we will discern and discover the vocation and mission of the laity for the salvation of Asia.

4.1.1  In order that we may discover our genuine and specific place in the multi-religious cultural context of Asia, we need to rediscover Jesus Christ as the Liberator of Asia, and his Church as the servant and instrument of that liberation.

4.1.2  The Spirit of the Lord is upon us and the thirst for liberation wells up from within us (cf. Lk 4:42).

4.1.3  Hence, the call today for us Asian Christians is to become a Church deeply committed to Jesus the Liberator. Such a commitment by all Christians will make the Church a communion of committed disciples -- be they clergy or laity -- working for the liberation of Asia. Such a communion with Jesus Christ and among ourselves is no alienation from the peoples or realities of Asia. On the contrary, our communion is strengthened when we become truly Asian Churches, rooted among our peoples and in solidarity with them.

4.2.1  The communion of liberation is not lived in a static manner as a calm, composed Body of Christ in the sharing of all spiritual and material gifts among ourselves. Rather, it is lived within the dynamism of life in the Church and the dynamism of challenges from outside the Church.

4.2.2  This dynamism implies that we, within the Church and among ourselves, recognize all members of the Church as mature subjects and persons with dignity and freedom, with their gifts and powers as well as rights and responsibilities. Any defect in these basic attitudes will impair our dynamic communion and weaken our liberative thrust.

4.3.1  The concrete manner of becoming effective agents of liberation is to recall and activate the spiritual characters and functions we possess by Baptism as disciples of Christ. Jesus, who leads us forward on our journey to liberation, envisions the mission as priestly, prophetic and royal. We share his vision and imbibe his character. We nourish  ourselves for this journey with him by constantly hearing his word and recalling his memory through his sacraments within our Churches. In this way, we are enabled to actualize the triple function conferred by Baptism in relation to the realities we encounter on our journey.

4.3.2  If we take our journey to liberation with due awareness and seriousness, then we cannot afford to be merely an inward-looking Church. We have to be outward- and forward-looking as we go along with him. In the past, we have directed our efforts in a way that has suited an inward-looking Church. We need now to rearrange our priorities and redirect our ecclesial energies to undertake our journey as an outward-looking Church.

4.4.1  Following Christ as the messianic leader of our journey, we have to actualize our messianic functions.

4.4.2  The priestly function belongs to the whole People of God. The Asian realities themselves urgently demand that this priestly function be exercised by all of our Church. Our proper concern for the ministerial or ordained priesthood -- either to improve the quality and number of priests or to meet the problems of formation -- must not diminish or distract us from interest in and concern for the common priesthood of the faithful. This latter, though general in the sense of being shared by all Christians, is a real priesthood of life. It has its origins in Christ himself. The Christian disciple lives and participates by his/her day-to-day life in all the mysteries of redemption, viz., suffering, death and resurrection. The ministerial priesthood has meaning and fullness only in relation to the common priesthood. Hence, the clergy have the obligation to live the common priesthood of all before enacting the sacrifice of the Eucharist sacramentally.

4.4.3  The prophetic function of the Church must not be limited to the teaching function of the hierarchy. It must be a witness and a service of the whole community to the saving truth of Christ and his Church. The sensus fidelium, or faith-instinct, of the whole People of God is a gift of the Spirit to all as a body. It demands that the leadership should not overlook the spirit and the prophecy of the believing community. Due listening to and consultation of the People of God to discern the spirit and wisdom of God in the people must be undertaken, especially in matters relating to their life in the world and consequent problems.

4.4.4  The royal function which is linked to the royal priesthood must be understood within the background of our human history as leading to the realization of God's Reign. It cannot be seen merely as a basis for our leadership's guiding and governing. The laity too participate in their own way in the building up of the Kingdom. Their actions within and outside the Church have a constructive value in the building up of the Kingdom (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi, 70). Such an understanding will provide new insights into the apostolate and ministry of the laity in the world.

4.5.1  In our efforts to give a faith-response to the challenging call of Asian realities we are guided and strengthened in our convictions by the teaching of Vatican II. The Council called for a renewal of inner structures on the basis of collegiality, communion and coresponsibility, and it recognized the  values of subjectivity, and the maturity, dignity and freedom of all the members of the Church. Concretely, it asked for a shift of emphasis so as to  recognize the laity of our Churches as full-fledged members, with their own gifts and charisms, their rights and duties.

4.5.2  The principles of communion, collegiality, and coresponsibility stressed by Vatican II demand that we re-examine our ecclesial structures with respect to their purpose and thrust and reorganize them to yield optimum benefit. The renewal of inner ecclesial structures does not consist only in strengthening and multiplying the existing parochial and diocesan organizations, nor in creating new ones. It consists in creating the right atmosphere of communion, collegiality and coresponsibility for an active and fuller lay initiation, participation and action.

4.6.1  Though our needs have become more challenging, some lay structures and their orientation remain unchanged and consequently unproductive. Especially with respect to lay apostolate groups and international organizations, whose inspiration and structures are given from outside, a re-examination is called for.

4.6.2  The lay apostolate of our Churches still remains basically  parish-oriented, inward-looking and priest-directed. The need of our Asian context and the thrust of Vatican II to make the apostolate world-oriented or Kingdom-oriented must be increasingly emphasized. The apostolate must involve more lay initiatives and the power of decision-making; and it must respond to the real needs of the people. The ordained leadership need not fear or be overconcerned about juridical problems in starting newer forms of lay apostolate or ministries relating to the contextual realities of their Churches. Instead, they should encourage and promote more vigorous, world-oriented forms, initiated and directed by the laity themselves. Such initiatives will help the laity to mature, and consequently make the whole Church more effective and relevant in its mission to Asia.

4.7.0  In the light of the above challenges and theological reflection we urge our local Churches in Asia to undertake some pastoral actions, particularly with respect to the following:

4.7.1  Clergy-Laity Relationship

4.7.1.1  There is no one-sided renewal of clergy or laity. In a Church of communion we, clergy as well as laity, are mutually related and mutually conditioned. We feel the need for a basic change of mind and heart.

4.7.1.2  In a Church which is a communion that tries to liberate others from oppression and discrimination, collegiality and coresponsibility are urgent. We cannot afford to destroy our communion by words or acts of domination and discrimination. A magnanimous spirit of understanding and a recognition of the gifts of the other must be promoted. In this respect, the clergy leadership has a duty to make the initial moves to foster lay involvement and to recognize the emerging leadership of the laity.

4.7.2  Formation of and for the Laity

4.7.2.0  Formation is not a molding of one by the other but a collaboration of persons in the Church with the Spirit of the Church, using appropriate structures. In light of the Asian challenges and theological reflection, three levels of formation appear as necessary:

4.7.2.1  A. General formation of all the Church, especially the laity. This entails an effort to conscientize all the faithful through preaching, teaching, catechesis, adult education, etc., about the new vision of Vatican II with respect to their vocation and mission in the Church and in the world.

4.7.2.2  B. Particular formation is needed for volunteers and selected leaders of our Churches: from lay apostolate groups, parish and diocesan organizations and special professional fields (work, education, health services, etc.). Seminars, weekend courses or block courses can be the main forms of the formation programs. Bishops are already promoting this type of formation. However, in the euphoria about an awakening laity, we must avoid feeding these groups with mini-courses of seminary theology, but rather give them courses suited to their lay context.

4.7.2.3  C. Ministerial formation is needed for those who enjoy the charisms for stable ecclesial service. The clergy, who have the responsibility to encourage, welcome and help these charisms prosper for the benefit of Christian Churches and their mission in the world, must offer assistance in accordance with what is needed. By reason of the lay character, formation should be done on the basis of the laity's own experience of the realities of the world. A secular context and a job-oriented formation must be encouraged.

4.7.2.4  D. The formation programs depend for their support on the local Churches. While we are spending great sums of money to educate and form our clergy in large houses of formation and with well-organized programs, we cannot allow the formation of the laity, as particular groups or as lay ministries, to be neglected. The support of our sister Churches from the West is appreciated. But the local Churches must be encouraged to appreciate and support lay formation programs. Remuneration of lay persons for their stable services must respect the demands of justice and charity. Much could be improved in their programs of formation by an exchange of personnel and resources.

4.8.1  We have seen the complexities of challenges that the People of God face in Asia. We have reflected theologically on the vocation and mission of the laity and some pastoral concerns that flow from this theological vision. At our assembly the laity have asked us in many ways and different forms the age-old question of the rich young man in Scripture: "Teacher, what good things must I do to possess eternal life?" (Mt 19:16). While the words of Jesus were simple enough, his real demand required a radical following by the rich young man.

4.8.2  Discipleship, the following of Jesus -- that is the simple answer to the eternal question. This "radicality of the Gospel" is shown in the radicality of his own life. We wish now to communicate to you the reflections that the laity, Religious and priests have shared with us on lay spirituality.

4.8.3  Discipleship in Asia is rooted in the realities of Asia. Christian spirituality must be incarnated. It grows and matures in the midst of continuous tensions and struggles with the destructive powers of sin and its consequences, of conflict and injustice. Christian spirituality must also be Christocentric and inspired by the Spirit of Jesus, the Liberator. It is a "living in the Spirit" of Jesus (cf. Rom 8:1-17), urging us to be his disciples through a dynamic process of being incarnated into the realities of the times, as Jesus was, and of discerning in the Spirit those realities that lead to death and those that lead to life. Jesus was Spirit-led (cf. e.g., Lk 4:1), and full of the Spirit (e.g., Lk 4:14); so too should be the Christian. Our spirituality is one of discerning the movement of the Spirit who re-enacts in us the mysteries of Jesus Christ in the contextual realities of daily living and struggling. Here is seen the value of the contemplative dimension, of Asian peoples who discern the movement of God in mundane events and activities. Such a prayerful attitude is immersed in life.

4.8.4  Intermingling with reality and inseparable from it, discipleship is lived in the community of the Church. Christian spirituality is ecclesial and communitarian. It emerges out of our incorporation into the Body, the People of God, realized and expressed in Baptism and Confirmation. Communion with Christ moves from an individual sharing in his suffering, death and resurrection to the Paschal Mystery as lived concretely by the community -- a community that is struggling against evil, suffering the pains and anguish of a people, dying and reaching out for new life. Rootedness in Christ means communion with him and his people.

4.8.5  To be rooted in Christ and the community, Christian living and action must be based on the word of God. Christian spirituality is biblical. It is through the word of God that we meet Jesus. It is also the word of God that gathers us together. We need to listen to Christ as the Word, in the Scriptures and in the Church, but we need also to listen to the Word in persons and in events, in the ebb and flow of life; to listen to the poor and the needy and to reach out to them as Jesus did, for they are the least of his brethren. Here is where a preferential option for the poor, after the example of Jesus himself demands, a spirituality of incarnated "otherness," all that is meant by the simple words "love of neighbor."

4.8.6  Discipleship of Jesus, becoming a memory of him, is also based on the sacraments of the Church. Christian spirituality is sacramental. We have already mentioned Baptism and Confirmation as the gateway to Christian discipleship and Church membership. By these two sacraments, Christians are not only destined by Jesus to become his witnesses, but are sent by him on his mission. However, at the heart of the Church's sacramental life, and consequently of Christian spirituality, is the Eucharist, by which the Paschal Mystery of Jesus becomes sacramentally present in our life. Here is found the summit of the Church's sacramental economy and the source of the power and activity, for here Jesus himself becomes sacramentally present among us in his act of utter self-gift for the world.

4.8.7  The memory of Jesus brings the disciple to seek the Reign of God (cf. Lumen Gentium, 31) in the world, to be poor, to thirst for justice, to trust completely in the Father as little children do, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Seeking the Kingdom that Jesus proclaimed is really to build it in the concrete experiences of the social, political, economic, religious and cultural world of Asia. In Jesus, the Reign of God began; he came that we might have life to the full. The struggle for fullness of life in Asia is a seeking of the Kingdom. Discipleship then is not at all a withdrawal from the world, but an immersion into the well-spring of Asian reality so that it might have life. Communion, solidarity, compassion, justice, love are keynotes of a spirituality of discipleship. And since Jesus came to reconcile sinners with the Father, to remove divisions among people -- that all may one -- this impulse from the Spirit of Jesus to be reconciled, to be one, is an essential ingredient of the spirituality of the People of God.

4.8.8  Incarnational, Christocentric, biblical, sacramental, ecclesial and communitarian, the spirituality of the People of God is a journey in the Spirit of Jesus into the Kingdom of the Father; it is a journey of discipleship, of love and service, after the pattern of the dying and rising of the Jesus himself. From the above, it is clear that fundamentally there is but one Christian spirituality, namely that which is common to all disciples of Jesus in his Church, whether lay or clerical, priests, bishops or Religious. If a specific lay spirituality can be identified, it is in the sense that lay people are called to live their discipleship of Jesus and share in his mission according to their proper lay state in the Church. Stress must be laid here on the secular character of the lay vocation and mission. While through various charisms and ministries lay people are increasingly called today to share in the Church's inner life, this must not overshadow the specific character of their witness and action in the world. Lay people are sent by Jesus himself to infuse the Gospel values into earthly realities and human society. The Christian witness and action must penetrate the various dimensions of their life -- familial, social, professional and political. Only then will they respond to their vocation and mission according to the Spirit of the Gospel. To give such a response is what lay Christian spirituality is all about.

4.8.9  Some of the practical suggestions that we have heard in this assembly are the following: the deepening of our baptismal commitment, our incorporation and communion with Christ; growth in meaningful and inspiring ways of reading the Scriptures and of making the word of God the guiding and integrating norm of our daily life; exercising the mission of reconciliation out of a deep life of communion with God and with others; molding mind and heart towards a Christian-like sensitivity to the cries and sufferings of the poor in order to respond generously and courageously to their needs; joining these poor and those who struggle for a full life in committed solidarity; discovering forms of prayer transformative of values and attitudes and undivorced from life; integrating traditional practices and devotions from popular religiosity into a spirituality of involvement; becoming more deeply aware of the Paschal Mystery, the cross and resurrection of Christ as the basic paradigm of Christian life and of the struggle towards God's Reign; the deepening of our appreciation of the sacraments as a participation in the memory of Jesus, becoming alive and active in the realities of our lives; assuming a discerning way of life.

4.8.10  Fullness of life, while being a gift from God, is then also a hazardous task for the People of God. It implies the challenging task of becoming involved in the transformation of Asian realities. The two dimensions, the divine and the human, though not identified with each other, involve each other. We thus reiterate our determination to exercise our service of the Word of God and of building up the community in such wise as will provide for our laity a more dynamic spirituality.

4.8.11  This will involve a deeper formation of the laity, but it will also require training the clergy for mutuality and service and team ministry. We are hopeful that there will then result a deeper integration of the priests' ministry and lay services for a better service of our Churches to the peoples of Asia.

5.1  We now wish to conclude our sharing with you, dear brothers and sisters. We are thankful to the Spirit who opened our eyes and led us in these days to share with one another, bishops, priests, Religious and laity, the anxieties and joys of Asia, its sufferings and its hopes (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 1). Even more vividly than before, we realize that the path we all have to take as God's people is similar to the Paschal Mystery of Jesus, a journey to life through the cross in courage and hope. The following of Jesus is the following of him "whom they have pierced," the Alpha and Omega (cf. Jn 19:37; Zech 12:10; Rev 1:8) of all journeys undertaken in faith.

5.2  We believe that God, who promised us his Kingdom, is with us in the midst of darkness. Within the Paschal Mystery the cross of Jesus is both death as well as victory over death. He is saying to all of us: "It is I. Do not be afraid" (Jn 6:20).

5.3  As the laity, Religious, priests and our fellow bishops spoke to us at our assembly, it was as though the Risen Lord were speaking to us on the road to Emmaus, and we can only wonder: "Wasn't it like a fire burning in us when he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?" (Lk 24:32). Let our hearts remain warm and our spirits vibrant in the certainty that the Lord is walking with us as we move ahead grappling with the challenges of Asia.

5.4  Journeying in faith through this great continent of Asia and among its peoples, we repose our hope in Mary who is for all of us Mother and Guide on this journey. We commend to her the Church in Asia and ask her to be with us as she was with the first community of disciples (Acts 1:14).
  May glory and honor be to Jesus Christ, the light of the East, the Sun that never sets.
  May his Kingdom come!

END