ASIA/INDIA - A symposium 25 years after “Ecclesia in Asia”, for a synodal and missionary Church

Bangalore (Agenzia Fides) - "Twenty-five years after the publication of the post-synodal apostolic exhortation 'Ecclesia in Asia', we want to deepen, reread and revisit this document in the light of today's changed social and cultural context, on the path of an authentically synodal Church and with a view to the period of the Jubilee Year," said Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi, coordinator of the Holy Year programs in the Latin Rite Catholic Church in India, to Fides. The priest is also one of the organizers of the international symposium to be held in Bangalore on 13 and 14 December, entitled: "Twenty-five years of 'Ecclesia in Asia': towards a synodal and missionary Church in Asia. Rereading 'Ecclesia in Asia' in the Jubilee Year."
The Apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in Asia" was published in 1999 by Pope John Paul II at the conclusion of the Special Synod on Asia, which took place in Rome from April 18 to May 14, 1998.
The symposium which reflects on the document in Bangalore is being organized by the Pontifical Mission Societies of India, in collaboration with the International Secretariat of the Pontifical Missionary Union and the Conference of Bishops of the Latin Rite in India (CCBI). The event, which will take place at St. John's Hospital Campus in Bangalore, will also be broadcast online via Zoom for a worldwide audience.
The opening session on December 13 will include a message from Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, and the introductory talk by Father Dinh Anh Nhue Nguyen (OFMConv), Secretary General of the Pontifical Missionary Union of Clergy in Rome, on “Overview of ‘Ecclesia in Asia’ in the Context of the Synod and the Holy Year 2025.”
This will be followed by a talk by Fr. Clarence Devadass on “Renewing the Divine Mission of Love and Service in Asia.” While Sister Patricia Santos will bring to the attention of the assembly the “Voices from the Margins,” and the family as a model for the Church in Asia (Bishop Lawrence Pius Dorairaji) and mission in the Jubilee Year (Bishop Alex Vadakumthala) will also be discussed.
The questions on the timeliness of the Apostolic Exhortation 'Ecclesia in Asia' particularly concern young people, women, priests and non-Christians: how would each of them "rewrite 'Ecclesia in Asia' today?" is the question asked in the panel discussion that aims to develop a document for the future of the Catholic Church in the vast and pluralistic Asian continent.
To this end, the session on December 14 will reflect on the role of the laity (Bishop Peter Saldanha) and on such important issues as respect for human dignity and social justice (Father Charles Davis) and evangelization in the digital continent with the help of new technologies (Father Charles Vijay Kumar). The conclusions will be presented by Fr. Christopher Vimalraj Hiruthya, of the General Secretariat of the Bishops' Conference of India (CCBI). (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 11/12/2024)

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