NEWS ARCHIVES 

Women Living the Eucharist in South Asia

The third South Asia Meeting on Women took place in Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 20 to 24, 2010 with the theme "Women Living the Eucharist in South Asia." It was locally organized by the Women's Desk of the Laity Commission of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh (CBCB). The gathering of 25 women with four bishops and two priests shared women's stories "from the rich depth of the inner well of women's experiences," as the Final Statement says. The participants committed themselves, beside others, to "continue to work for the empowerment of women" and to contribute to a "meaningful encounter with Christ in the Scriptures." They want to "promote the Mary of the Gospels in theology and devotion as a powerful and prophetic paradigm for discipleship."

Report
Final Statement
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IX FABC Plenary Statement Released

The "Final Document" on "Living the Eucharist in Asia" of the 9th Plenary Assembly of the FABC held in Manila August 10-16, 2009 was released on January 27, 2010. The document was prepared by a team of the FABC-Office of Theological Concerns, discussed at the Plenary in 2009, and finally completed for publication in January 2010.

The statement's considerations follow the structure of a Eucharistic celebration proceeding from Introductory Rites, the Liturgy of the Word, to the Eucharistic Prayer, the Rite of Communion and Conclusion. Every section presents "Contextualized Pastoral Implications." Some pastoral recommendations on Formation towards Eucharistic Life, the Celebration and Adoration of the Word, Living the Eucharist and Missionary Orientation conclude the document.<

In an acompanying letter to the 25-page document, Archbishop Quevedo, omi, the general secretary of the FABC, proposes to the FABC-member bishops' conferences and associate members to present the document in the light of the prevailing situation of the respective conference or diocese, to use it in retreats, recollections and assemblies as well as in houses of formation, seminaries and even on the parish level.

"Living the Eucharist in Asia," Final Statement of the IX FABC Plenary Assembly
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FABC Offices Meet

The nine offices of the FABC are going to meet for a joint planning session February 17-20, 2010 at the FABC Documentation Centre in Bangkok. The planning will be guided by the experiences and proposals of the XI Plenary Assembly August, 2009 in Manila whose theme was "Living the Eucharist in Asia." 260110

FABC Paper No. 128: Social Communication in Catholic Universities of Asia

A new edition of "FABC Papers" has been published by the Central Secretariat in Hong Kong. The 128th Paper contains selected considerations and reflections of the seventh "Bishops' Institute for Social Communication" (BISCOM VII) on "Social Communication in Catholic Universities of Asia." Some 34 universities from 13 different countries of Asia participated in the meeting held at Assumption University in Bangkok May 6-13, 2009. It was a follow up of a similar world meeting organized by the Pontifical Council for Social Communications in Rome May 2008.

FABC Paper No. 128 contains presentations on the "Identity and Mission of a Faculty of Communication in a Catholic University," "Role of Catholic Universities on Social Communication in Theological Perspective," and contributions of a panel of scholars on "Teaching Social Communication in Catholic Universities." The "Final Statement" lists orientations and recommendations, and completes the 98-page publication. For inquiries, email to fabc@hkdavc.com or fabcsecretariat@yahoo.com 150110

Doctoral Dissertation on Laity in FABC Perspective

A doctoral dissertation on the role of the laity in contextual theology of the FABC was concluded in 2009 at the Australian Catholic University. The study was made and successfully defended by Peter N. V. Hai from Vietnam. The full title of the thesis is "Lay People in the Asian Church: A Critical Study on the Role of the Laity in Contextual Theology of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (1970-2001) with Special Reference to John Paul II's Apostolic Exhortations Christifidelis Laici (1989) and Ecclesia in Asia (1999), and the Pastoral Letters of the Vietnamese Episcopal Conference." This is the 27th doctoral dissertation written about or based on FABC thinking. There are further several MA and Licentiate theses written to-date. The Australian Catholic University operates from six different campuses in the country. 060110

Recent FABC Documents Available

The following documents from different FABC meetings are now in full text available on our website:

1. Asian Youth Day (AYD) Final Commitment
2. FABC-OSC Bishops' Meet 09: Final Statement, and Picture Gallery
3. Newsletter: FABC-Office of Laity and Family November 2009

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Roundtable on Religion and Social Communication

The Asian Research Center for Religion and Social Communication (ARC) is organizing a Roundtable for selected scholars and researchers on the relations between religions and social communication. The meeting will take place at Saint John's University in Bangkok from February 8 to 11, 2010, in cooperation with the FABC-Office of Social Communication.

"If and how religious practices are influenced and possibly moulded by communication" is one of the questions posed by the organizers in a "Rationale" for the meeting. Studies can be oriented to "the communication flow and practice within a religion which includes rituals, religious services and practices but also the communication between people and God." Do religious practices influence and possibly change the ways of communicating? Or do the communication means influence and change them?

These are just some of the points to be discussed. Interested participants are expected to present a short position, reflection or research paper to contribute to the considerations. (See Rationale)

The ARC was established in 1999 by a similar Roundtable organized by the FABC-Office of Social Communication in Bangkok. It publishes a bi-annual "Journal on Religion and Social Communication" and plans academic and research activities with people and institutions of similar concerns. ARC's study programs include all religions of Asia. For participation and further information, please contact FABC-OSC at fabc_osc@pldtdsl.net, fabcosc@gmail.com or ARC at arc@stjohn.ac.th or cnarong@stjohn.ac.th     031209

Asian Youth Day Concluded, Next in Korea

The fifth Asian Youth Day concluded with a Mass at the Rogationist College in Silang, Cavite, Philippines on Nov 28, 2009. Some 1,500 young people from the Philippines and all over Asia assembled for almost a week to share life and experiences especially in relation to the Eucharist. In the Final Statement read at the concluding celebration, the young people committed themselves to take up the challenge of Christian faith in Asia and in their respective countries: "We commit ourselves to renew, strengthen and practice our Christian faith in word and deed, prayer and service."

In the course of the study days, some 58 different workshops were offered to the participants, two of them were on "Alternative Media and the Eucharist," and "New Media, New Relations." These workshops were organized in cooperation with the FABC-Office of Social Communication and facilitated by the students of the MA Pastoral Communication program of the Graduate School of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. The participants there learned about new signs and symbols used by modern information technology, life experience and their relation to the Eucharist. A report on the workshops says: "Each one of the group experienced the sessions as time of grace and of life sharing."

Asian Youth Days are celebrated every two years since 1999, in between the World Youth Days. The next one will be celebrated in 2013 in Korea. Asian Youth Days are organized by the Youth Desk of the FABC-Office of Laity and Family in cooperation with the Youth Commissions of respective national bishops' conferences.

For more information, visit:   http://www.asianyouthday2009.com/    011209

FABC-OSC Annual Meeting on Civil Society

Some 37 bishops and secretaries for Social Communication in bishops’ conferences together with resource persons from 14 different countries celebrated this year's 14th annual "Bishops' Meet" of the FABC Office of Social Communication (OSC) in Bali, Indonesia from November 16 to 21.

The theme " Communication in Civil Society: Ethical Challenges" was presented by specialists on human development, media, moral theology and discussed by the participants. Archbishop Claudio Ma. Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication in the Vatican, opened the assembly with a thought provoking keynote address. “The concern for truth will be a core ethical value,” the archbishop said. He proposed a dialogical approach to ethics which should be accessible to “all human beings notwithstanding their religions or ideological differences.”    In the final statement, the participants say that the people of Asia not only experience the Asian but also the global village and are in a growing way "capable of understanding the workings of the different facets of society more comprehensively" through the modern means of communication.   Civil society uses cultural power to "build coalitions and create moral consensus," the participants noted. "Our focus is (the) communication of and in human society," which is social communication. There is a need to join hands with civil society actors and to look more at what draws us together than what separates us, they added.   The recommendations in the final statement include a call on Church leaders and local Churches to be willing and prepared for appropriate awareness and formation. They are called to create a feeling of togetherness to alleviate suffering, and to share resources. Bishops and social communication offices in bishops’ conferences are to study and respond in greater depth to the ethical and moral dimensions of modern communication culture.   “Bishops’ Meet” is the annual meeting of bishop-chairmen for social communication and national communication directors of bishops’ conferences in Asia. It is organized by the FABC-Office of Social Communication.

5th Asian Youth Day Opens

The 5th Asian Youth Day (AYD) opened officially at the Cathedral of Imus, capital of Cavite province, south of Manila, Philippines. Bishop and AYD 2009 host, Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle, was main celebrant of the Opening Eucharist on November 23. AYD is organized by the Youth Desk of the FABC-Office of Laity and Family in cooperation with Imus diocese and youth offices of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The main activities of the November 20-27 event will take place at St. Anthony's Boys Village in Silang, Cavite near Tagaytay City. For details, logon to the AYD 2009 website at www.asianyouthday2009.com 231109

Final Statement of AsIPA General Assembly

The Final Statement of the Fifth AsIPA General Assembly is now available on the respective section of the FABC-Office of Laity and Family. The meeting took place in Davao, Philippines from October 20-22, 2009. 231109

View the final statement

Father Edward Malone mm, "FABC Pioneer," Passes Away

Maryknoll Father Edward Malone passed away at the Maryknoll Father's St. Theresa's Residence in New York yesterday afternoon, November 4. He was 83. Fr. Malone has served the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) as Assistant Secretary General for 33 years, from 1971 until he retired in 2004. This pioneer, who is also called FABC's "main pillar," began serving the Federation just one year after the FABC was born in 1970.

Under his leadership, eight FABC general assemblies have been organized and celebrated in different parts of Asia.  FABC Plenaries are the highest governing bodies within the FABC structure. Fr Malone has inspired, animated and supported the different FABC offices and gave them freedom to develop pioneering programs for their apostolates.  He was responsible for setting up the FABC structure, including the drafting and ratification of the FABC statutes and by-laws. Fr. Malone has edited and published more than 100 editions of "FABC Papers," which explore issues in theology, interreligious dialogue, social communication, the social apostolate of the Church in Asia, and laity - as they relate to FABC concerns.  He has also organized leadership seminars for bishops within the FABC structure. As FABC assistant secretary general, Fr. Malone was conferred several honorary doctorate degrees. He taught dogmatic theology and ecumenism for 17 years at the former Maryknoll Seminary in the United States, after his priestly ordination in 1952.  He moved to Hong Kong in 1971 and was made assistant secretary general of the FABC.  He also served as assistant pastor at St. Joseph Parish in the Chai Wan Mission. 051109 Fr. Edward Malone, mm Remembered Life and Works of Fr. Edward Malone, mm