The Church in Asia: An

Overview

Presented by: Ajith and Joby Joseph

Date: 19/03/13
 The church of Christ is universal. It is meant for people of
all nations and of all cultures. For the past nineteen hundred
years, Christianity has been the religion of Europe and has
been shaped and conditioned by the religious genius of the
West.
 St. Paul tells us that the whole world was created through
Christ and for him (Col 1: 16). Since the Spirit of God was
at work in all nations preparing men’s minds for Christ, it is
not surprising that people in various countries were led to
Christ by what is best in their cultures. Saintly Christians in
Greece found that Greek philosophy was for them a guide
to Christ. Lou Tseng Tsiang in China found that the
teaching of Confucius had prepared him for Christ.
 As a sacrament of the Kingdom of God, the Church
continues the mission of Jesus Christ, promoting unity
and solidarity among all peoples through the service of
life. In the midst of the great religious
traditions, diverse cultures, and multitudes of
impoverished peoples in Asia, proclamation of Jesus
Christ calls for Christ-like deeds and dialogue. The
proclamation of Jesus Christ calls humanity to the
values of the Kingdom of God, establishing harmony
and communion among all creation with the Creator.
 Largest continent and home to nearly two-third of the world
population
 Most striking feature is the variety of its peoples who are ―heirs
of ancient cultures, religions and traditions.‖
 Cradle of world’s major religions – Judaism, Christianity, Islam
and Hinduism.
 Birthplace of many other spiritual traditions such as
Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Sikh
ism and Shintoism and millions of traditional or tribal religions.
 People of Asia take pride in their religious and cultural values
such as love of silence and
contemplation, simplicity, harmony, detachment, non-
violence, the spirit of hard work, discipline, frugal living, the
thirst for learning and philosophical enquiry.
 Situations on the Asian continent are very diverse.
 Some countries are highly developed, others are developing
through effective economic policies, and others still find
themselves in abject poverty, indeed among the poorest
nations on earth.
 In the process of development, materialism, and secularism
are gaining ground especially in urban areas- damages
traditional, social and religious values of Asia.
 Several Asian countries are affected by population.
 Realities of poverty and exploitation of people are matters
of urgent concern.
 Female illiteracy is much higher than that of males.
 Political panorama is highly complex, displaying and array
of ideologies ranging from democratic forms of government
to theocratic ones.
 Military dictatorships and atheistic ideologies are very
much present.
 Some countries recognize an official religion that allows
little or no religious freedom to minorities and the followers
of other religions.
 In some places Christians are not allowed to practise their
faith freely and proclaim Jesus Christ to others.
 Widespread corruption existing at various levels of both
government and society.
 History of the Church in Asia is as old as the Church
herself.
 It was in Asia that Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon his
disciples and sent them to the ends of the earth to proclaim
the good news.
 As father has sent me, even so I send you
 From Jerusalem, the Church spread to Antioch, to Rome
beyond.
 Reached Ethiopia in the south, Scythia in the north and
India in the east, where the tradition has it that Saint
Thomas the Apostle went in the year 52AD and founded the
churches in South India(the first Catholic in Asia.)
 The missionary spirit of the East Syrian community in
the third and fourth centuries, with its centre at Edessa,
was remarkable.
 The ascetic communities of Syria were a major force of
evangelization in Asia from the 3rd century onwards.
 They provided spiritual energy especially during the
times of persecution
 At the end of the 3rd century Armenia was the first
nation as a whole to embrace Christianity.
 By the end of the5th century, the Christian message had
reached the Arab Kingdoms, but for many reasons,
including the division among Christians, failed to take
root among these peoples.
 Persian merchants took the good news to china in the 5th
century.
 The first Christian Church was built there at the beginning
of the seventh century.
 During the T’ang dynasty (618-907 AD) the Church
flourished for nearly two centuries.
 In the 13th century the good news was announced to the
Mongols and the Turks and to the Chinese once more by
Franciscan missionaries in the Mongol Yuan dynasty. But
Christianity almost vanished in these regions for a number
of reasons, among them is the rise of Islam, geographical
isolation, the absence of an appropriate adaptation to local
cultures, and perhaps above all a lack of preparedness to
encounter the great religions of Asia.
 The end of the 14th century saw the drastic diminution of
the Church in Asia, except for the isolated community in
south India.
 the first European missionaries of the 16th and 17th
centuries had far higher hopes for the Catholic church
in Japan than in India. When they compared the two
peoples and their cultures at that time, they expected
more from Japan. After 400 years, however, India
exhibits many more visible results.
 Korea is distinguished by being the only nation of Asia
where the Catholic Church did not arrive with western
missionaries. Instead, learned Korean laymen first
experienced the faith when visiting China; then they
themselves returned home with the good news for their
fellow citizens. Even the first Catholic priest in Korea
was Chinese.
 The apostolic labours of St. Fracis Xavier, the founding of the
congregation of Propaganda Fide by Pope Gregory XV, and the
directives for missionaries to respect and appreciate local
cultures all contributed to achieving more positive results in the
course of the 16th and 17th centuries.
 Mateo Ricci, a Jesuit Italian missionary in 17th century studied
classical Chinese language and did not explain Catholic faith as
something foreign or new, instead, he said that the Chinese
culture and people always believed in God, and that Christianity
is simply the most perfect manifestation of their faith.
 Again in the 19th century there was a revival of missionary
activity.
 Greater emphasis was placed on building up the local churches.
 Educational and charitable works went hand in hand with the
preaching of the gospel.
 In china, foreign missionaries were expelled from the
country after the communists under Mao Zedong had won
the civil war against the forces of the Guomindang (Chinese
nationalist party) under Jiang Jieshi in 1949. the Catholic
Church in China became isolated after its ties with Rome
and the Pope were interrupted. No Chinese bishops from
the main land was allowed to take part in the preparations
and in the actual sessions of the council. The catholics in
mainland china had to wait until the beginning of the
1990s, before they got opportunity to learn about the many
changes Vatican II had brought. It was only then that they
stopped having the liturgy of the Mass in Latin and began
using Chinese as liturgical language.
 During the Korean civil war (1950-1953) the Catholic
Church in the North was completely destroyed, whereas
the number of Christians, both Protestant and
Catholics, dramatically grew in the south.
 Vietnam became involved in a civil war during which most
Catholics fled the communist-ruled North and settled in the
South, where the Catholic Church under the leadership of
the Catholic president Ngo Dinh Diem (1955-1963)
maintained a strong position.
 This was the situation on the eve of the second Vatican
Council.
 A survey of the Catholic communities in Asia shows a
splendid variety by reason of their origin and historical
development, and the diverse spiritual and liturgical
traditions of the various Rites. Yet all are united in
proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, through
Christian witness, works of charity and human solidarity.
While some particular Churches carry out their mission in
peace and freedom, others find themselves in situations of
violence and conflict, or feel threatened by other groups, for
religious or other reasons. In the vastly diversified cultural
world of Asia, the Church faces multiple
philosophical, theological and pastoral challenges. Her task
is made more difficult by the fact of her being a
minority, with the only exception the Philippines, where
Catholics are in the majority(3rd largest Catholic country
after Brazil and Mexico).
IMAGE OF BEING A ―FOREIGN IMPORT‖
 Asian churches are the result of missionary activity originating from
Europe or the United states. The missionary enterprise was at its
height during the colonial and imperialistic expansion of western
powers in several Asian countries during the 19th century.
 Some of these missionaries were rather close or even in connivance
with the colonial powers (admitted by Pope John Paul II).
 Until today the Catholic churches in some Asian countries—e.g., in
the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), in Vietnam, and in India—are
burdened with this colonial mortgage.
 This became obvious, when the pope canonized some of the martyrs
who had lost their lives in Vietnam and in China during anti-
colonial uprisings in the 18th-19th centuries.
 There are another ―foreignness‖ to be observed in some
Asian countries where the majority of Catholics do not
belong to the indigenous population of the country, but
recruits themselves from immigrants from neibouring
countries.
 For eg: in Thailand, the majority of Catholics are of
Chinese or Vietnamese origin. In Malaysia, the strongest
ethnic group among the Catholics is of Chinese descent.
The Church in Cambodia consists mostly of Vietnamese
immigrants who live in the country as old or new
immigrants. In recent years, the Catholic Church in Japan
experienced a vast influx of foreign Catholics who have
come from Brazil, the Philippines, and other countries as
―overseas workers.‖ at present the number of foreign
Catholics has outnumbered that of the native Japanese
Catholics.
CATHOLIC COMMUNITIES: SMALL MINORITY
 Asian Catholics are relatively few, about 2.4% of the
total population
 In Asia, the Catholic communities are small
minorities, living and operating within multi-cultural
and multi-religious societies. The only exceptions are
the Philippines and East Timor. Asian
Christians, therefore, have a special responsibility to
develop new forms of living together with sisters and
brothers of other religious traditions.
 DIVISIONS WITHIN CHRISTIANITY: A STRONG
OBSTACLE
 In Asia, the divisions within Christianity are strongly
felt to be obstacles for giving a credible witness to the
gospel. The denominationally divided missionary
enterprise of the Christian churches resulted de facto in
an "export of divisions," perpetuating and multiplying
the scandal of the division within Christianity, which
happened in the 16th century, but operative till today.
DEPENDENCE ON THE MOTHER CHURCH
 What is common to all the Asian churches is that they
are still, in various ways, dependent on the mother
churches in Europe. There is the financial dependency
on yearly subsidies to run different institutions and
functions. Even more important is the dependency on
the Roman authorities, who control most church
activities, and insist on uniform ways of operating
according to the centralist rules and regulations set by
the Curia which became a strongest obstacle in the field
of interreligious dialogue and ecumenism in Asia.
DEPENDENCY ON INSTITUTIONS
 Another reality of the Catholic Church in Asia is its
high dependency on institutions such as schools,
hospitals, orphanages, and social stations. In the eyes of
Hindus and Buddhists the emphasis on social activities
in the Christian churches has led to questions as to
whether Christianity is really a religion or rather a
social movement
INCULTURATION
 theologians need to develop an inculturated theology.
 Theological work must always be guided by respect for the
sensibilities of Christians, so that by a gradual growth into
inculturated forms of expressing the faith, people are
neither confused nor scandalized.
 In every case inculturation must be guided by compatibility
with the gospel and communion with the faith of the
Universal Church.
 The test of true inculturation is whether people become
more committed to their Christian faith because they
perceive it more clearly with the eyes of their own culture.
INCULTURATION: AREA OF LITURGY
 the liturgy is the source and summit of all Christian life and
mission.
 it is a decisive means of evangelization, especially in Asia, where
the followers of different religions are so drawn to
worship, religious festivals and popular devotions.
 The liturgy of the oriental churches had for the most part been
successfully inculturated through centuries of interaction with the
surrounding culture, but the Roman rite need to ensure that the
liturgy becomes an ever greater source of nourishment for their
peoples through a wise and effective use of elements drawn from
the local cultures.
 It should include the needs of the poor, migrants, refugees, youth
and women which should overlook in any genuine liturgical
inculturation in Asia.
INCULTURATION: IMPORTANCE OF BIBLICAL WORD
 The second Vatican synod fathers stressed the importance of
the biblical word in passing the message of salvation to the
peoples of Asia, where the transmitted word is so important
in preserving and communicating religious experience.
 Effective biblical apostolate needs to be developed in order
to ensure that the sacred text may be more widely diffused
and more intensively and prayerfully used among the
members of the Church in Asia.
 Efforts to translate the bible into local languages need to be
encouraged and supported.
 Pastorally oriented courses on bible, with due emphasis on
applying its teachings to the complex realities of asian
life, ought to be incorporated into formation programmes
for the clergy, for consecrated persons and for the laity.
 The sacred scriptures should be made known among the
followers of other religions.
 INCULTURATION: THE FORMATION OF
EVANGELIZERS
 In the past, formation often followed the style, methods
and programmes imported from the west.
 A positive development made in recent times to adapt
the formation of evangelizers to the cultural context of
Asia.
 On the basis of this development, Asian Church will
benefit from contact with Asian philosophical and
religious traditions.
 The professors are encouraged to seek a profound
understanding of the elements of spirituality and prayer
akin to the Asian soul and to involve themselves more
deeply in the Asian people’s search for a fuller life.
 Contact, dialogue and cooperation with the followers of
other religions is a task which the second Vatican council
bequeathed to the whole Church as a duty and challenge
(Nostra Aetate).
 The local churches in Asia are like scattered islands
surrounded y the seas of other religions.
 Hinduism predominates in India and surrounding
countries, Buddhism in Mongoloid countries and Sri
Lanka, Islam in western Asia and other countries.
 The Church has to show the deepest respect for these
traditions and seeks to engage in sincere dialogue with their
followers.
 Interreligious dialogue is more than a way of fostering
mutual knowledge and enrichment; it is a part of Church’s
evangelizing mission, an expression of the mission.
 Christians bring to interreligious dialogue the firm belief
that the fullness of salvation comes from Christ alone.
 ―There must be no abandonment of principles but instead a
witness given and received for mutual advancement on the
road of religious inquiry and experience, and at the same
time for the elimination of prejudice, intolerance and
misunderstandings.‖ (Redemptoris Missio)
 Interreligious relations are best developed in a context of
openness to other believers, a willingness to listen and
desire to respect and understand others in their differences.
For all this, love of others is indispensable. This should
result in collaboration, harmony and mutual enrichment.
 Ecumenical dialogue is a challenge and a call to conversion
for the whole Church, especially for the Church of Asia
where people expect from Christians a clearer sign of unity.
 The scandal of a divided Christianity is a great obstacle for
evangelization in Asia.
 The Catholic Church in Asia feels especially impelled to
work for unity with other Christians, realizing that the
search for full communion demands from everyone
charity, discernment, courage and hope.
 On the practical level, the Catholic Church in Asia has to
join in a process of prayer and consultation with other
churches in order to explore the possibilities of new
ecumenical structures and associations to promote Christian
unity.
 It examines the matrix of ecclesiological models
proposed by FABC as a new way of being Church in
Asia.
 In 1982, FABC devoted the entire 3rd plenary assembly
to reflect up on the theme ―Church - a community of
faith in Asia.‖
 They did not develop a systematic ecclesiology but
generally crafted to address the challenges facing the
Churches in Asia.
 It focuses on the Church ―as a community realizing its
communion and mission in its own being and life and
in relations to other communities.‖
 Its purpose is to develop a deeper understanding of the
mystery of the Church from a Trinitarian perspective
and its application on the local and communitarian
level.
 Its pastoral aim is ―to make local communities more
and more authentic communities of faith‖
 The primary definition of Church made by the FABC is ―a
community of faith in Asia‖ which is very significant.
 The emphasis is placed on a particular local Church in
communion with the universal Church and other local
churches and rooted in the concrete, existential, and
historical realities of Asian settings of life.
 This community is united by faith, ―the first single and
shared reality by which the Church exists.‖
 By this interpretation, the FABC appears to adapt the older
New Testament understanding of ekklesia as a local
assembly rather than referring to Church as the universal
Church.
It is expressed in four ecclesiological understandings:
◦ Church as communion in mission
◦ community of dialogue and solidarity
◦ Community of disciples
◦ Basic ecclesial communities
These understanding do not destroy or reduce but clarify
and complement its primary definition of the Church as a
community of faith by relating or re-ordering the reality
of the Church to the faith experience and the pastoral and
missionary needs of Asian Christians.
Summarized in an architectural model to highlight their
interaction and interdependence.
 Evangelization

Mission Church as a
to the c
bbb
community of Triple
world faith in Asia dialogue

Building up the kingdom of God

 The Church as a community of faith in Asia, the Asian
bishops combined a theological construct and a
sociological category to express the vertical and
horizontal, divine and human aspects of the Church.
 By proposing these forms of ecclesiality, or new ways
of being Church, the FABC has implicitly adopted an
analogical rather than dichotomous (either/ or)
approach.
 It is primarily contextual, theologically consistent, and
pastorally faithful to the vision of the Church.
 it is Christological, Pneumatological, and Trinitarian
basis.
 The Christological and Pneumatological basis of the
ecclesiology underlines its contextual character, by a
constant reference to the gospel and emphasis on the
social context coupled with a reading of the signs of the
times discerned as prompting and movements of the
Holy Spirit.
 The Trinitarian dimension highlights its relational
aspect by stressing the theme of the Church as a
community of faith rooted in the perfect communion of
the three persons
 From below and from within
 Reflects a turn to human experience and reliance on
sociological analysis
 Begins in the faith experience of the local communities
and the challenges of Asian societies.
 It is a liberation ecclesiology: contextual and historical.
 It is a ―faith seeking life, love, justice and freedom.‖
 Emphasis is on the basic ecclesial communities:
members are motivated by love and see things from the
perspective of the poor.
Strength
 Developed from the concrete, existential, and historical
situations of Asia
 Its emphasis on the relational character of the Church:
communion of Trinity
Limitations
 Several theological difficulties
relates to ―the relationship between the way we
understand God’s nature and the way we understand the
nature of the Church.‖
 Ambiguity in the relationship between the local Church
and the universal Church
 The Asian bishops almost ignore the Marian dimension
 No deeper exploration of the immanent aspect of the
Trinitarian theology
Austin Flanney, O.P., ed., Vatican Council II: The
Conciliar and Post- Counciliar Documents:
(Bandra, Bombay: St. Paul, 1965) Guadium et
Spes, 7 December, 1965
Pope John Paul II,