Asian churches towards new christologiy disturbing Rome?

 

Surffering through the Liberation Struggle

opens a way to a new Christology


Boast, I will, definitely not in my name, but in the name of God, who did marvellous things, using me as his humble instrument!!!

Following the spirt of Magnificat which Mary sang in meeting Elizabeths greeting, I will extoll in the works of the Lord in me.


After being a long time priest and professor of a Christology learnt in Rome and lived and taught in Sri Lanka at the National Seminary of Kandy and at St.Francis major Seminary in Jaffna,  I had to rethink my understanding and following of Jesus Christ in the context of my liberation struggle along with my people from 1986.
Up to this time, I lived from my Roman days 1962-67 and thereafter according to a christology and also taught very faithfully the dogmatic christology learnt in Rome. Although my student days coincided with the 2nd Vatican Council 1962-67, the philosophy and theology I learnt mostly in latin, were scholastic in character. I listened to the periti or theological experts to the Council - Fathers Karl Rahner SJ from Germany, Yves Congar OP from France, Edward Schillebeeckx OP from Holland, and seen t he historic leaders of the church of the time - Pope John XX111, Pope Paul V1, Cardinals Pietro Agagianian, Suenens, Koenig, Doepfner, Augustino Bea, and many others who impressed me, yet my theological vision and life in the church remained very loyal and drawn out by the Roman church. But five years later when I returned to Rome in 1972, the brief pastoral responsability given to me by Bishop Emilianuspillai OMI, to look after 10 smaller communities around Manipy, to be diocesan director for lay apostolate groups like Legio Marie and Diocesan Union of laity and to lead the 16 lay-catechists of the diocese, all these  gave me chance to get closer to  the village laity and the lay-catechists as their leaders, to experience a church of the people, led by the people. My younger student days in the legion  of mary and catholic sstudents federation, and years prior to mmy jjoining tthe sseminary  as science  tteacher  aand jjournalist  -- all these rremained iin  mme  aas foundtional  eexperiences  uunchanged oor  diminished by  the roman  ttheology.

Hence returning to Rome to do my doctorate under my former professor of ecclesiology Prof. Vodopivec of the then Yugoslavia, I chose to study the role of lay catechists in the churches of the mission lands. And to do this reseaarch in the light of the teachings of the 2nd Vatican Council. Thus mmy doctoral research was to shed light of the teachinngs of the Council on my foundational experience with the laityy in our churches.

I wanted to show that thhe teachings of Vatican II was opening a new recognition of the millions of lay catechists in Africa and Asia who evangelised and still evangelising the local or ggrass-churches.


When I returned to Sri Lanka in 1976, I published my thesis with financial help from Missio, Germany at the Lake House Press in Colombo with the title - Recognizing the Faceless Ministers of the Church. Copies of this were sent to institutees and Bishops of Africa and Asia.

iin 1979 there was an Asian Colloquium on New Ministries for the asiaan churches held in Hong Kong and I was invited along with the indian theologians Father James Dupuis and Amalorpavadas to be one of the theological experts.  In the same year, the World Council of Churches of Geneva held a colloqium on Minnistries  in Tagatay, Philippines and I was invited as a Roman Catholic resource person to participate. This was followed by the Foederation of Asian Bishops Conferences -FABC- inviting me to be the member from Sri Lanka in the first Theological Advisory Committee 1986-94. Regular and frequent participation in many of the theological and pastoral meetings, seminars and conferences offered me great help in rethinking my roman theology in the asian context of peoples, religions and cultures. ( writing once to a magazine Diakonia from Austria, I confessed that I learnt more theology after my priestly ordination in Rome,  through my ministry and engagement with people at home and in Asia.)

Working regularly and intensely with a group of asian theologians once a year on issues of theological interst to Asia, and invited to lead seminars in different asian countries gave me courage and confidence to think forward on lines indicated by Vatican II. It was a great joy for me to give the key note address in September 1986 to the plenary sessions held in Tokyo to over 130 asian bisshops of the FABC.  Cardinal Pignodoli, head of the secretariate for laity in Rome,  was participating in it beecause this session was ment to be the asian preparation for the Roman Synod on Laity in October 1987.  My paper was titled " Rediscovering the laity and their role in the asian churches". This paper was acclaimed by the edito of Concilium in his editorial, as the best exposition he had come across (Concilium ???.......) I was invited to be present in Rome during the whole Synod and help write some contributions by the asian bishops.


The choice of themes and the theological approach we adopted was naturally not pleasing to Rome, especially to Cardinal Ratzinger. Inter-religious Dialogue, Local Churches and Inculturation, Church and Politics, Asian Pneumatology, Theology of Harmony, Being Church in Asia ...were themes, though meant by us as complementing to the western scholastic theology, were disturbing to the romans!!!
   

Meeting with Five Popes - Three of them now Saints!

 I was very fortunate to have met six Popes during my life in the church - Starting with Pope John XXIII who came to Propaganda College for his last Birthday. Being a new student to Propaganda Fide College just a week ago, they gave me a first row seat to be closest to the Pope. 

His successor Pope Paul VI elected in March 1963, visited us students in Castel Gandolfo Holiday house gardens next to his, on the 15th of August each year. we students entertained him with songs from different countries. On the 15th August 1966 I received my sub-diaconate in the morning mass. In the evening when he visited us, he gave me a copy of the New Testament.

Pope John Paul was pope only for a month. But I went Vatican for the wednesday audience and met him. But he died shortly after.

1983 was my sabbatical year at the University of Muenster in Germany. In June  I went to Muenschen for the Katholikentag opening ceremony at the Marian Square. Bavarias Chief minister and Cardinal Ratzinger were on stage. When Card. Ratzinger got up to speak, there was a big long banner raised up behind me in protest against, Ratyingers Instruction against the Liberation Theology of South America. Next morning flew to Rome. Bishop Deogupillai told me that they were having an audience with Pope John Paul II. I joined with Frs Karunaharar and Devarajah. when I met the Pope I spoke to him in German telling him that I was in Munchen the previous evening and saw Card. Ratzinger. He responded to me in German. 

His successor was Pope Benedict XVI, whom I have met as Cardinal Ratzinger, the German theologian in charge of the Congregation for Faith. When I was serving as an Asian theological advisor for the FABC, he had suspicious eyes cast over me. He was not pleased with my demands as an Asian theologian. I explained my position even when Rome sent me 8 quetions about my talk in Hua Hin, Thailand to the meeting between asian theologians and the Roman curia team led by Cardinal Arinze. I was not excommunicated but kept under theological suspicion!

The present Pope Francis, I am most happy with. I met him twice - one during the commemmoration of the Catecomb pact in Rome in 2015. Again on my golded jubilee of my prieshood on 16.12.2016 I concelebrated mass in the Vatican Mathas chapel with Pope presideng and 12 of us concelebrating. After mass he met eaach one us in audience. I had written a 2 page letter in Italian and given him explaining my position in exile, thanking him fo rhis visit to Madhu. He advised me to return to Sri Lanka and work for reconciliation which I am doing

Jesus return to his homeland Asia (German & English)

 

JESUS CHRISTUS: WOHNHAFT IN ASIEN?!

KEHRT JESUS CHRISTUS ZURÜCK NACH ASIEN?

ROTHENFELS

I was invited by the Rothenfels theological group for rememberin Adolf Harnachs - Wesen des Christentums = Essence of Christianity  

1. Adolf von Harnack – im Wintersemester 1899-1900 an der Berliner Universität – für alle Fakultaten – Das Wesen des Christentums.

Ein geistiges Ereignis  - das beseelt von einem optimistischen Glauben an den Geist und an den Fortschritt in der Geschichte, Gott und Welt, Religion und Kultur, Glauben und Denken, göttliche gerechtigkeit und irdische Ordnung, Thron und Altar zu einer natürlichen, fast ungestörten Harmonie vereinen zu können – zuversichtlich in die Zukunft blickte.

Ganz im Geist des ausgehenden 19 Jahrhunderts, dachte Harnack in seine eurozentrische Perspektive, eine Antwort auf die Frage nach dem Wesen des Christentums möglich –

Unter dem Schema – Gott der Vater, Vorsehung, Kindschaft, Werte der Einzelne...

Wie haben die Kirche, ihre Lehramt und die Theologen ihn verstanden und seine theologische Impulse eingenommen? Aber jetzt nach ein Jahrhundert – Anfang einer neuer Weltanschaung – Albert Einstein mit seine Theory of Realtivity macht eine Wende

2 Welt Kriege schütteln Europa und , Ende des Kolonialismus, ende des kalten Kriege,..

Anfang neu Kriege unter den Kulturen (Huntington) , unter den Weltanschauungen (Bassam Tibi),

New Players - Globalisierung, neu Europaunion, NATO macht, UN-Macht

Kirchlich gesehen – Ende der gegen-Reformation und Anfang post-Vat.II  - 

Neu Weltanschaung- Neu Gottanschaung – Neu Menschenanschaung

Neu Kirchverständnis –– Neu Verständnis von Religionen- Neu Beziehung zu den Religionen – Also neu Missionsverständnis

 Obwohl das Vat.II hat keine christologie oder theologie explicit betonte, keine neu programme oder rechtlinie gelegte, das Konzil hat neu kategoriesn, richtungen, verständnise entwicketlt

Und die Prozesse , Entwicklungen, die das Konzil im Gang eingesetzt hat, viele Konsequenzen in Europa, in Lateinamerika, in Afrika und in Asien. Einige sind neu Probleme, einige neu Wege und neu Impulse. 

Kirche in Asien – eine Minderheit Kirche im multi-religiose und multi-kulturelle Kontext - hat diese Impulse vom Konzil als Pentecost Ereignis im alle Ernsthat akzeptiert und los gefahren

 3. EIN WENDEPUNKT FÜR DIE ASIATISCHEN KIRCHEN

In der Mitte dieses Jahrhunderts erreichten die Kirchen Asiens unter Papst Pius XII und seiner Heiligen Kongregation für die Verkündigung des Glaubens einen Wendepunkt in ihrer Geschichte, als die Engländer, die Franzosen, die Spanier und die Holländer ihre Kolonialreiche in Asien abbauten und ihren Untertanen einen Autonomie-Status verliehen. Die Kirchen, die unter der Kolonialherrschaft entstanden waren und die sich bestimmter Privilegien unter diesen Regimen erfreuen konnten, sahen sich aufgerufen, den Übergang der politischen Macht von den Europäern zu den Asiaten mitzugehen. In dieser nachkolonialen Ära kam es zu den ersten Anfängen eines Anwachsen des Nationalismus begleitet von einem Erwachen der asiatischen Religionen und Kulturen. Die Kirchen spürten die Notwendigkeit des Wandels in ähnlicher Weise, waren sich aber unklar über das Wie. Es war zu diesem kritischen Zeitpunkt, daß Papst Johannes XXIII. erschien als der Mann von Gott gesandt, um die Kirche zur Erneuerung und zum aggiornamento durch das Zweite Vatikanische Konzil aufzurufen.

4.  INKULTURATION - WEG ZUR ASIATISCHEN IDENTITÄT

Verbunden mit dem Prozeß der Inkulturation, sind auch die Anstrengungen der asiatischen Kirchen, ihre eigentliche Identität in Asien zu finden.

Das Christentum, auch wenn es nicht im Westen entstanden ist, wurde in Asien doch als europäisch angesehen. Christen in Asien mußten sich wegen ihrer christlichen Identität gegen den Verdacht wehren, gegenüber ihrer nationalen Identität es an Loyalität oder Einsatz mangeln zu lassen. Sie sahen sich genötigt, ihre beiden Identitäten als Angehörige asiatischer Nationen auf der einen und als Glieder der christlichen Kirche miteinander zu harmonisieren

und daraus eine einzige Identität als asiatische Christen zu machen.

 Während Hindus, Buddhisten, Konfuzianer und Schintoisten sich in ihrer "natürlichen Heimstatt" fühlen, wenn sie ihre Religion leben, stehen die Christen in Asien unter dem Druck, ihren Patriotismus und ihr Nationalgefühl unter Beweis stellen zu müssen.

Es bleibt immer der Verdacht, ob ihre wahre Loyalität tatsächlich der Nation gilt. Dies resultiert in einem Minderheitenkomplex und der Notwendigkeit, über die bloße Anpassung auf dem liturgischen Gebiet und Anstrengungen, sich des westlichen Gewands zu entledigen, hinauszugehen.

 Sie möchten den Anregungen des Geistes folgen, wie ihre Führer ihn erkennen, um zu einer echten Begegnungen mit den Kulturen ihrer Länder zu kommen. Wenn die Kultur die von Gott vorgegebene natürliche Wiege ihrer Geburt ist, und der christliche Glauben auch ein Geschenk Gottes ist, warum sollten wir diese Begegnung verhindern, zu der der Geist uns drängt?

Jesus Christus, obwohl ein Asiater war, geboren und erwachsen und gestorben als ein Mensch in Asien, die mutter-Kontinente für fast alle Welt-religionen, seine Lehre und seine Jüngerschaft als Kirche wird adoptiert in Rom und in Europa. 

Der Kenntnis über ihm und seine Lehre wachsen und entwickeln sich im Bereich Judentum und Hellenistm. Nur 16 Jahrhunderte später wird er bekkant in Asien!  Eine Frage Zeichen und ein Exklamation: Eine weckende, enttäuschende Frage.

Eine überraschende, interessante, sinnlose, sinnvolle, aufschreiende, Frage – eine provozierende Frage. Wann die Frage wäre „Kirche Jesu Christi: wohnhaft in Asien „ - die wäre vielleicht mehr sinnvolle und relevante Frage.

 Nicht so viel eine direkt Erfahrung mit seinem Person und Lehre,  sondern ein europäische Kenntnis  basiert auf die Lehre von Petrus and Paulus wird das Fundamentum der Kirche.

 Obwohl Jesus Christus, Gottessohn,  als Mensch und seine Kirche sind geboren vor 2000 Jahren, glauben wir das Sein Geist (Gottesgeist) war gegenwärtig und aktiv auch vor 2000 Jahren. Die Religionen und die Kulturen der asiatische Welt sind nicht außerhalb des Gottesplan für Heil der Menschheit (Heilsekonomie)
 

After two thousand years of Christianity, going from Jerusalem and Galille to the Hellenistic cities of Antioch and Corinth and then onto the Roman Empire – where this New Way was made into a Religion

a) similar to the old testament, Judaism, 

b) similar to the pagan religions of the romans, 

c) structured parallel to the empire with Caesar and his provincials as models, 

d) endowed with rules, regulations, definitions, aapologetic teachings and anachronistic views about the world…

Der Geist Jesu Christi,  scheint effektiv und wirkende in Asien?

 Seine Kirche ist präsent in asien. Aber sein Geist ist nicht nur in der Kirchen sondern auch außerhalb der Kirche.  Ein geborener in Judäa (Mittelost) ist kein Fremder in Asien .

Aber die Lehre der westliche Kirche über ihm, als präsentiert von der Kirche – die Europäische und eurozentrische Lehre der Kirche ist non-Asiatish oder Fremd.

 Die geschichte der Entwicklung der Christologie, als entfalten vom Paulus  und die Evangelisten, als in den ersten Jahrhunderten durch die Konzilien, die Streiten zwischen Lateinische und Orientalische Patriarchalen und Theologen

 * Mose – geborene Jude, erwachsen bei Pharao, kehrt zurück zu sein Volk und führt sein Volk gegen Pharo, befreit sein volk von Egyptische Babylonische Sklavenheit.

 Adrian Hastings: Almost a third of the Oxford History of christianity is devoted to non-European Christianity.... the centre of gravity of World History has undoubtedly shifted away from Europe,

 Though Western christians are on the whole very much better informed about the European past than about the rest of the world. 

It might be well argued that the future of christianity lies in the other continnets.

 Sometimes we are afraid that the whole structure of belief is fragile and liable to collapse if cross-questioned too intensely – this is alien to Hans Küng and other fearless theologians.

 The greatest and the most powerful institution of the world .

 Has the christianity of the west failed? 

Or has Christianity been distorted by the west?

 Jesus goes back to Nazareth-Synagogue and reads from Isaiah his manifesto

In the new millennium, it is likely that Christianity  returns back to Asia , its home-continent, and the Christian message will be read on the background of Asian religions and of Asian realities.

I am anointed, the spirit is over me, sent to free the slaves, …. Become more meaningful and Christianity will have a new birth as a prophetic religion of saving the continent

In the context of religious and cultural pluralism,we Asians tned to take a wholistic look of Christian revelation, of Christianity as a religion and of Christ as the Redeemer.

This apparently is in conflict with the linear historical view of Jesus Christ, his church and other religions moving in the opposite direction. A philosophy of religions and of revelations may precede an Asin Christology.

 

Integral Revelation

External and internal revelation (Felix)

Integral Understanding of Revelation

A particular understanding of revelation which reduces them to propositions of truth as taught by the Magisterium.

 AT is guided by the the Second Vatican Council  - a more relational self-communication of God and historical understanding of revelation. AT would see it not in isolation but as part of a whole

 

Interior Revelation

 Spring of water (from within ) welling up to eternal life-

Call to worship in sprit and truth

The Kingdom is within you

God teaching us from within

 

Revelation and Human family

 Entire hman family has the same origin and end

There is a universal plan for salvation

We forge relationship with other people

The whole human family is journeying and the Spirit is accompanying them

This Spirt is active in religions, cultures ideologies

 

Overcoming the fears of Mystery

 Affirmative theology

We know more what it is not than what it is

Theolggia negativa is in effect extremely positive because it is a confession of the infinite mystery,

authentic theolgy is a quest for search

Importancee of God-EXPERIENCE

 

Anubava

 Because of experience occupying a central position in modernism, against which the church fought hard, westerners think when AT speaks of Experience they are falling into modernism errors.

It is by approaching the mysteies of faith by experience we gain a comprehensive and fuller undestanding of the nature of revelation and its implications.

That which we have heard and which we have seen we announce to you..

 

Experience and analogy

 To discount human experience  in the name of the total otherness of  God  is to refuse to acknowledge the structure of the human spirit , process of human cognition etc.

Revelation cannot be reduced to truths comprehended only by intellect.

Revelation address itself to our total person , that is why liturgy is source of theolgoy

AT searches through experience of senses through symbols

 Language, Culture and Hermeneutics

We experience so much of misunderstanding among our langauges- when the same reality is referred by words – sheep and mutton in english but Mouton for both in french

Language is an encoding of experiences

 How much more difficult in communicating revelation and tradition from the world of experience from one to another

 Asian languages, cultures, symbols etc. must have the possibility of grasping the mystery by their own hands or tools

The faith propositions are formulated from the Scriptiures. But this does not make the Scriptures redundant on the plea that statements of faith by the magisterium is clear and precise.

Scriptures remain the evocative power in the encounter with asian cultures and religion.

 In communicating the revelation as well as response of the faith, it has been found that the asian languages and cultures resonate with the biblical languages and images symbols and signs

AT is an attempt to develop its ability and its way creatively and at the same time in fidelity to tradition of the church

 

Pluralisms

 

AT is alledged to be in the company of Pluralism as explained by the western theologians.

3 accusations –

AT is nothing but an offshoot of wetern authors like Hick, Knitter, Swidler ...

AT has ill-effect on the western churches – people are attaracted by this sian pluralism etc.

AT along with western pluralism tends to reduce everything to a relativism threatening the church

 

Western pluralim has its liberal origin, rationalism, individualist concern abstracted from concrete context but AT has roots in concrete context and experience with neighbours not preoccupied with creating a system of pluralim

Autonomous individuals and their concerns are pushed to the foreground as new absolutes..for them there are truths which are the creation of subjects

But for AT Truth is one ekam sat- we seek understanding in vrious aspects and dimensions

Western pluralim thrives in the post-modern culture – a directionless pluraliism

but the the pluralism of AT is directed towards harmony peace  etc, in a context of communal racial conflicts etc. AT s pluralism is not the scapegoat for crisis of faith in the west

 

Jesus Christ in the Asian Multi-Religious context

 

At least 3 strands of christology from the Gospels

1.Exaltation of the crucified Jesus by God and the power of his  and the hope of his return at the end of tiem

2.One that is based on the historical peron of Jesus and his messae with the various titles..

3.One based on the pre-existence of christ – as the losgos

 

one may not reduce all these into one- we may loose the richness of them. The Nicea formula is faithful to a major direction in the NT

The development of the later doctrine and more ample formulations within NT itself did not involve the erasing of earlier and simpler christological formulae so Raymond Brown

The validity of the various NT christologies should in no way be undermined because they have a perennial appeal to all generations of believers and ample scope to new peoples and cultures

AT makes use of this availability

 

Historical Jesus and the Logos

 Substantial and radical identity between earthly Jesus and exalted christ essentially belongs to the announcement of the Gospel – Int. Theol. Comm

There is a distinction between the historical Jesus christ and the trans-historical MYSTERY of christ

There is room to speak of cosmic christ – referring to the 3 aspects attested by the NT in the christian tradition.

1.The relationship of christ to the whole creation not only to earth but to the whole universe- all things were meae by him ...

2.The principality of the exalted christ over the whole of creation

3.This trans-historical Christ acts through time and space through his Spirit.

 

In keeping with the understanding of revelation as earlier expressed by the asians, this

Gives expression to the universal character of salvation – though the mystery has taken place in history, it is not reduced to a part. Time and space

To acknowledge that self-communication of God  in historical Jesus has a dimension which embraces the entire creation

 

Soteriology goes beyond anthropocentrism

When we consider the distinction between Jesus and the christ, this way, it opens up the possibilities to relate to other religious experiences of our neighbours

 Universal Mediation of Christ and Participated Forms of mediation

 Univ. mediation is indicated in the NT – no one comes to the farther except through me...

Nothing of this is denied in the AT, but the question today is how we relate this truth of our faith with the recognition of the quest for God., experience and knowledge of him in peoples and cultures

Confusion between Christology and theology arises when one supposes that the name of God is totally unknown outside Jesus christ

Hence we have to hold on to both in order to get more understanding of the mystery of universla salvation

AT does not equate all religious figures and mediators. However we cannot undermine the mediatory role of figures in our neighbours faiths

 

As a Christian I can only think of these mediations as being related to Jesus Christ in whom I believe the self-communication of God to have taken place, but whose depth, however, remains something to be explored ever more. This eschatolological open-endedness of the mystery of christ  allows room to understand ever better the wy other mediations are related to it , which therefore cannot be laid down once and for all.

 

Inter-connectedness of Paths

 

The place and role of these alvation figures in the world of religious experience

To recognise participated forms of mediation is to accept that there is a certain inter-connectedness of paths whic is not the same thing as to say all the paths are the same on the plea that all lead to the same end or to resolve the christian identit  as one among the many

 

AT must be viewed and assessed on its own ground. In relation to the total asian situation

The temptation is too often to read into AT some of the past heresies of the church into today’s AT and act against them . this is shadow boxing

 

AT is in service to the Gospel and in continuity with the integral tradition of the church

Therefore we must listen and dialogue. Missing this opportunity will threaten the future of the asian church

 

 

 

A theological Concerns of the Asian Churches - - Concern 2

 

CONCERN 2

ASIAN CHURCHES

AND THEIR THEOLOGICAL ISSUES 

Introduction:

            Churches in Asia were not part of the Reformation of the 15th and 16th. centuries. They did not exist then. They were born actually during the Counter-reformation period in Europe. Only in this century they became gradual participants, first of the Aggiornamento initiated by Pope John XIII and then of the Copernican-Revolution of the Church.in our times - namely, Church IN the world and FOR the world. With Vatican II as the Pentecost of this Century, there is a whirlwind of the Spirit in Asia, there emerges a new phase of change for the Churches in Asia - a re-birth of the Churches, if we may use a Hindu-Buddhist concept - to be born again, this time as Asian churches. Consequently there emerges theological issues - vital fur the futurability of the Asian Churches and also affect, and even challenge the theological vision of the world Church or Universal Church.

            We are on the eve of an Asian Synod to be held in Rome in April of this year. Here I limit myself to take a brief look

1) at the different phases the Churches in Asia have gone through and mention some of the problems they have as a burden of their history.

2) the new theological priorities determined by their context and the modest efforts made to respond to them.

3) Some decisive questions to the world church

 

1.0 The General Character of the Asian Churches before Vat.II

1.1 They were European Churches transplanted on  Asian soil.

            The European missionaries who planted the churches in Asia were sons and daughters of Europe, they grew up with the experience of the church of their times and of their land. Hence they planted faithfully the church they experienced then at home. It was not only the architecture of the churches they built on the Asian soil but also the style of Christian life and traditions and customs they imported from Europe.

            They deserve much merit and praise from our churches for the daring sacrifices they made. But they St.Francis Xavier, the Patron of the missions, is fondly venerated, but his methods of missionary activity is a past thing.

1.2 They were born from a world-church in a counter-reformation context

            It was a new phase for the Church in Europe. Missionary endeavours were made from a counter-reformation Church at home in Europe. Losses through a division of the churches in Europe appeared to be compensated by gaining new converts in the new missions which were opened up with the help of colonial powers..Although Asia had nothing to do with the Reformation or counter-reformation, the sons and daughters of a counter-reformation Catholic Church could only plant the new churches according to instructions given from their mother houses along with those of the Roman  Curia  of Propaganda Fidei in Rome.

1.3 They are still young churches

            With the exception of the Thomas Christians and their oriental churches - Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara rite, who claim their beginnings to the 5th.Century, all the other Christians in Asia are not more than 500 years old. Hence compared to most of the European Churches which have rich and at the same time burdensome traditions, we have a shorter history and open to changes demanded by the times

1.4 With one exception, they are all minority-churches

            Compared to the older religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism of Asia, Christianity  is a minority religion. After nealy 400 years of missionary activity, we have not grown to be a sizable group, reaching an average of 2.27% of the Asian population when we include Philippines and only 1.47% without Philippines. An exception is in Philippines where we are more tha 84% - and that too is on the decline, due to the growth of other churches. Hence the minority character is bound to stay..

1.5 As Churches in the Third World, they are all financially dependent on the Western churches.

            Understanding missionary activity as giving personel and finance to plant the churches, the richer churches of Europe and America have helped us a lot to grow to the present status. They cannot any more send missionaries because they themselves are in shortage. Finances continue to flow to our churches for their maintenance and new activities. Without this maintenance most of the institutional buildings for Seminaries, Catechetical Centres, Schools and Convents and their maintenance cannot be built or maintained.

1.6 They are under a strict surveillance or control of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples

            As a consequence of the above characteristics, the Churches in Asia, like those of Africa and Latin America, are under the strict surveillance and control of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. This control is made easier by the financial assistance given to these churches either directly or channelled from Europe through Rome.

            The Prefect of this Congregation , sometimes known as the black pope of the Third World,  has his finger on  many things from  a surveillance of theology to naming of bishops, from formation  of priests and catechists to building of institutions.

1.7 They are awakening to new realities and challenges

            Although they are at times treated as young immature churches by those who control and guide them from above, they cannot but help awakening to realities, often  schocking, realities of their context. Just as many of the Asian countries are going through a post-colonial resurgence of nationalism in various forms, the churches too, encouraged by the Pentecost of Vatican II, are awakening to the new realities and challenges facing them in becoming a church IN the world and FOR the world.

            These challenges will definitely cause pain which may  be the birth-pangs for  the birth of new Asian Churches. The success will depend not only on the Asian Churches themselves but also on the understanding and help given by the world church.

2.0 Asian Churches at the Second Vatican Council

2.1 It was a grace - a kairos - grace-filled opportunity for the Churches in Asia to realise themselves as Asian Churches

            Firstly, the event of Vatican II and so many Asian bishops taking part in it, was already a grace for the churches in Asia. At the Council of Trent and Vatican I, there was hardly any presence of Asia. This was the first time when all the bishops of Asia were called  to participate in a world event which underlined their belonging to a world church.

            Secondly the 16 documents the council brought out have become a great Charter to these younger chuches. They were not dealing with any particular heresy of dogma, they were not condemnations but a whole vision and an exhortation to new ways. In this respect, they filled a great need not responded by the Scriptures the Canon Laws and the Dogmas.

2.2 In comparison with the European Churches, the Asian churches were not prepared for the Council

            After the Second World War, there were a number of movements within the European churhces for the renewal of liturgy, study of the Bible, apostolate of the laity and the unity of the churches. These movements were forerunners which made the way for the Council and in a way funneled themselves into the Council resolutions.

            On the Asian ground there were no such schocking events to shake up the churches and there were no cries for renewal or change. Surely, they experienced difficulties vis a vis the contextual realities, but they did not attempt to meet them.

2.3 Asian Bishops mostly as Spectators and Auditores in Council, not as active participants

            Many of the European bishops brought with them leading theologians from their countries. In addition there were theological discussions arranged in the evenings outside the Council Sessions to debate issues. Although many of the younger Asian bishops participated in these evening sessions in English to learn of the new theological thinking from their European counterparts, they did not actively take part or contribute directly to the Council Sessions of the mornings. They were mostly enthusiastic spectators and hearers,

            Besides hindered by the use of Latin as the official language of the Sessions, many Asian bishops could not easily follow or contribute to the Sessions proceedings. Many resorted to written submissions which were not seriously considered.

2.4  The Demands of Asian Contexts were not a theme of the Council.

            Although the bishops from Asia had their own problems and difficulties, they did not figure in the Schemas already prepared from Rome and circulated in Latin, nor did they have the courageous voice to introduce their priorities into a “European Council”

.           Themes like non-Christian religions and cultures, figured only while treating European issues. For example, while trying to study the relation of the Jews to the Church, we went to discuss our relation with other religions and that was the birth of the document Nostra Aetatae on the Relation to Non-Christian Religions.

            The valid observation of Karl Rahner that in Vatican II, the Catholic church has really become a world Church is not in the sense that issues from all over the world, including those of Asia, were taken up at the council, but only in the sense that the European and American bishops have widened their interest on issues of the world churches.

3.0 Asian Churches After the Council

3.1 Liturgical Euphoria

            As the Asian Fathers of the Council packed their bags for return to their churches, the best gift to their people were about the use of the vernacular in the liturgy. The Churches of Asia were specifically liturgy-centred institutions. Although they were known for thie educational and charitable works, it was liturgy in their churches that sood out as the distinguishing marks of Catholicism. Hence hearing the Word  and singing their praises in their mother tongue, composing hymns and introducing new gestures  were all a great achievement.

3.2 Holy Spirit moves over Asia

            As a sign of the churches in Asia intaking the Spirit of the council, there were efforts made in making the churches to be really IN their world of religio-cultural and sociopolitical realities. The Courage to move forward with a Spirit of Opennness to the whole man and to his modern world, the courage to Meet and Dialogue with these realities were seen in the network of centres that sprang up. In addition to the already existing institutions of educations and charitable works, Centres of animation in the field of Bible Study and  Catechesis, Commissions for Justice and Peace, Centres for the promotion of Cultural Activities, Centres for Dialogue and Ashrams,

 

3.3 Bishops’ Synods -( for an unfinished agenda and a post-conciliar period) - anew chance for the Asian Churches.

            Pope Paul VI had already realised that Vatican II was more a beginnning oa new era in the church than an end to counter reformation church. He had also  foreseen the problems of a post-conciliar period. To face these issues and problems he instituted the regular holding of Bishops’ Synods for various themes of concern.

            The very first Synod on Priesthood and Justice did not evoke much interest and enthusiasm, but the second in 1974 on the theme of Evangelization in the modern world was a more relevant one for the Churches of the Third World. The contributions of three continents have appeared in three volumes.  Evangelii Nuntiandi - the magna carta - of a new evangelisation - was an outcome of this synod.

3.4 The formation of the FABC 1971 and its Institutes

            The formation of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences and consequently their various institutes - BISA, BIMA, BIRRA, BILA etc. were the new structures for  Asian renewal and committment. The efforts of diocesan and national commissions with regard to social, missionary, religious and lay efforts were animated and coordianted through these FABC offices,.

3.5 Birth of Asian Theologies

            Theology is no more a monopoly of the Universities and its professors and students. The universities have a role in theologising, but they have to depend on a praxis-oriented sources.

3.51 Ecumenical Association of Third World Theologians EATWOT

3.52 Theological Advisory Commission of the FABC  FABC-TAC

4.0  Asian Theological Sources, Method and Themes

4.1 Asian Theological Sources

            With Vatican II giving a greater impetus to the study of the Scriptures and also making that study to be the starting point for theological reflection, we took farewell from the old method of supporting the teachings of the Church with Scriptural “prop-ups” and making scriptural reflection of themes a starting point for theologising. Besides this change towards a genetic approach, we revised our understanding of Revelation to include manifestations of God through the various truths and goodness recognizable in other religions and cultures outside the Church, but God-given resources of the lands and the peoples.. Hence all Asian theological   reflections, in addition to the primary and central reflection of the Christian Sources in the Bible, in the Fathers of the Church and in history, take a serious look at the “non-Christian resources” available in Asia through religions, ideologies, cultures and movements for change.Whether it is the notion of salvation, sin, grace, salvation, spirituality  or the

4.2 Asian Theological Method and Themes

            Deductive approach of reasoning downward from annunciated principles or dogmas from above to  reach out liturgical, moral and pastoral conclusions are not convincing. Instead an Inductive approach of  moving from a faith-oriented praxis to a praxis-based reflection is preferred.

            The first Theological Advisory Committee appointed by the FABC and consisting of theologians from 18 Bishops Conferences of Asian countries, met annually for about ten days in an Asian city like Kong or Singapore  and took up a theme for discussion and preparing a Paper.   Before 1994 five such issues were taken up.

4.21 Six Theses on Inter-Religious Dialogue

4.22 Local Churches and Inculturation in Asia

4.23 Church and Politics in Asia

4.24 Towards an Asian theology of Harmony

4.25 Towards an Asian Pneumatology

5.0  Asian Churches begin to recognize and respond to the realities of their own world/context

6.0 The Dawn of a New   Vision for a New Mission

7.0 Priorities of the Asian Churches from Vatican II

            With slogans like Aggiornamento, Return to the sources and Church to be reformed always , there was more interest in the documents that relate to the outside of the church than to inner-church documents

8.Questions

If the churches continue to remain as at present, they remain thankful to the European churches for the aid given and also the European churches will continue aid to structures known to them as missionary activity.

The churches as they are expensive models for an asian economy.

Hence true missionary work of the Asian churches consist in responding to the challenges of the Asian realities. And the role of the western churches is to help us help ourselves.

1.     How far can we go with inter-religious dialogue? inculturation? contextualisation?

2.     Understanding of Salvation and Mission in Asia?

3. Understanding Jesus Christ and his discipleship and the Church?