CONCERN 2
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?
- Understanding Jesus
Christ and his discipleship and the Church?
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