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Points of Departure
Msgr. Gilbert A. Garcera
National Director, Pontifical Mission Societies
Executive Secretary, Episcopal Commission on Mission (Catholic Bishops′ Conference of the Philippines)
"Set out from any point. They are all alike. They all lead to a point of departure," wrote Spanish author Antonio Porchia. In this context, all the preparations for the First Asian Mission Congress, scheduled for October 18-22, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, become several "points of departure."
The plan to hold a continental mission congress in Asia was introduced by Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (since 2001 to the present), during his address to the Central Committee of the Federation of Asian Bishops′ Conferences (FABC) in Bangkok on September 27, 2002. He said: "I wish to express my gratitude and that of the Congregation, over which I preside, for the project of the Missionary Congress of Asia which will be organized. Not only do I agree with this proposal but, from now on, I pledge the total collaboration and the full support of our missionary dicastery for this missionary venture. We will be happy to place ourselves at your disposal so that this project may also be organized as soon as possible and obtain the best fruits for the new evangelization of the Asian continent." Over the past four years, committed Asians have held several consultations and organizational meetings to decide on the host country and to determine the overall theme, objectives, content and methodology of the Asian assembly.
Several significant reasons emerge for holding this Asian Mission Congress. It is to be an offshoot of the year of the Eucharist. In fact, this Congress becomes a concrete Asian response to the late Pope′s call – the "Eucharist: The Principle and Plan of Mission." John Paul II noted that "Christians ought to be committed to bearing more forceful witness to God′s presence in the world. We should not be afraid to speak about God and to bear proud witness to our faith. The "culture of the Eucharist" promotes a culture of dialogue, which here finds strength and nourishment." (JP II, Mane Nobiscum Domine, no.26).
In addition, this year′s 500th anniversary of the birth of Saint Francis Xavier, patron of mission and missionaries, is a providential signal to focus Asia′s attention on a model of ad gentes mission. As a Jesuit missionary born in Navarre, Spain in 1506, Xavier crossed continental boundaries and evangelized in several Asian countries: India, Indonesia, Japan and China. Father Saturnino Dias, Executive Secretary of the Federation of Asian Bishops′ Conferences Office of Evangelization and Over–all Coordinator of the Congress, has noted that this year is also the 300th year of the approval of the oratory of Blessed Joseph Vaz, the first indigenous "Society of Apostolic Life" in Asia (1706-2006). All these events are "points of departure" which provide Asian Christians with reasons to celebrate our faith.
A celebration of life and faith
The Gospel of Mark anchors the spirit of the Asian Congress: "Go home to your people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you (Mk.5:19)." The biblical challenge to tell the story of Jesus becomes one of our Asian expressions of faith. This faith expression seeks to inspire "the Church′s evangelizing work in Asia" which is often carried out in difficult and even dangerous circumstances" (EA 10). The over–all theme of the Congress "Telling the Story of Jesus in Asia: A Celebration of Life and Faith" will be reflected upon and shared through personal faith stories and reflections by ten faith-sharers and four missiologists who will give a daily theological synthesis. The daily themes have been arranged to invite the participants to interiorize and share "The Story of Jesus in the Peoples of Asia" (October 19), "The Story of Jesus in the Religions of Asia" (October 20), The Story of Jesus in the Cultures of Asia" (October 21) and "The Story of Jesus in the Life of the Church in Asia" (October 22, which is also World Mission Sunday).
The pedagogy of the presentations of the daily themes responds to the four objectives set by the Congress Executive Committee: share the joy and enthusiasm of our faith in Jesus Christ; celebrate Asian ways of mission through witness in the midst of life realities; raise the awareness in the Asian churches about the renewed understandings of mission ad gentes during and since Vatican II; and note priorities for a renewed mission animation. The keynote Congress talk will be delivered by theologian Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines; the Congress′ basic text was prepared by Jesuit Father Julian Saldanha. Together, they will set the tone of the four–day Congress.
If we had to choose a motto, we would certainly remember the words of John Paul II: "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, should be your absolute priority′"(EA 2).
America, the first continent
In 1977, the first Missionary Congress of Latin America and the Caribbean countries was held in Mexico. Many delegations from Latin American countries participated. The Congress was also graced with the presence of Cardinal Angelo Rossi, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. From this "point of departure", a broad program for continental congresses was inspired by Cardinal Jozef Tomko, the late Prefect (1985 -2001); he also launched the idea of extending the Latin American Missionary Congress to include both North and South America.
After the celebration of the Special Synod for America in 1997, it was noted that the Sixth Latin American Missionary Congress wished to embrace fraternally "all the Churches of the Continent," thus becoming the First American Missionary Congress. This direction focused on what the Holy Father, in his celebration of the Synod for America, had expressed: "a closer bond which the peoples of the Continent seek and which the Church wishes to foster." The Congress sought to strengthen the "evangelizing mission of the Church, in the Continent as well as beyond its own borders."
In Asia, the First Congress is spearheaded by the Federation of Asian Bishops′ Conferences (FABC) Office of Evangelization. It is also organized by the continental national offices of the Pontifical Missionary Societies of Asia and the Catholic Bishops′ Conference of Thailand, headed by Cardinal Michael Michai Kitbunchu. The preparation is facilitated by the missionary institutes, working committees from Thailand and the different FABC offices. The Federation is composed of Bishops′ Conferences from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos-Cambodia, Malaysia–Singapore–Brunei, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Siberia (Russia), Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and East Timor are also members.
The total number of expected participants is about 1,000. Asian countries have a quota allocation depending on the country’s Catholic population. Participants are selected on the basis of their involvement, primarily, in the work of evangelization and mission. These participants also have an "Asian perspective" and are decision-makers in their own pastoral field.
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