Asian Churches for a New Evangelization: Chances and
Challenges
Resources » EAPR » East Asian Pastoral Review 1999 »
Volume 36 (1999) No. 3 » Asia Churches for a New Evangelization: Chances and
Challenges
S.J.
Emmanuel
S.J. EMMANUEL is a catholic priest and former Vicar
General of the diocese of Jaffna, Sri Lanka. He has been teaching theology in
Jaffna and at the National Seminary in Kandy. For ten years he served as a
member of the Theological Advisory Committee of the Federation of Asian
Bishops’ Conference. He is now a pastor in the diocese of Münster, Germany, and
1999-Guest Professor at the Faculty of Catholic Theology of the University of
Frankfurt in Germany.
Towards A New Mission in the New Millennium
With the world celebrating the birth of the new
millennium by commemorating achievements of the closing millennium and by
giving expressions of hope for the new, so too the churches are exhorted to
celebrate the 2000 Jubilee Year of the manifestation of salvation in Jesus
Christ1. The much younger churches in Asia, while joining the world church in
their celebrations, have their own task of taking stock of the few hundred
years of Christianity behind them and of envisioning for a new mission into the
next millennium. How has Asia accommodated or taken in Christianity till now?
What are the chances and challenges to the churches for a new evangelization of
Asia as inspired by the Spirit active in Asia? With the Second Vatican Council,
the Pentecost Event of this century, as the turning point in modern church
history, especially for the younger churches of Asia, we look briefly before
and after that event in order to see ahead for the future.
Churches in Asia were not part of early Christianity,
not even of the first millennium, nor of the first half of the second
millennium leading up to the Reformation. They did not exist then.2 Charismatic churches born in Galilee and in
Jerusalem were cradled in the world of Hellenistic philosophy and later were
brought up in the ritualism and rigid institutionalism characteristic of the
then Roman Empire. From the 16th century onwards, they experienced the great
Reformation and the Catholic Church was engaged actively in a
counter-reformation movement. It is from these churches that the missionaries
loyal to their experiences, transplanted the churches on Asian soil. Hence, the
birthmarks of the churches in Asia are not from those of Jerusalem and Galilee
but from the counter-reformation churches of Portugal, Spain and Holland. The heroic
and self-sacrificing efforts of the European missionaries to Asia were planned,
supported and coordinated by the religious congregations working under the
guidance of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of Faith.3
In this century, the modest pastoral aggiornamento was
intended by Pope John XXIII by calling the Second Vatican Council, a new
Pentecost for the Mission-churches of the Third world. Furthermore, the Copernican-ecclesial-revolution initiated by the
Council for the Church to become more and more a Church in the world and for
the world, as well as its new understanding and vision about peoples, religions
and cultures, gave the Asian churches the possibility of seeking a new
self-identity, a new vision as well as a new mission in Asia. With the
post-conciliar period as the spring time for this new birth, the Asian churches
launched new efforts towards recognizing the religious, cultural and secular
realities of Asia and towards anchoring a new mission on their own soil. These
efforts were naturally characterised by challenges, problems and tensions, both
within the churches themselves as well as with the Magisterium of the world
Church.
The recently concluded Special Assembly of the
Bishops’ Synod for Asia held in the Vatican has brought to the surface many of
these concerns and challenges. They are not mere regional issues or problems
decisive for the relevance and effectiveness of the mission of the Asian
churches but also signs and issues that challenge and stimulate the theological
vision of the world Church with its Magisterium
Hence, we propose to study historically and in stages,
the nature and mission of the Asian churches as developed during their journey
towards the present, seeking a new identity and a new evangelization in Asia. In
the first part, we will briefly describe the first phase of the evangelization
of Asia as carried out until the Second Vatican Council. In the second part, we
will show how the Asian churches gained a new vision at the Second Vatican
Council for a new mission in Asia. In the third part, we will describe how that
new mission enjoyed its euphoria as well as faced new challenges. In the final
part we will offer our views about the pastoral and theological reflections
that continue to accompany the Asian praxis of mission.
The First
Phase of Evangelization and the Consequent Birthmarks of the Churches in Asia
Had Paul and Barnabas travelled into the Asian
continent, Christianity and Christian churches in all probability would have
taken a different shape, and also their relationship to the Roman or European
churches would have developed differently. But that was not to be so in God’s
plan for the Asian continent. Though the Spirit of God was already at work in
Asia among God’s people in their religions and cultures with designs unknown to
us and beyond our reckoning, it was left to the counter-reformation churches of
Europe to undertake and promote the mission of Christ further into Asia. Except
for the churches of St. Thomas Christians in India, the first phase of the
evangelization of Asia started only in the 16th century and had lasted almost
five centuries. Though the churches have grown up to a certain maturity marked
with martyrdom and evangelical zeal, they still carry some “birthmarks and
burdens” of history. For our study of the future mission, it is useful to take
note of these birthmarks and burdens of history still affecting the churches.
European
Architecture and Life-style
The European missionaries who planted the churches in
Asia were sons and daughters of the Church of the time. Challenges for the
reformation of the Church were met by a counter-reformation Tridentine Council
and the Council of Vatican I. The pioneer missionaries who mostly accompanied
colonial powers for the conquest of new lands for their kings in Portugal or
Spain went with an almost similar zeal for conquering souls for Christ and His
Vicar in Rome. Besides teaching some prayers and baptizing the indigenous
peoples, they planted and built churches according to their understanding and
experiences at home and were loyal to instructions from their superiors in
Rome. 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 that were
all imported from Europe.
These pioneer missionaries deserve much merit and
praise from the present churches for the sacrifices they made and for the zeal
and devotion with which they planted the churches. Most of these missionaries
are buried on Asian soil and are worthy of our respect. Though the challenges
facing today’s evangelizing mission are different and their methods are out of
date, still missionaries like Francis Xavier and de Nobili are venerated for
their courageous zeal.
Polemic
Mission of the Counter-reformation Church.
Losses to the Catholic faith through a division of the
churches in Europe appeared to have been 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 Reformation4 or counter-reformation,
the sons and daughters of a counter-reformation Catholic Church could only
plant the new churches according to their own understanding of instructions
given by their Roman mother houses and later the Roman Congregation for the
Propagation of the Faith.
Missionary activity in Asia was not in the first place
the sowing of the seeds of the Gospel or the Bible but consisted more of
teaching the Tridentine Catechism and the prayers for the liturgy. What gave
the people the hope of salvation was not so much belief in Jesus Christ and His
Word, but becoming members of a Church that claimed that salvation is possible
only within the church. The dominant note of the preaching done in the
vernacular through indigenous lay catechists and other lay helpers was that it
was only the Church, as the unique bark or saving boat of salvation, that can
save people from ruin and damnation caused especially by the satanic forces
operative in the false religions of Asia. It was an anti-religion missionary
activity.
Financial
Dependence and Paternal Supervision
Due to changes both in Europe and in Asia, new
missionaries for Asia are neither
available in Europe nor welcome in Asia. But the much needed finances for
initiating new activities and for building and maintaining institutions
continue to flow from the western churches. Without this financial assistance,
many of the institutional buildings like bishops’ houses, seminaries,
catechetical centres, schools and convents and the education of priests and
religious in Europe are not possible.
Much of this assistance is facilitated and channelled
through Rome. As a result the Asian churches have not only to be loyal and
faithful to the authorities in Rome, but also have to be dependent on them for their survival as an institutional church.
Minute
Minorities among Asian Religions
Compared to the older religions like Hinduism,
Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism etc. of Asia, Christianity enjoys only a
minority-status among religions. After nearly 400 years of missionary activity,
the Catholic population, including the Philippines is only 2.27% of the Asian
population, and excluding the Philippines only 1.47% of the Asian population!
The exceptional situation of the Philippines with its 84% Catholic population,
not only boosts up the overall Asian Catholic percentage but also often blurs
the challenging realities of Asia. With the growth of other churches and sects
in the Philippines as well as the prohibitive policies and laws introduced in
many Asian countries against conversion to Christianity, the minority character
of the Asian churches is bound to stay, if not to further diminish. But how far
is the minority character a handicap for its true mission?
This minority character is often made an excuse for a
lack of prophetic courage and action vis a vis the sinful and unjust measures
of the majority religions and cultures. To be a minority is characteristic of
the prophets and their eloquent stance for truth and justice. It is often
forgotten that the Church is prophesied to be a Ôsmall flock’6 and a Lumen
Gentium5 and still is faithful to its mission for truth, justice and peace.
Hence, Asian churches will do well not to be disheartened by “a minority
position in a massive continent” but to appreciate and discover the strategy
and mission present in their minority situation7.
Respected
Services but Suspected Motives
With finances flowing freely from their mother
churches, the missionaries built up not only churches, presbyteries and
convents but also schools, hospitals, orphanages, homes for the aged etc. More
and more personnel from Europe and Asia were educated and trained for
specialized services in these institutions. The unmarried status of the
religious and priests enabled them to give a very dedicated service that
captivated the minds and hearts of the people of other faiths. Many conversions
were effected by the evangelical witness of priests and religious.
All the same these services evoked certain suspicions
among the non-Christians. Since it was believed that outside the Church there
was no salvation, zealous missionaries sacrificed everything to convert peoples
from their Ôpagan’ religions and cultures to bring them into the fold of the
churches. In most cases it was a direct invitation to conversion, baptism and
membership in the churches while offering pre-evangelization or
pro-evangelization services as attractive incentives. Although missionary
convictions like - “no salvation outside the Church” and - “salvation of souls
is the supreme law”8- justified their
efforts, still the methods used came under suspicion and resentment. All the
same, it could be said that the churches are appreciated and respected for
their services to the poor and the oppressed.
Numerically their presence in this massive continent
of peoples is far below the global average of 18%. But their influence in the
Asian countries is visibly over-proportional. Today, if the churches command
any importance and respect among the peoples, religions and cultures of Asia,
it is not because of any power or superiority of what they preach, not because
of the massive institutions they have and the influence they wield on the world
scene, but because of the witness and service rendered by many churches and
their charismatic leaders9.
Turning
Point for the Asian Churches
By the middle of this century under Pope Pius XII and
his Sacred Congregation of Propaganda Fide, the churches in Asia reached a
turning point in history when the English, French, Spanish and Dutch were
dismantling their colonial regimes in Asia and were granting autonomy status to
their subjects. The churches which were born under colonial regimes and enjoyed
privileged status under such regimes were called to go through the transition
of political power from the Europeans to the Asians. The post-colonial resurgence
of nationalism along with the revival of Asian religions and cultures were
making their initial moves. The churches felt the need for change along those
same lines. But how? It was at this juncture that Pope John XXIII appeared as
the man sent by God to call a renewal - an aggiornamento of the Church -
through the Second Vatican Council.
The
Second Vatican Council as the “The First Council of Jerusalem” for Asia
For the world
Church the Second Vatican Council was the end of the counter-reformation period
and the beginning of a new era. For the churches in Asia, it meant even more
than that. It was a radical transition from an old vision of itself as well as
of the Asian realities which the church is called to serve. This transition can
only be compared to the break through made in the First Council of Jerusalem
with regard to its transition from a Judaic Church to a gentile Church. Karl
Rahner compared the launching made by the Second Vatican Council of the Church
of the world to that of the First Council of Jerusalem and referred to the
latter as the fundamental interpretation of Vatican II10. And this is true much
more in the Asian situation than anywhere else in the world.
This does not mean that the Asian churches articulated
their problems of the means of their first evangelization and campaigned for a
new vision. Not at all. The Spirit worked in other ways to clear the way for
Jesus Christ and his Church in Asia.
Unreadiness
of the Asians
After the Second World War, there were a number of
movements within the European churches for the renewal of liturgy, study of the
Bible, apostolate of the laity and the unity of the churches. These were
practically forerunners to the Council and in a way succeeded in funnelling
most of their aspirations into the Council resolutions11. On the Asian soil
there were none. The planting of the churches and maintaining them proceeded
smoothly, especially with the help of the colonial powers.
Many of the European bishops to the Council 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. Because of inadequate preparations in their
churches and with Latin as the official language of the Council, only a few of
the enthusiastic bishops gave oral submissions on the floor. A few others
submitted their contributions in writing. But the majority had to be satisfied
in being enthusiastic hearers, if not spectators of the historic events.
In its preparatory stage and, to a great extent, in
the sessions, the Council was dominated by European churches. Most of the Asian
participants were either European missionaries or young Asian bishops.12
Problems and difficulties of the churches in Asia did not figure in the Latin
schemas already prepared in Rome and circulated before the sessions. Themes
like non-Christian religions and cultures, figured only later during the
Council while some European issues were dealt with.13
Urge for
Asian Identity and Mission
As individual bishops they had been invited to Rome
once in five years for their ad Limina visit to render their reports to Rome
and to take instructions home. But being called to participate in a
decision-making world-event such as this Council, they all felt exhilarated
about their belonging to a world Church. Though they rejoiced over this global
identity, yet they were not clear about their identity and mission in their
home country.
There was the happy coincidence of parallel
developments in the political and the religious world of Asia. The euphoria of
socio-political changes around them, combined with the opening and
encouragement given by the Second Vatican Council, urged the churches too to
seek their new identity in the changing conditions as well as to discover their
new mission to Asian realities.
Post-Conciliar
Spirit, Euphoria and Mission
The personal experience and the outcome of the Council
in the form of its sixteen documents gave the Bishops of Asia a new spirit and
courage, not to stop with initial euphoria but to proceed along new paths of
mission. This outbreak of freshness, enthusiasm and commitment were helped
largely by the sharp increase in the number of indigenous priests, religious
and bishops14 during the fifties and sixties. We will identify some of the
landmarks of the last three decades after the Council.
Spirit of
Openness to the Whole Person and to the Person’s Whole World
In the first two decades after the Council, when the
documents of the Council were scrupulously translated and interpreted in the
various national contexts through seminars and studies, the spirit of change
was increasingly visible. There were efforts made in studying, planning and
making the churches to be really present in their world of religio-cultural and
socio-political realities. The courage to move forward with a spirit of
openness - to the whole person, to the person’s whole modern world, and the
enthusiasm to dialogue with all these realities was visible in many ways.
Besides the already existing institutions for education and charitable works,
by which the churches were mostly known in Asia, new centers of theological and
pastoral animation were established in the field of Bible Study, Liturgy,
Spirituality, Catechesis etc. New centres for ecumenism and dialogue with other
religions as well as centres for the promotion of socio-political and cultural
activities sprang up both at diocesan and national levels.
The opening of the doors and windows of the Church
after centuries of a rigid and ghetto Christianity was naturally felt also in
some quarters as a whirlwind of the Spirit, liberalising some traditional
structures and questioning some age-old practices of religious obedience and
clerical celibacy. But unlike in the west, fewer priests and religious in Asia
abandoned their ministry15 during this whirlwind-experience.
Initial
Euphoria with the Vernacular Liturgy
For Asian churches which grew up mostly as
liturgy-centered institutions, the best of the gifts the Council Fathers
brought with them appeared to be the use of the vernacular in the liturgy.
Though the churches ran well known educational and charitable institutions, it
was the liturgy in their churches that stood out as the distinguishing mark of
Catholicism. Hence, hearing the Word of God and singing praises in their mother
tongue, composing hymns and introducing new gestures, were all a great
achievement. A good part of the resources by way of personnel and funds were
devoted to translating, composing and rendering of liturgical music with due
cultural expressions of community celebrations.
Seminaries and centers for pastoral and liturgical
renewal ventured with enthusiasm to incorporate religio-cultural elements of
the land and people into the catholic liturgy. The paternal concern of the
Magisterium for the initiatives of the young churches allowed only a limited
time of three years for guided experiments in approved institutions like
seminaries and liturgical centres. But this tended in practice to be a period
of toleration rather than an encouragement to venture out with the Spirit to
express creative ideas and feelings in liturgy. Concern for preserving the Roman liturgy from syncretism
and fears of making it unclean by the rituals of pagan religions and cultures, hardened
the Roman attitude towards the liturgical renewal undertaken by many of the
local churches of Asia. What was initiated with much euphoria and enthusiasm
came soon to a grinding halt. At present the liturgy of the Catholic churches
in Asia has a largely translated but not a sufficiently inculturated form.
The literal translations of Roman Latin texts into the
vernacular naturally bring dissatisfaction and impel the talented of the local
churches to venture into more meaningful and relevant composition of texts for
liturgy and its music. The insistence of Rome, with inadequate resources on its
power of validating translations from all over the world, was not helpful.
Liturgical translations and suggestions prepared by indigenous experts and
recommended by episcopal conferences were often incompetently handled by
limited resources and personnel in Rome. The vernacularization of the liturgy
is clearly a small step forward in giving an Asian face to the churches
hitherto seen as European churches. Even without having a true Asian identity,
the churches already saw that their new mission went far beyond this initial
euphoria with the liturgy.
Mystery
of the New Mission
In the worldview promoted by the Second Vatican
Council and in keeping with the new self-understanding of the Church as the
light of the nations, the old concept of missionary activity naturally had to
undergo a radical change. To this end, the Council defined the whole Church to
be missionary and not just the churches of the mission territories.16 Secondly,
this activity was defined as salvific service to the whole person and to the
person’s whole world. This salvific service had deeper consequences for the
younger churches of Asia - to become new missionaries of the Light to their
lately discovered Asian brothers and sisters and to their world of realities.
The concept of mission widened from a narrow-minded conquest-activity into a
deeper and broader involvement for the salvation of the person and the person’s
world.
Missionary activity no longer meant a proclamation or
teaching of a catechism for the conquest of souls (parallel to the colonial
conquests) or for the conversion of people of other faiths into the Catholic
fold or for taking the people away from their native culture and heritage. It
was no longer an attempt to introduce a way of life that was largely European
but alien to the local socio-political and economic realities.17 Instead, the
new missionary activities encouraged by the Council are not done for the
exclusive purpose of conversion nor for planting or extending the Church but
for giving to people (proclaiming) the Good News of salvation in Jesus Christ.
Thus new missionary activity, though ecclesiastically organized in some way, is
no more church-centered but gospel-centered. It is a proclamation and an
invitation to live the Gospel as a community that becomes the church.18 Through
the new missionary activities, conversion can take place, and churches can
grow, but the main focus of evangelization is neither conversion nor planting
of churches, but enabling an encounter of the Asian person with the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
A clearly defined but narrow mission of conquering
souls by “teaching, converting and baptizing” to extend the European Church in
foreign territories widened into a broader but challenging mission of
proclaiming the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ to all the realities of
Asia. The Gospel and the Lord’s command to preach it remain the same and retain
its permanent validity for all times. How is, then, the new Church, to go ahead
with its new mission to the realities of
Asian peoples, religions, cultures and other secular realities? By no means is
that an easy task to comprehend and still less to realise. Here lies the
mystery of the Lord’s mission-command19 and its fulfilment.
In this perspective the new missionaries are not those
who go out with theirknowledge of the Gospel, with their skills and blue-prints
for preaching, teaching and building the church, but rather those with
courageous prophecy of the Good News of Jesus Christ. They venture into the
unknown urged by the Lord’s command, and with faith that Jesus accompanies
them. They go where the Spirit prompts and guides them to go. They carry not
the mere light of their learning, nor the tactics of a bible-promoter, but the
light and love of Christ’s message as well as His humble life-style to meet
persons of other faith. They join seekers of other faiths in their journey
seeking answers to the problems and challenges of modern people.
Proclamation
and/through the Three Dialogues
The Asian bishops slowly converged towards an
understanding of mission by way of three dialogues - namely, with religions
(interreligious dialogue), with culture (inculturation) and with the poor
(socio-political and economic involvement). With regard to dialogue with culture
and dialogue with the socio-politcal realities, though hard work is demanded,
the path of dialogue and mission was somewhat clear.
But the dialogue with and mission to the religions
were fraught with questions and difficulties. To what extent is interreligious
dialogue compatible with proclamation? Is proclamation weakened or replaced by
dialogue? To what extent is dialogue proclamatory? The consensus seems to grow
that the old direct-proclamation directed at conversion from other religions is
no longer compatible with interreligious dialogue. Besides, conversion to
Christianity has become more and more provocative and offensive to other
religions and vehemently opposed by them.
Hence, Asians tend to understand their proclamation of
Jesus Christ and his Good News of salvation in terms of enabling an encounter
of the salt and light of Christ with the Asian realities in the form of various
dialogues - with culture, with religions, with the poor and suffering. But
mission in Asia through this type of salt-light-proclamation and not by direct
proclamation, has evoked dissatisfaction in Rome and continues to cast
suspicions about the missionary seriousness of the Asian churches. The center
complains that direct proclamation is neglected, if not given up, in favor of
interreligious dialogue. Hence, the dispute between the leaders of the Asian
churches and the Roman authorities will, in the future, be more and more about
Asia’s mission to proclaim Jesus Christ and the Good News of salvation and the
compatibility of this mission with the mission of sincere dialogue.20
Inculturation—Encounter
between Gospel and Culture?
The Council clearly gave a courageous vision and
mission to the young churches of Asia to engage in “a wonderful exchange” with
the peoples, their religions and cultures. In order to achieve this goal, it
also encouraged theological investigations to be undertaken in each
socio-cultural region, including even a fresh scrutiny of the deeds and words
of the scriptures as unfolded by the teaching authority of the Church.21
With the usual euphoria of returning to their “own
native context and richness,” the Asian churches undertook efforts at divesting
the churches of their colonial or western garb and trying to become an
indigenous one, at least in some areas of ecclesial and ecclesiastical life.
With the European missionaries winding up their pioneer efforts and
increasingly handing over the responsibilities to indigenous clergy and their
bishops, this phase was easy, well taken up by the people and financially
supported by the West.22
(1)
Inculturation: Corrective Accommodation and Adaptation?
Inculturation, though based on the new ecclesial
vision of the incarnation and the contextual demands of the churches for an
Asian identity and mission, it was not to be a daring mission into all Asian
realities to be led by the Asian bishops and guided by the Spirit moving in
Asia. It was greeted with enthusiasm and hope but soon slowed down to
adaptation and accommodation with much caution.23
As time went on, it became clear to the Asian churches
that the inculturation they conducted by way of certain accommodation or
adaptation was not sufficient to realize the true vision of the Second Vatican
Council as based on the incarnation. Often the question arises whether
inculturation is only tolerated by the Magisterium as a necessary corrective of
appearances and attitudes left by the first evangelization, or it is promoted
as a genuine encounter between the Gospel and the cultures.
However, Asian theologians continue to interpret the
“wonderful exchange” between Gospel and culture - based on the incarnation and
promoted by the Council, as not only the enriching of the Gospel and the
Christian faith through the cultural medium (inculturation of the Gospel and
doctrine), but also the enriching of the cultures through the values of
the Gospel (evangelization of cultures).
The growth of the local churches are so conditioned by the cultures and the
cultures themselves have to be evangelized by the life and witness of the local
churches. It is true to say that the local churches are realised only by a
continuous process of inculturation and evangelization.24
(2)
Inculturation: Way to Asian Identity
With the process of inculturation is also bound up the
effort of the Asian churches seeking their true identity in Asia. Christianity,
though originally non-western, yet, as was then embraced in Asia, was European.
Asian Christians had a Christian identity that was often suspected as
diminishing, if not disloyal, to their national identity. Hence, Asians have
the need to harmonize two identities into a single identity to live and act as
Asian Christians. While Hindus, Buddhists, Confucians or Shintoists find
themselves in their Ônatural habitat’ for their religious practices, it is
Christians in Asia who are called to show their patriotism and nationality.
This suspicion over their true loyalty to the nation and a consequent minority
complex urge them to go further than mere adaptation limited to liturgical
decorations and some dewesternization. They want to follow the prompting of the
Spirit as discerned by their Asian leaders for a genuine encounter with the
cultures of the land. If culture is the God-given natural cradle of their birth
and Christian faith too is a gift of God, why should we hinder the encounter
urged by the Spirit?
The long road for Christians in Asia to become Asian
Christians and live as Asian churches and concurrently evangelize Asia, depends
much on the co-operation extended to the Spirit at work in Asia. Some leaders
responsible for the institutional Church may frown on inculturation as fraught
with syncretism and as a threat to the institution. But do the churches have a
future mission in Asia without listening to the Spirit active in Asia? Without
genuine encounter with the cultures? Without finding their identity in Asia?
Inter-Religious
Dialogue
Besides the encouragement given by the Second Vatican
Council to improve relations with the non-Christian religions, to recognize all
that is true and holy in them and to forge ahead to dialogue and collaboration
with them,25 the multi-religious situation of Asia demands dialogue as
indispensable for the future of the Asian churches.26 Further, the struggle of
the Asian people towards liberation and wholeness needs a common and
complimentary (moral and religious) foundation as well as an active
interreligious collaboration. Asians feel that the churches can do all these
within the universal salvific plan of God the Father revealed through His Son
Jesus Christ and realized by the universal presence and action of the Spirit.
Hence, notwithstanding some accusations and suspicions about the Christians who
have found a new way to effect conversions through friendly and subtle
conversations, the churches have opened themselves up for better relation
through interreligious dialogue and interreligious collaboration.
Dialogue understood and undertaken as communication
and sharing of divine life, as journeying together in a common search of the
work of the Spirit, removes prejudices and helps mutual understanding and
enrichment. Involving both individuals and communities, dialogue proceeds from
exterior aspects of living and working to more interior aspects of spiritual
life.27
Interreligious dialogue, we repeat, is not against the
proclamatory mission of the church. In fact, dialogue and proclamation are
integral but dialectical and complimentary dimensions of the church’s mission
of new evangelization. Hence, interreligious dialogue is an integral element of
the process of building up authentic local churches in Asia.28
Dialogue
with Socio-political and Economic Realities
Along with the resurgence of post-colonial nationalism
and development of new nations in Asia there has been a growing awareness of
socio-political and economic problems in Asia.29 The problems and their tragic
consequences naturally pose challenges to the churches for immediate relief as
well as for long term remedies or solutions. They call the churches and their
organizations to be genuine and compassionate helpers. The humanitarian
response of the churches which were financially supported by the churches of
the west were gratefully recognized by the non-Christian governments and the people
and have won acclamation and even privileges for the churches. But this
ecclesial response of helping “to bury the dead, heal the wounded and console
the victims” amounts to treating only the symptom and not the remedy or
solution of the problems. And such an approach is nothing more than that of
Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) like the International Red Cross (ICRC)
or Medicine sans Frontier (MSF).
With the encouragement given by the Second Vatican
Council to the churches to be in the world and for the world, to function in
the heart of secularity through the witness and services of adult laity, the
churches are called to play a role far beyond those humanitarian services. They
are not only to participate in the joys and sorrows of the world, not only to
be in solidarity and in service to the needy but also to become courageous
witnesses to truth, advocates of the poor, defenders of justice and so on. In
spite of (or because of) their minority-status in the country, they are
increasingly demanded to be the leaven for change and to be the light to dispel
the darkness of sin (corruption, injustice, oppression). Their leaders are
called to be the voice of the voiceless and advocates of the oppressed.
Here many challenging questions await for an answer.
Will the churches and their leaders pay the price for their prophetic stance?
Will they give up their safety and security to go with the poor and stand up
for them? Will they become living martyrs for the truth they are called to
witness? The martyrs of the early churches were tested for their faith and that
martyrdom became the seeds of the later churches. The Asian martyrdom
guaranteeing a future for the Asian churches will be one of witness to truth,
justice and human dignity in the context of socio-political and economic
upheavals.30
Hopeful
Structures and Reflections for the New Millennium
The post-conciliar decades also saw the functioning of
new structures and therefrom a growing consensus in pastoral and theological
reflections. These will continue to serve the Asian churches in their
challenging and complex mission into the new millennium.
New
Chances for the Asian Churches
The Synods, unlike the Council, gave chances to the
bishops from the younger churches of Africa and Asia to participate more actively
and make more specific contributions. The very first 1971 Synod on Ministerial
and Justice in the World did not evoke much interest and enthusiasm, but the
1974 Synod on Evangelization in the Modern World was a more relevant one for
the Asian churches. The theme chosen and the preparation made for the Synod,
all done in living languages, encouraged the bishops to a more active
participation31 of this synod.
Though the extraordinary Synod for Asia in Rome 1998
had the usual limitations: central-steering, dogmatic preoccupation and western
priorities, bishops of Asia frankly voiced their concerns and priorities for
Asia.32 The final proposals are now in the hands of Pope John Paul. They will
influence his message to Asia on the eve of the new millennium.
FABC and
its Offices
The formation of the Federation of Asian Bishops’
Conferences- (FABC) officially in 1971 and consequently their various
Institutes and Offices33 for various apostolates brought in new structures for
Asian renewal and commitment. The efforts of diocesan and national commissions
with regard to social, missionary, religious and lay efforts were animated and
coordinated through these FABC structures. Unlike in the earlier days when
instructions came down from Roman offices and mother houses in Europe for
implementation, more initiatives, reflections and study-exchanges were done on
a regional or national basis. These built up regional consensus as well as
initiatives to make demands from the center. Hence, the themes of the synods
were also studied before and after the event through these structures and a
minimum of consensus arrived at before participation in the events. All these
activities at different levels of the churches were eloquent signs of the
movements of the Spirit in Asia, and the cumulative effect of these was a
gradual growth in awareness of Asian realities as well as in self-confidence
and self-identity.34
Rethinking
Western Aid to Asian Churches
This dependence has facilitated undue surveillance and
control done by the donors that the freedom and space for new initiatives
demanded by the Asian context is narrowed down.
Most of the western aid presently given to churches in
Asia is for pioneer missionary activity and for building and maintaining
institutions for pastoral training. While the former is limited by the secular
and anti-conversion feelings growing among the non-Christians of Asia, the
latter is becoming increasingly difficult for an Asian economy. Further, this
dependence has facilitated the strict surveillance and control done by the
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples over these churches. As a
result, freedom and space for new initiatives demanded by the Asian context are
narrowed down.
Hence, Church leaders are more and more convinced that
the institutions they build and maintain with foreign-aid are not only too
expensive for them but also foreign to the people of the land.
In the perspective of the above considerations, the
aid flowing from the western churches into Asia needs rethinking. If the Asian
churches continue to maintain a church model that is too expensive for Asia,
then they will continue to be dependent in many ways on the western churches
but alien to the Asian context. They will be thankful to the European churches
for the aid given and the European churches will continue to aid only those
structures known to them as missionary activity, but not to the genuine efforts
of the churches to become Asian.
Hence, the churches in Asia should not be considered
by western donors as branches of a western institution functioning in Asia but
as brothers and sisters who are poor but who should be helped to grow to
maturity and independence.35
Growing
Dissatisfaction about Past Theological Methods and Priorities
In keeping with the spirit of the churches
transplanted from Europe, a scholastic philosophy and theology - in the form of
Latin text-books written by professors of the Roman universities - were taught
to most of the Asian clergy. A strong counter-reformation approach given in
these books,36 kept the Asian students under Roman control! Consequently
academic dissatisfaction as well as feelings of pastoral irrelevance were already growing among the indigenous bishops
and leaders of the churches.
It is at this point that the Council awakened interest
and gave hope of a better future not only for the people as a whole but also to
those leaders who, suffocated in tight institutions, want to breathe more of
the Spirit present and active in Asia. With the Council Documents as the new
scriptures, courageous men and women of the Spirit walked out of traditional
structures, organized seminars and reflections, founded centers for regular
action and reflection and formulated the prompting of the Spirit as they
experienced on various issues of the Church. Bishops who were taught by the
Council not to curtail the Spirit, had a hard time in discerning the Spirit and
controlling spirit-filled persons! But such were the beginnings of biblical,
liturgical, ecumenical, dialogue and socio-political centers as well as
ashrams, study-circles, research institutes and so on in Asia. Though these
efforts may suffer temporary setbacks due to Roman scrutiny and financial
pressures, if they are truly of the Spirit working in Asia, who can curtail
them?
Asians
Taking to the New Ways of the Spirit
Asians do have a right and a duty to question and
challenge the validity, relevance and suitability of a theology formulated in
Europe and imposed on Asia as the one and only theology. If we believe that the
Spirit is present in Asia too and moves Asian churches to new missions of faith
vis a vis Asian realities and these give rise to new theological reflections
and formulation -- who is, then, to curtail this move?
And what is coming out from Asia in humble forms,
without the tussles of a scholastic theology, may be the beginnings of Asian
theologies. This incipient theological thinking, if it happens to disturb or
question the methods and contents of earlier theologies monopolized by European
churches, does not suggest that its proponents are old rebels and heretics in
new uniforms. It does not mean that such things emanate from an evil spirit
from the East contrary to the good one from the West. It need not evoke alarm
signals at the center nor be silenced for the sake of uniformity and
centrality. What is needed is a sincere dialogue in a spirit of openness with
the new thinking prompted by the Spirit in Asia. Condemnations and
excommunications from the center without the least dialogue cause unnecessary
pain.37 New missions vis a vis new realities evoke new reflections. As long as
they are done in faith and with the guidance of the Spirit, they have a value
of their own, call them what you want.
What has emerged on the Asian scene is the sincere and
enthusiastic effort in theological reflection starting from contextual
realities and using Asian resources in preference to western resources. The
praxis-oriented search is to find an Asian vision, understanding, formulation,
motivation and spirituality for further practice of faith in the Asian context.
Guardians and architects of western theology should not be over-critical and
cynical but welcome most of these efforts as corrective, complimentary and
impulsive for further search.38
Reflections
from Pastoral Praxis
Pastoral reflections arising from a growing concern
for Asian challenges and issues and from a praxis of faith in these Asian
context have brought up more theological reflection and formulation. They take
up issues vitally related to Christian life in Asia.39 A deductive approach of
reasoning downward from enunciated principles or teaching of the church to
reach liturgical, moral and pastoral conclusions are given up in preference for
an inductive approach of moving from a faith-oriented praxis to a praxis-based
reflection and formulation. Contrary to propping up reflections on enunciated
principles or statements with Scriptural quotations, Asians prefer identifying
the challenging realities around them and then bringing relevant scriptural
reflections to bear on them. By further enriching that biblical reflection of
the issue in the light of other revelations and manifestations of God, Asians
are trying to reap the harvest of God’s revelation in its fullness for that
particular issue or challenge. Thus theological reflection by Asians takes a
serious look at the revelations of the Spirit in the “non-Christian resources”
too.
Conclusion:
A Courageous Faith to Walk Over the Rough Waters of Asia
The churches in Asia are moving into the new
millennium, not with any confrontational or conquest mentality to win over
converts and save only those baptized from the millions of followers of other
faiths. They believe in the universal salvific will and plan of God as well as
in the unique mission of Christ in Asia. The lessons of the first phase of
evangelization, as learned and reflected in the Second Vatican Council, had
opened to them a new vision and understanding of Asian realities, given them
new directions and priorities and taught them new ways of spreading the light
of Jesus Christ into the multi-religious and poverty-stricken continent of
Asia. With the help of the Spirit active in Asia, they are discovering their
own identity as Asian churches among other religions and are taking
responsibility for identifying the chances and challenges of Asia and to be a
new evangelizing presence in Asia. Their presence can be evangelizing only to
the extent that the light of Christ is carried deep into the world of
religions, cultures and poverty of Asia.
Though the Lord of Asia beckons and the Spirit in Asia
urges the churches to move on, some questions continue to lurk in the minds of
leaders and hinder them from responding to the call. May the Lord who calls and
the Spirit which urges grant to the Asian churches a courageous faith to walk
over the rough waters of Asia.
NOTES
1.Pope John Paul II had given an Apostolic Exhortation
Tertio Millennio Adveniente on 10 Nov. 1994 for a three years preparation to
the event and recent Declaration of the Great Jubilee Year 2000 Incarnationis
Mysterium on 29 Nov.1998.
2.Here we speak not of the churches in Middle East,
which took part in the Asian Synod in Rome. Nor are we speaking of the St.
Thomas Christians of Kerala (South India) who claim their existence from the
5th Century.
3.After Vat. II, it was renamed as the Congregation
for the Evangelization of Peoples.
4.Depending on the country and the colonial power that
helped in the missionary activity of the churches, Asian churches were
experiencing their own version of cuijus regio eijus religio. Some became
Catholics, others Dutch Reformed Catholics, others Anglicans, Methodists and so
on according to the confessions of the colonizing powers.
5.The biblical image of the Church as the pusillus
grex, salt of the earth, leaven in the dough is often forgotten.
6.The biblical title chosen by the Second Vatican
Council for its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium speaks
volumes for the new self-understanding of the Church in the modern world. Light
understood as a centrifugal radiation of waves of energy help us to understand
the enlightening mission of the Church in a world of much darkness.
7.The situation of churches in lands where they are a
majority is not that encouraging when it comes to evangelization and prophetic
mission in their context.
8.Extra ecclesia est nulla salus and Salus animarum
est lex suprema.
9.Mother Theresa of Calcutta has won more accolades
for the Indian Church than most of its church leaders.
10.Karl Rahner, “Towards A Fundamental Interpretation
of Vat. II,” Theological Studies, 1979, pp. 716.
11.The influence of theologians from Holland, Germany,
France, Switzerland into the hitherto dominant Italian-Latin theology was
described by an American writer as the Rhine flowing into the Tiber.
12.The number of indigenous bishops from the mission
lands increased rapidly during and after the Council. Unlike for Apostle Paul
in his missions, even after centuries of Christianity in mission territories,
indigenous clergy were considered not up to the required standards to become bishops!
13.For example, inspired by Cardinal Augustino Bea and
other German Bishops, the Council attempted to rectify and renew relationship
between the Church and the Jews. But the Council Fathers went on to discuss the
relation of the Church with other religions too. This gave birth to the
document Nostra Aetatae on the Relation of the Church not only to the Jews but
also to believers of other Non-Christian Religions.
14.More and more missionary bishops of European origin
while recommending the documents of the Council felt the need to hand over the
leadership to indigenous bishops for better implementation. On the other hand,
with the growth of seminaries and secular clergy more indigenous bishops were
appointed.
15.This may be due to two reasons: i) the fact that
the new ways opened by the Second Vatican Council for the churches in Asia were
more attractive and promising than the questions about chastity and obedience.
ii) the values of obedience and chastity are already well recognized values in Asian
religions and cultures.
16.In this perspective, the older churches of Europe
which were supporting missionary activities in other parts of the world were
called to their mission in their context of atheism, secularism and other forms
of socio-economic evils.
17.Admirable services done by the missionaries in
education and charitable works were probably seen, if not intended, as
pre-evangelical or pro-evangelical leading many beneficiaries to conversion and
protecting the converted in their faith.
18.Just as the love of neighbor cannot be divorced
from the love of God, community living of the Gospel cannot be divorced from
the following of Christ. Following of Christ implies community living and
becoming-church.
19.The missionary hears the Lord’s command “Go and
teach/preach” as were from behind and moves forward to meet the new challenges
ahead.
20.Three important Roman documents treat this
post-conciliar problem. After the 1974 Synod on evangelization, Pope Paul VI
gave the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi which has gained wider
acceptance as the Magna Carta of evangelization in the modern world. With
growing concern about the disinterest for direct proclamation, the Congregation
for the Evangelization of Peoples urged Pope John Paul II to write an
encyclical letter Redemptoris Homini to warn about the Christological errors
involved in dialogue and insisted more on direct proclamation. The Secretariat
for Interreligious Dialogue simultaneous to the encyclical brought out its
statement on Dialogue and Proclamation clarifying a certain type of own
dialogue that is not incompatible with proclamation. But all these have not
solved the mystery of the new missionary activity.
21.A.G 22. Thus in imitation of the plan of the
Incarnation, the young churches rooted in Christ and built on the foundation of
the apostles take to themselves in a wonderful exchange all the riches of the
nations which were given to Christ as an inheritance (cf.Ps.2.8). From the
customs and traditions of their peoples, from their wisdom and their learning,
from their arts and sciences, these churches borrow all those things..... If
this goal is to be achieved, theological investigations must necessarily be
stirred up in each major socio-cultural area ... a fresh scrutiny will be brought
to bear on the deeds and words which God has made known ....and which have been
unfolded by the teaching authority of the Church.
22.For the formation of the indigenous clergy,
religious financial assistance for building suitable institutions and their further
maintenance was given by the older churches. But this had a long term effect of
the West controlling and steering a formation that was in many ways contrary to
inculturation.
23.A.G.22. Thanks to such a procedure, every
appearance of syncretism and of false particularism can be excluded....and the
churches be taken into Catholic unity....without prejudice to the primacy of
Peter’s See.
24.Theses 5, 6, 10 of the TAC-FABC Theses on the Local
Church in Being Church in Asia, Vol. 1, Claretian Publication 1994.
25.N.A. 1-2
26.The urgency of interreligious dialogue prompted the
Theological Advisory Committee of the FABC to study this theme as their first
task in 1987.
27.Theses 1-5 of the TAC-FABC Theses on Interreligious
Dialogue in Being Church in Asia, Vol. 1.
28.Thesis 7.
29.Asia consists of three regions - Far-eastern
(Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong),
Eastern (Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam etc.) and South-east
(India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka). Socio-political and Economic situations
vary a lot from massive poverty in Bangladesh and India and Philippines to
economic prosperity in Japan, Korea and Singapore.
30.Pope John Paul II in his Declaration of the Jubilee
Year 2000 states “our present century has had as consequence of national
socialism (Hitler’s), Communism and racial conflicts many martyrs....the
churches all over the world will be anchored to the witness of martyrs...”
Incarnationis Mysterium, no. 13.
31.The valuable contributions from the three
continents have appeared in three volumes and the Apostolic Exhortation
Evangelii Nuntiandi of Pope Paul VI -called the Magna Carta for a New
Evangelization - was an outcome of this synod.
32.”Asian Bishops were not to be steered by the
priorities and plans prepared by the Roman Secretariat through the Lineamenta
and Instrumentum Laboris. The stimulus given by the FABC and it’s various
institutes during the last 27 years have prepared them to articulate eloquently
Asian contextual realities and their vision of the Church to meet those
realities. Hence, efforts by curia cardinals to draw them into discussions
about old theological questions about the divinity of Jesus Christ and how to
deal with theologians who go soft on it and so on. did not bother them in their
circuli minores. They preferred to talk about inter-religious dialogue,
dialogue with the socio-political realities of Asia, inculturation etc. rather than to be on the hunt for theologians
who breach the dogmatic definitions of scholastic theologians.”
33.BISA = Bishops’ Institute for Social Apostolate;
similarly, BIMA = for Missionary apostolate; BILA = for Lay Apostolate; OEIRA =
Office for Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs etc.
34.But the procedure of selecting bishops who will
show more obedience to the directives of Rome than to the cries of the people
hinders the growth to this self-identity. Immaturity is still seen in some
bishops who expect more directives about their particularities given by Rome
and spurn the urges of the Spirit in Asia.
35.Fr. P. Divarkar, S.J.: What is clear from history
is that as long as the present Catholic Church, with its intricate structure
and centralized control, claims Asia as an occupied territory, the Savior’s
mission will not progress on the very continent where Jesus was born and died
“that they may have life and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10).
36.Many of the professors in the Asian seminaries were
trained in European seminaries or universities. Even now the Asian seminaries
affiliated to Roman universities and financially supported by Rome are expected
to follow strict guidelines in the teaching of theology and philosophy.
37.The recent excommunication of Fr. Tissa Balasuriya,
OMI of Sri Lanka without sufficient dialogue with the local hierarchy, within
the Oblate Congregation and with the Roman Office, caused much pain and protest
among theologians not only in Asia but also world over. The belated dialogue
facilitated by his religious congregation to rehabilitate him in the church
could have spared all.
38.Missiology, earlier understood as the learning of
missionary methods and praxis was taught as a marginal subject outside of
dogmatic theology. But the new questions for dogmatic theology arise truly out
of the missionary-dialogues taking place mostly outside Europe.
39.During the first ten years of their existence, the
Theological Advisory Committee of the FABC had not picked up dogmatic issues to
split hairs with western theologians. They have reflected on the following:
Interreligious Dialogue, Local churches and Inculturation, Church and Politics
in Asia, Towards a Theology of Harmony in Asia, The Spirit at Work in Asia
Today. Nor have the Asian bishops at the Synod for Asia attempted to be drawn
into dogmatic debates about older questions. Instead, they underlined dialogue,
inculturation, poverty as their own challenges and priorities for mission.
