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CHURCHES IN ASIA:
THEOLOGIZING IN PASTORAL PERSPECTIVE ON
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT


by Dr. R. Hardawiryana, S.J.

Fr. Hadawiryana S.J. is from Yogyakarta in Indonesia. This article originally
appeared in Colloque of 1.4.1993 of the Institute International of the University
of Fribourg Switzerland. It is reproduced here with permission.


Introduction

   In dealing with our particular theme “Asian Churches: Theoloogizing in Pastoral Perspective on Economic Development” this paper will take four steps successively:

I. Orientation for Social-Economic Involvement of the Church.
II. The FABC Documents on Poverty and Development.
III. The Contribution of Asian Churches to Human Development.
IV. In Search for a Suitable Church Model for Asia.

   Throughout our reflection on the role of Churches in economic development in Asia it should be kept in mind, that “the destiny of Asia is inextricably bound up with global developments, just as the evolutions in Asia, where more than the half of humanity lives, will have their repercussions on the rest of the world”[1] . For our report on the social-economic situation in Asia and on the role of Catholic Churches vis-à-vis economic development in this huge continent not only the Final Statements of the five Plenary Assemblies of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) held so far are important, but documents of other FABC sponsored and F A B C related international meetings (the various Bishops’ Institutes, conferences, colloquia, consultations, etc.) are relevant as well.

   Given the complexity of the subject theme, this presentation by no means pretends to be exhaustive. Suffice it, that an overall picture of the Asian scene be it in general outlines be provided, so that hopefully it will enrich our common vision on this worldwide problem and vice versa be enriched by that universal perspective.

Chapter One:
Orientation For Social-Economic Involvement Of The Church.

1.1. A Turbulent Continent Characterized by Massive Poverty.

1. Asia is being marked by “turbulent political events and traversed by sweeping social transformations and movements”[2], “a continent undergoing modernization and profound social change, along with secularization and the break up of traditional societies... Industrialization and all that goes with it violently threatens our peoples with irreparable alienation and the disintegration of patterns of life and social relationships built up over the centuries” .[3]

2. Since 1972, when the FABC was established, Asian Bishops have shown their deep concern about the widespread poverty and deprivation in large sections of Asian societies. Thus FABC I’s featuring of “modern day Asia” is but a further specification of Pope John Paul II’s picture of our contemporary world, where many millions... are deprived of hope due to the fact that in many parts of the world their situation has noticeably worsened”.[4]

3. Asia continues to be “an arena of conflict and division, the world’s exploited market place, the continent of suffering humanity”[5]. It bears the cross of resigned fatalism, passive acceptance of poverty and ignorance, injustice and exploitation – even down to the village level, where “community leaders are deliberately and energetically working to enlarge themselves at the expense of the poor peasants”[6]. Asia’s battered condition, poverty, wretchedness and misery bear in themselves the contradictions of humanity [7]

4. FABC V, Lembang (Indonesia) 1990, also deplores the “massive poverty” in Asia, where “hundreds of millions of people are debarred from access to natural resources”, and where poverty “drives both men and women to become migrant workers, often destroying family life in the process”[8]. The document of the Theological Advisory Commission of the FABC, Asian Theological Perspectives on Church and Politics, issued in Hong Kong, on May 5, 1992, shows no less concern where it asserts that side by side with attempts at eliminating poverty and efforts towards greater economic prosperity, there is the situation of growing misery and impoverishment[9], of which one of the important factors at the Macro level is the “profoundly disturbing” Third World Debt-Crisis [10]

1.2. Need for Economic Progress on Behalf of Human Development.

1. In economic systems in Asia production “is not planned with the needs of people in mind; and harmony and order are desired for the sake of the economy”: they are systems based on a materialistic notion of life[11] , contrary to the fundamentally religious character of Asian cultures.

2. For the Churches, however, the highly urgent need for economic development is just an aspect – albeit an essential one–of integral human development. This holistic view implies development “guided by a moral understanding and by an orientation toward the true good of the human race”[12] , not limited to mere economic growth, but promoting “the good of every man and of the whole man”[13]. It consists in “promoting human rights, personal and social, economic and political, including the rights of nations and of peoples”[14] ; ultimately in “subordinating the possession, dominion and use to man’s divine likeness and to his vocation to immortality”[15].

3. The main problem for Asian Churches, therefore, is: how to contribute to a development leading effectively to the eradication of poverty without fostering materialism .[16]

1.3. Pastoral Documents in Service to the Transformation of Societies.

1. The most important for Churches in Asia never has been theological reflection as such, or theological principles as such. The FABC documents are predominantly pastoral in character, and “pastoral” in the most concrete sense of ministering to society (not just to Christians) in its hard day to day struggle for a better – or at least a less dehumanized – life.

2. More than once in documents of the Asian bishops has been quoted the introduction to the document of the Bishops’ Synod in Rome “Convenientes ex universo”, November 30, 1971, on Justice in the World, particularly its emphatic “thesis” that “action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel”[17], i.e., – FABC I explains – “of the mission of the Church for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation” [18]

1.4. “Buffalo Theology” for the People.

1. In other words, the approach of Asian Churches to problems of human development (economic development included) never has been purely “academic”, but pastoral, springing from a sense of commitment, and hence oriented to concrete involvement and action. The term “buffalo theology” sometimes has been used, meaning a theology expressed as simply as possible, in order to serve society at large (not only Christians!), at the grassroots level.

2. The fact that at the “official”, i.e., hierarchical level theology never has been or will be sought in itself, but as serving that pastoral concern, explains why – although occasionally there may be individual theologians elaborating on our subject matter – at the hierarchical level there is no systematic theological reflection on “economics” or economic “development”

3. This, however, by no means renders the development of a more specifically Asian theology superfluous. It is “through a theological investigation of the present world” that John Paul II wishes to emphasize “the need for a fuller and more nuanced concept of development”[19]. The construction of a genuinely Asian theology, which is an integral component of Church life[20], and for which living contact with concrete Asian realities is necessary, must be given a special priority[21]. A new theology and spirituality born in the context of the struggles of the poor in Asia need to be articulated .[22]

1.5. Economic Development: A Dimension of holistic Salvation.

1. Thus in order to pose the question correctly one ought to keep in mind that “economics” and “economic development” generally speaking are considered by the Churches as far as they concern man or the human, his integral welfare, or, theologically speaking: his salvation in its holistic sense.

2. Man as the subject of Evangelization, human society as the subject of transformation according to the Gospel, and the entire Christian community, the “servant Church”, as bearer of God’s creative and transforming Word: “Just as the whole Church is missionary, so is it ministerial in its entirety, for all its members participate in the common mission, though in various ways” .[23]

1.6. Participation of Christian Communities in the Common Struggle for Development.

1. The usually direct and quite understandable style of Asian Church documents, avoiding complicated theological formulations, stands for reason, if we remember that the Bishops’ pastoral guidelines are destined for the “laity”, “lay” in matters of theology, but in many ways the experts in social-economic transformation.

2. The principles presented by Vatican II’s “Gaudium et Spes”, Paul VI’s “Populoram Progressio”, and John Paul II’s “Sollicitudo Rei Socialis” are to take on “flesh and blood” in each local Church. It is the local congregation of faithful who in their concrete life situation have to discern God’s will concerning their local circumstances, officially through their bishop, unofficially – but this is no less important – by all expressions of their awareness and the promptings of the H. Spirit in them[24] .


1.7. The Role of the Hierarchy in the Social involvement of the Faithful.

1. Even then, wherever concrete guidelines for economic involvement as such is concerned, the “competence” and “authority” of the hierarchy is confined within certain boundaries. Since it cannot offer social, political or economic solutions to development problems, it cannot provide politicians or economists, not even Catholics among them, with guidelines or directives as to which concrete policies to take .[25]

2. Its task is to apply God’s word to peoples’ lives and the life of society by offering principles for reflection, criteria of judgment and directives for action[26] , not in the sense of concrete guidelines, nor of merely general ethical principles for life in society (i.e., applicable every where and at all times), but directives in a concrete historical situation, formulating man’s responsibilities in community life; even without being concretely operational those principles concern actual problems, and are formulated in a way understandable for contemporary man .[27]

1.8. Building up the human Community in Sincere Fraternity with People of Other Faiths.

1. Not only are the guidelines of our Churches addressed to the common people. Generally speaking official documents intend to address members of Christian communities in order that they may put into concrete practical action their “koinonia” or “communion” amidst society at large. Christians are called not merely to build ever further communities among themselves, but also with those of other faiths and religions, all of them fellow members of one human society, by working not for the poor and needy, but together with them.

2. Thus, more particularly, the preferential option of our Churches for the poor does not and should not mean “condescension to the poor”, but fellowship and fraternity on an equal basis. There is a common need for sharing in whatever truly belongs to our peoples: their meanings and values, their aspirations, their thoughts and language, their songs and artistry, even their frailties and failings[28] . Our attitude ought to be that of “being with others and for others” [29].

1.9. Prophetical Critical Concern Requiring Continual Self-Examination.

Social economic involvement, as also involvement in integral human development in general, is for the Churches, therefore, a continuing event of prophetical critical action with the Gospel to be preached as the ultimate norm, not only on behalf of societies and societal structures – which quite often have injustice built into it to be transformed, – but at the same time a continuous “examination of conscience” for the Churches themselves: Are they really the “Church of the poor” (living up to the demands of evangelical poverty)? Are they the “Church for and with the poor” (fully committed to help them reach even normal human conditions of life)? Or rather a “well to do” Church, conformist to trends of consumerist modernity?

Chapter Two:

The Fabc Documents On Poverty And Development.

2.1. In what Sense are Asians “Poor”?

1. First of all, what is meant by “poverty”? People in Asia are poor “not in human values, qualities, or in human potential”, but because they are deprived of access to material goods and resources necessary to create a truly human life for themselves[30] . They are captured by “mechanisms and mindsets which create increasing poverty and injustice” [31].

2. The impressive technological progress is often used to exploit groups and entire populations. It is leading “to division rather than to union, to alienation rather than to communication, to oppression or domination rather than to a greater respect for the rights of individuals and groups[32]” .

3. FABC V 1990 draws attention to an emerging “new middle class which is highly consumeristic and competitive, and in general insensitive and indifferent to the overwhelming majority of poor and marginalized people[33]” . Growing pressures, and even oppression, imposed by dominant groups within Asian societies on weaker minority groups, usually include manipulation of the economic, political and even legal systems within society, including the religious feelings of the groups involved; manipulation that often opens the way to fundamentalism, fanatical tendencies within the religious traditions, and even aggressive proselytizing among them .[34]

4. The problem of economic development in Asia becomes the more complicated, since the growing and persistent demand of the masses for equitable sharing in the world’s natural resources, material goods and services, is “inextricably bound up with the question of political power and its exercise. The poor, in particular, rightfully demand greater participation in the political process so as to put an end to the negations and deprivations they continue to experience”[35] .

5. The threat to the survival of economic life in Asia also comes from the various levels of widespread inhuman activity and from sinful structures operated by the State itself to control economics. Bribery and corruption, favoritism and nepotism are rampant in all ranks of society, and weaken – if not cripple – the very structures of the State intended to enforce justice and order in the economic life [36].

2.2. Developed Countries and the Future of Developing Countries.

   Asian countries are clearly affected by the intricate international debate among developed countries over the fate and future of developing countries, explained by the fact that the modern world now needs the “periphery” for the very survival of the “center”, and that, therefore, the “periphery” is kept dependent, but is allowed to reach a certain level of development to make the expansion of markets and ideologies possible[37] . The stages of modernization, which until recently were denied to developing countries, have been accelerated by force at any cost. “Thus the link between political goals and large scale economic imperatives built a world of structural injustice at individual and social levels” [38].

2.3. Other Causes of Asia’s Social Economic Crisis.

   The causes of Asia’s social economic crisis have been: colonialism, feudalism, the introduction of Western classical capitalism, disrupting the traditional economic texture of society with its inbuilt balance; economics “not geared primarily to satisfying the requirements of the nation but rather to responding to external markets, not to the basic needs of people... but to the demands of a consumer society”[39] ; not the least the “social sins”, particularly “structures of sin”. These mechanisms are characterized by selfishness, shortsightedness, mistaken political calculations and imprudent economic decisions, creating influences and obstacles going far beyond the actions and the brief lifespan of an individual[40] .

2.4. Several Points of Concern for the Churches.

1. Points of concern for the Asian Churches are, among others: the basic means of livelihood for all [41], especially for workers and peasants[42] , the problems of population pressure[43] , and the millions of refugees deprived of home, employment, family and homeland by war, natural calamities, persecution and discrimination [44], e.g. in Myanmar, Laos, Kampuchea and Vietnam [45]. We may not pass by issues on the rights and role of women in Church and society[46] .

2. The “Syllabus of Concerns” of FABC III mentions “millions of working women employed in factories, farms and export-processing zones”, the “sexual exploitation of women... for the purpose of commerce and tourism, and, on the other hand, support for their “centrality in the life of the family”[47] . According to a relatively recent United Nations’ report women, who make up half of the world’s population, “work almost two-third of all man-hours, receive a tenth of the world’s income and own less than hundredth part of the world’s wealth”[48] .

3. Quite relevant in the Asian context is the Statement of the Asian Colloquium on the Social Doctrine of the Church, held in Pattaya City, January 20-24, 1992: “The universal purpose of created goods, material, intellectual and spiritual, has priority over the relative right to private property which has been understood in a very individualistic and absolutist sense in our present day societies” [49].

2.5. Grave Problems of Asia’s Working Classes.

1. Work ought to serve the goal of man’s life on earth and help him live human life as fully as possible. Unfortunately this is far from being realized among Asian workers, women and men. Mutually reinforcing powers are beyond their control: “the dominance of transnational corporations and large local companies in traditional industries... taking advantage of cheap labour or appropriating the land of small landowners; the banning of strikes and trade unions...; the exodus of rural workers into already overcrowded urban slums...; the lack of supportive organizations among the vast majority of urban workers, small landowners and landless peasants, ..., unemployment and underemployment” [50].

2. Just remuneration is “the very core of a just society”. A style of remuneration based only on the ups and downs of the market, or only on piece work production (without a legal minimum wage system, a social security system, job safety development, job training, fair hiring and firing, etc. ) is to be rejected. The Korean Bishops’ Conference called for “freedom to form organization and unions, collective bargaining and the right to strike”, and urged “a special pastoral concern and practice that fits in to the life of the workers” [51].

2.6. Several “Signs of Hope”.

1. The picture of contemporary Asia, however, is not altogether gloomy. The All-Asian Conference on Evangelization, held in Suwon (South Korea), August 24-31, 1988, calls the Asian peoples’ hunger for a more profound human dignity, liberation from all oppressive structures, peace, reconciliation, and the fullness of salvation “providential” [52].

2. FABC V 1990 points to “a new consciousness on the part of the marginalized”, a new awareness of solidarity in the struggle against injustice, “the promise of movements for democracy, participation and human rights”[53] , “the vitality of our young people and the potential that they provide for positive change” [54].

3. Among other things, this awakening and struggle is due to a recovery of the liberating core-experience and insights of religions and cultures, leading to a positive and hopeful turning towards religious resources for liberation[55]. From Asia’s cultural heritage moral and spiritual resources could be drawn and injected into the stream of present socio-cultural life and process; “without this necessary humanizing role of culture, socio-economic process will turn mindless” and give rise to “an abhorring breed of an anti-human subculture”[56] . Traditional genuine values and ideals cherished in the ancient Asian cultures (honesty, up-rightness, etc.), and the strength that comes from Asian religious beliefs, beside intensive conscientization, are indeed abundant, but so far much too little tapped resources, in meeting contemporary challenges of corruption, poverty, underdevelopment and injustice .[57]

4. Despite the many conflicts among followers of different faiths, often triggered by economic, social or political causes, as well as by lack of understanding and fanaticism in the religions, the leaders involved still can work together for peace, or to protect the rights of oppressed groups[58] . The “dialogue of life” has been steadily growing at the grassroots level; influenced by Catholic schools, hospitals and other social programs there has been increasing openness to dialogue at official levels of civic and religious life as well .[59]

2.7. human Resources in the Struggle for Prosperity.

    In the struggle for common human welfare (economic prosperity included) developing countries in Asia are to be conscious of the many human resources at hand:

1. a greater awareness of dignity even among the most depressed sections of the population ;[60]

2. a general revulsion against violations of human rights, civil rights movements in many countries to defend human rights in a systematic and persistent way[61] .

3. legal aid for the poor, now increasingly made available; “people’s courts”, initiated to resolve the disputes of the people and to bypass the ponderous and time-consuming processes of ordinary litigation[62] ;

4. increasingly, mass movements of liberation among the peasants, workers and students are contributing towards social justice and liberation, thus showing that “the poor are architects of their own destiny” [63];

5. the rapid spread of literacy and education, although bringing new problems like that of the educated unemployed, is a strong means for the poor to improve the quality of their lives, enabling them to realize with suitable help their human potential[64] ; experiments with new non-formal means of education for the enlightenment and conscientization of adult people, encouraging them to take concerted action towards bringing about social transformation[65] ;

6. People’s organizations, non-governmental organizations and cooperatives have arisen because people have become convinced, that the government cannot adequately respond to their needs, and that they are themselves the most potent force for their own development [66];

7. transnational solidarity between Asian nations, the consciousness of belonging to “the global village” [67].

2.8. Asian Cultural Resources.

   For the development of Asian societies, no less important than human resources in general are the Asian cultural resources in particular:

1. Confucian Ethics: “Jen”, or universal love, the relationship between individuals, their working together to build up the human community; “Yi”, or righteousness, structuring and shaping the universal love; as regards the social life of the community, universal love has to follow the norms of “Tao”, or the Way, so that “Te”, i.e. virtue, is achieved, and universal love finds its fulfillment in the service of the community[68] .

2. the Indonesian State ideology “Pancasila” or the Five Principles: a. belief in the Supreme God; b. a just and civilized humanity; c. nationalism, the unity of the nation; d. democracy guided by the wisdom of unanimity resulting from deliberations; and 5. social justice for all the Indonesian people[69] ;

3. Gandhian Movements in India: “Sarvodaya”: integral development (spiritual, moral, social and economic) of backward and impoverished villagers, by exploiting the natural resources of the area and their traditional skills, in order to obtain the necessities of life in a disciplined and cooperative way; in a more modern version: “Antyodaya”, or development of the most backward, awakening of the least, a kind of “preferential option for the poor” [70];

4. Forms of Decision-making and Cooperation: “Gotong Royong” in Indonesia and Malaysia (cooperation based on a vision of a wider family); in the Philippines “Sangguniang Baranggay” (meeting of the elders of a village to reach consensus) and “Bayanihan” (spontaneous cooperation in a spirit of reciprocity); in South Asia: the village “Panchayat” to arrive at a consensus by common deliberation; particularly in Pakistan and North India: “Biradari” (deliberations) and “Shramdan” (voluntary labor for a public cause)[71] .

Chapter Three:

The Contribution Of Asian Churches To Human Development.

3.1. The Promotion of Human Development:

      An Essential Aspect of Integral Evangelization.

1. For the people of Asia – except for a few affluent islands like Japan a largely poor continent burdened by internal and international structures of injustice and oppression – economic and social justice linked to development remains an important concern[72] . This situation is a tremendous challenge to the Church and an opportunity to unleash the inner potencies of its message” [73].

2. “Evangelization and the promotion of true human development and liberation are not only not opposed, but make up today the integral preaching of the Gospel, especially in Asia” [74]. “Through the preaching of the good news to the poor, (Lk 4:18), Christ’s renewing life and the power of His paschal mystery is inserted into our peoples’ search for human development, for justice, brotherhood and peace” [75]. In other words, the purpose of mission is to convert people to authentic human values and to deepen and fulfil these values in Christ)[76] .

3.2. Jesus’ Life on Earth: Source of Inspiration.

1. In responding to challenges of economic development in Asian countries the Churches should find their fundamental inspiration in the life of Jesus who in his teaching and ministry showed deep concern for persons and groups from all social levels and backgrounds, especially for “the poor” in many aspects[77] . His criticism against those who devour widows’ houses (Lk 20:47) and his protest against those who profaned the Temple with religious as well as economic oppression (Lk 20:45-46) are just two eloquent examples of his sensitivity to the contemporary social, economic and political situation of oppression and injustice.

2. Churches in Asia, therefore cannot be indifferent to the socio-economic conditions of human beings, but are called to actively involve themselves with issues in this field [78].

3.3. Proclaiming Christ by Infusing Love and Justice.

1. From the viewpoint of development FABC lV considers the task of infusing the Gospel and Kingdom values of love and justice into Asia’s political, economic, cultural and social world as an imperative of the Gospel[79] . Whereas from the viewpoint of evangelization SRS.41 considers pro-claiming Christ, teaching the Church’s mission and conveying the truth about man as the Church’s first contribution to the solution of development problems.

2. In other words: addressing these problems and especialy insisting on the nature and characteristics of authentic human development belongs to the Church’s pastoral ministry[80] . More particularly, “the Gospel of sharing needs to be emphasized”, even in helping the poor to attain a higher level of economic life. Christians are to be motivated to work “not so much to meet their own needs only, but so that they can share with those who have less in life, in communion and solidarity with the human community” [81].

3.4. The Need for Appropriate Development Models.

1. Models of development which do not correspond to the people’s heritage of cultural and religious values[82] not only will appear ineffective, but even harmful. In most Asian countries economy, together with politics, has got itself disjuncted from the cultural, and has fallen into a moral void, bereft of all idealism[83] . Hence in our development efforts “we must continue to treasure the resources of the spirit found among our peoples” [84].
 

2. Both the capitalist and socialist ideologies have proved to be unable to provide for the hungry, unemployed and illiterate masses in Asia. In our search for development models appropriate to meet their real needs, we have to move away from ideological dogmas [85].

3. Unsuitable development not only do not work, but will become a serious obstacle to genuine development, and injure the people concerned uprooting and alienating them from cherised traditional values[86] . It is, e.g., highly detrimental for the majority of Asia’s population, that “cities and the industrial sector expropriate resources from agricultural and rural areas, leading to the disintegration of the family, the spirit of the community and the wisdom of the people”[87] .

4. Ever more clearly the need is felt of searching for new development paradigms which, in the context of modernizing and secularizing Asian countries, not only take the moral and religious aspects of development most seriously, but also fully respect the cultural values, the mindsets and the innate societal structures of a country concerned (although these too are subject to change)[88] . The catholicity of the Church, “the root of our diversity in the oneness of faith, may serve to help Asians remain truly Asian, and yet become fully part of the modern world” [89].

3.5. Necessary Attitudes in Christian Witnessing.

   For the Church to be leaven and ferment in development efforts of the Asian nations, the following attitudes are necessary:

1. the attitude of “secularity”, i.e., of openness to human society at large; “a spirituality of appreciation of worldly realities, of positive values found in modernization and technological progress, but also of alertness to dehumanizing and depersonalizing situations and conditions;

2. compassion in the midst of Asia’s multitudes who suffer and aspire for liberation, fullness of life, and peace;

3. humility first of all of Church leaders, manifested in simplicity of life, willingness to render preferential service to the least of the Lord’s brothers and sisters, readiness to renounce privileges, and even to suffer humiliation and persecution in the service of the people;

4. the attitude of boldness, founded ultimately in the presence of the Lord and the guidance of the Spirit[90] ;

5. a discerning attitude calling for consultation with lay people, especially those most qualified by virtue of their technical competence and spiritual gifts[91] .

3.6. Practical Implementation of the Preferential Love for the Poor.

Truly evangelical love today demands a love of preference for the poor, deprived and oppressed[92] ; a love which, in order to be truly effective, must seek the transformation of structures of injustice preventing the poor from achieving their authentic human development. E.g., in many places in Asia today Churches need to speak for genuine agrarian reform, for a better distribution of wealth, for more just tax structures. They are called upon to lend their voice for just wages, for social security, for speedy justice and for genuine guarantees for human rights[93] .

3.7. The “Dialogue of Life” and its Practical Implications.

1. The Asian Colloquium on Ministries in the Church, Hong Kong 1977, considered as a situational challenge in economics: “how to contribute to the eradication of stark poverty by an authentic dialogue of life with the poor of Asia without fostering materialism”[94] . That dialogue requires “a genuine experience and understanding of (their) poverty, deprivation and oppression”; it demands “working, not for them merely (in a paternalistic sense), but with them, to learn from them... their real needs and aspirations,... and to strive for their fulfillment” by transforming oppressive structures and situations .[95]

2. Opposed to the thinking of a number of liberation theologians, as if transformation of social structures were the secret to any meaningful social change, is the view that the inner make-up of people, their cultural values and attitudes, are the key to real social change. There is, however, a mutuality of social structures and cultural values[96] . Social structures, by nature relational, can change more easily and within a shorter time span than cultural values, internal to people and imbibed in a long socialization process[97] .

3.8. Communitarian Contribution to the Solution of Social Questions.

1. The Churches in Asia are called to contribute their best to the solution of the social question[98] . As a matter of fact, they are getting ever further involved in issues pertaining to human rights and freedom, to labour and business, health, women, the arms race, the international order, and other issues of justice and peace, that seriously affect our peoples and especially the downtrodden[99] . E.g., we are to be aware of the widespread landlessness throughout most Asian countries, where the actual tillers of the soil are not the owners of the land [100].

2. If our Churches in Asia hope to address the widespread network of political, economic, religious, social and cultural injustices, problems which are structural in nature, their response ought to be communitarian in character[101] .

3.9. A Struggle for Development in Solidarity with Other Religious Traditions.

1. The struggle for a full human life is not confined to the Christian community. In solidarity with other great religious traditions, the basis of the establishment and development of Asian cultures, Christians seek the full flowering of the human person and the transformation of societies[102] . Efforts must be rooted in the vivifying of “that profound religious sense which characterizes the spirit of the Asian world”[103] .

2. Dialogue with the great religious traditions of our people[104] , particularly in the present Asian socio-political context [105], within the perspective of integral human development, implies accepting religions and religious traditions as significant elements in God’s design of salvation, as containing profound spiritual and ethical meanings and values [106], FABC V 1990 urges FABC offices to facilitate at the grassroots level ecumenical and interreligious dialogue for integral development, and episcopal conferences to further promote such dialogue in their own areas[107] . The Pattaya Statement of 1992 considers the Social Teaching of the Church as “our specific Gospel – contribution to other religious and cultural groups and ideologies in building a more human community...” [108].

3. M.M. Thomas once even said: “The common humanity and the self-transcendence within it, more especially the common response to the problems of humanization of existence in the modern world rather than any common religiosity, or common sense of the divine, is the most fruitful point of entry for a meeting of faiths at spiritual depth in our time”[109]. We need to collaborate even with those without an explicit faith, perceiving that the obstacles to development are not only economic, but res on more profound spiritual attitudes [110].

3.10. Critical Solidarity and Cooperation with Governments.

1. SRS. 15 expresses concern about the “passivity, dependence and submission to the bureaucratic apparatus” of governments, putting everyone “in a position of almost absolute dependence”. Perhaps in Asian countries it is for the Church by no means easy to implement its prophetic function by taking a critical stance towards certain official regulations, and not just to maintain “good relations” with government officials, but to cooperate critically (in the positive sense) with common efforts for development.

2. It seems that so far in FABC Plenary Assemblies, in the Bishops’ Institutes and in other FABC sponsored or related meetings relatively too little has been said about cooperation with local governments and about constructive criticism towards government policies and regulations. Yet already the Asian Bishops’ Meeting in Manila 1970 urged support and cooperation with government agencies[111] . In certain cases this could be an important element in the prophetic mission of the local Church.

3. A relatively recent example of critical solidarity is presented by the Pattaya Statement in 1992, denouncing:

    a. “the economic system which through its primacy of money and market constitutes a violent

        aggression on the rights of the Asian poor to live with human dignity as sons and daughters

        of God”;
    b. “the political systems and powers which for vested interests compromise the life and the

        freedom of the Asian poor to grow into full human persons”;
    c. “the consumerist and materialist culture that gives primacy to anti-Gospel values and looks

        at persons and the environment as objects of consumption or as mere commodities, thus

        depersonalizing people and destroying human life and life-support systems”;
    d. “the violation of human rights not only of individuals but also of communities in the name of

        law and development, of religion and race” [112].

3.11. The Fullest Possible Use of Church Resources.

    The Theological Advisory Commission of the FABC recommends to the Churches in Asia, that – apart from availing themselves of the human and cultural resources in their respective countries as already mentioned [113], – they would make the fullest possible use of Church resources:

1. the vast corpus of Social Teaching of the Church, an abundant source of inspiration and clear direction for the proper engagement of Christians in the temporal sphere[114] ; this Teaching has “to interplay dynamically with the cultures of Asia, and be re-read from within these cultures, even as our social teachings can also illumine the realities of Asia” [115];

2. authentic contextualized liturgy as “the source and apex of the whole Christian life”[116] ; community forms (first of all Christian families, but Basic or Small Christian Communities as well)[117] ;

3. personnel (prominent lay people in leadership positions in government, public institutions, politics, business enterprises, in the educational field especially in institutes of higher learning, and not the least in mass communication; religious with their life-style according to evangelical poverty, in various fields of social involvement; the clergy when fully alert to the “signs of the times”, and conscious of their pastoral responsibility in ministering to the faithful committed to common welfare) [118].

4. formation programs (providing a new social vision and special training for effective social apostolate, ongoing formation programs etc.)[119] ;

5. Catholic educational institutions and social action centers, to be further developed as resources for social transformation[120] ;

6. international links among Churches in Asia and with those of other continents, within the one universal “koinonia” of faith and Christian charity[121] .

Chapter Four:

In Search For A Suitable Church Model For Asia.

4.1. The Appropriate Church Model:
      A Challenge to Internal Renewal [122].

    The Church in Asia today is called to support development efforts, those in the economic field included, “with its religious and human inspiration in order to give them a ‘soul’ and an effective impulse” [123]. Which Church model would be most appropriate in the context of ongoing and ever more intensive development in all sectors of Asian society? What are in modernizing Asian countries some of the changes which the Church itself should make to be both true to itself and also credible to the societies it evangelizes? How is the institutional aspect of the Church to be kept consistently faithful to its only meaningful vocation of being a mediator and never an end in itself?

4.2. The Communion of Christ’s Disciples:
      World-oriented and Kingdom-oriented.

1. The Church is at its deepest level a communion, whose all-encompassing purpose is discipleship in the Gospel, whose life and activity are meant to be led by the guidance of the Spirit and nourished by the sacraments of faith, a community of authentic participation and coresponsibility in true oneness with its pastors, called to proclaim the Word through word and witness, to reach out to others through ways of dialogue, and to serve in evangelical “diakonia”, so that the Word and the Spirit may be shared in fidelity and joyfulness with others in other human communities [124].

2. The overwhelming needs in all areas of life (religious, cultural, social, economic, political) in Asia’s developing societies and the thrust of Vatican II pose a serious challenge to make our evangelizing mission world-oriented and Kingdom-oriented[125] .

4.3. The Church of the Poor – With the Poor.

1. Churches in Asia are to be the “Church of the Poor” [126]moving away from ecclesiocentrism[127] , revising its own lifestyle and institutions “in order to first realize within itself whatever it has to say about social justice”[128] , sharing in its way of life something of the poverty of the masses and giving witness to evangelical simplicity[129] , discerning the justice of their requests and helping to satisfy them without losing sight of the common good [130].

2. They are Churches “with the poor” “working out programmes of human development – integral, respectful of the people’s dignity, attuned to their cultures”, “standing with them in their hard struggle for justice and for self-empowerment”, insisting that “the rich become themselves real members of the Church of the poor by fulfilling their obligations in justice and charity toward the poor”[131] .

4.4. A Challenge to Radical Conversion.

1. However, it is to be deeply regretted that the Church in Asia “is not known by the multitudes of the poor to be passionately concerned for their rights and dignity as human beings nor selflessly committed to their total liberation from social injustice and oppression”[132] . The Asian Bishops expressed their regrets that they “have not been sufficiently vigorous in speaking out for justice and the defence of human rights”[133] , nor firmly resolved “to speak out for the rights of the disadvantaged and powerless, against all forms of injustice” and not to tie their hands “by compromising entanglements with the rich and the powerful” [134].

2. In what ways are we to meet the urgent need “to refashion and renew the Church, so that it is a true servant in the cause of social justice”[135] , so that it becomes “the voice of those without a voice: the poor and the weak, the marginated and the victims of injustice”, cooperating “with any person of good will... without narrowness, without paternalism and in open dialogue” [136]?

Epilogue

   While searching for theological enlightenment on problems of economics and economic development in Asia, what we find in documents of FABC Plenary Assemblies and other FABC sponsored or FABC related meetings is not a highly articulated and meticulously elaborated theological vision backed up by interdisciplinary research in this enormous problem area. In this sense the title of this essay may be misleading.

    Perhaps it is rather reflection in Christian faith as this is lived within the communion with others, and within the primary and even more fundamental community together with Christians of other denominations as well as with brothers and sisters of other religions and religious traditions. Reflection rather that develops and flourishes while Christians make their own "the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted" (GS. 1). Reflection that wishes to be "pastoral", i.e., in deeply committed service of Church and society, briefly, a genuine "charism" of the Spirit.

    Mostly it is reflection at the "higher" level in the Church, among bishops, priests and lay leaders; but reflection that in any way intends to reach out to fellow Christians at the grassroots level, in order to fully involve them in the common concern of humanity for a less inhuman and even a better world. For theirs first of all is the mission of witnessing to the Gospel by making manifest God’s provident and loving care for mankind. Thus theological reflection becomes deeply human, ever more fully incarnate and inculturated.

   May this modest contribution be of some service to our common search for a better understanding of the theme of this Conference.


Yogyakarta, August 15, 1992.
On the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

NOTES

1. Cf. Felix Wilfred, Sunset in the East? Asian Challenges and Christian Involvement, Madras: Siga 1991, (358pp), pp.3-4.

2. Cf. FABC III, Sampran 1982, Statementn.8.1, PAPA I, p.94. Also: Walking Humbly, Acting Justly, Loving Tenderly in Asia, Statement of the Asian Colloquium on the Social Doctrine of the Church, Pattaya City, January 20-24, 1992: Convictions, nn.2-5: massive poverty, exploitation of tribal and ethnic minorities, negative values of cultures joined to negative forces of modernity, degradation of the Asian ecology, both human and natural.

3. Cf. FABC I, Taipei 1974, Statement n.1.1., in: For All the Peoples of Asia,abbreviated PAPA, Manila: IMC/TCO  Publications, vol. I (1984): The Church in Asia: Asian Bishops’ Statements on Mission, Community and Ministry 1970-1983, p.27; cf. International Congress on Mission (IMC), Manila 1979, Message 4, ibid., p.212. On “the Secular in Multi-Religious Societies” in Asia, cf. F.Wilfred, Sunset in the East? pp.10-12; on the encounter between Tradition and Modernity, ibid. pp.25-26.

4. Cf. SRS.13. See SRS.9: compared with “Gaudium et Spes” (GS), PP. puts a stronger emphasis on the worldwide dimension of the social question; cf.PP.3;9; also SRS.10. Cf. Conclusions of the Theological Consultation, FABC Office of Evangelization, Hua Hin, November 10,1991, nn.3-6 on the social-political situation in Asia.

5. Cf. FABC IV, Tokyo 1986, Statement n.1.1., FAPA II (1987): The Church in Asia: Asian Bishops’ Statements on Mission, Community and Ministry, Social Action, Lay Apostolate, Dialogue 1974-1986, p.312. E.g., on “the conflict between the Macro and the Micro and its roots, cf. F.Wilfred, Sunset in the East?, pp.4-10.

6. To South East Asian countries as well applies what is said on Bangladesh by R.W.Timm, C.S.C.,Echoes  of “Sollicitudo Rei Socialis” in Bangladesh, EAPR XXVI: 1(1989) p.22.

7. Cf. FABC IV, Statement n.1.1., ibid.

8. FABC V, Final Statement, n.2.2.l, FABC Papers n.59, Hong Kong: Caritas 1990, pp.27-28.

9. By the time this article is being written, the document henceforth referred to as: TAC-FABC on Church and Politics 1992 is in the process of being officially published by the FABC Secretariat in Hong Kong. The assertion is taken from its Introduction, §1.

10. Cf. F. Wilfred, Sunset in the East? pp.78-99.

11. Cf. FABC V 1990, Workshop Report I D,3 a, FABC Papers n.59, p.49.

12. Cf. “Sollicitudo Rei Socialis” (SRS) 28; “Populorum Progressio” (PP) 20-21. E.g.,to neutralize the negative aspect of materialistic modernization in the world of work, a strong emphasis should be put on the fundamental value of human work as participating in the Lord’s creativity; cf. FABC V, 1990, Workshop Report 1, D, 3 g, with reference to GS.37, FABC Papers n.59, p.49. Cf. also Workshop Report 3, C, 2, c: “When we work, we become more like unto God who continues his work of creation and redemption; and we fulfill the task that he has given to us to bring created realities to their perfection.  Hence, the obligation of man to work, to be conscientious and efficient in his activities, and to build up a world in accordance with the plan of God”, p.59.

13. Cf. On the notion of “authentic and integral human development”: SRS.1; 9 (ref. to PP.14); SRS.17: “Either all the nations of the world participate or it will not be true development”; SRS.32: development of the whole person and of every human being”. SRS.33: development limited to the economic field “easily subjects the human person and his deepest needs to the demands of economic planning and selfish profit”.

14. Cf. SRS.33: characterized by “a rigorous respect for the moral, cultural and spiritual requirements based on the dignity of the person and on the proper identity of each community”, ibid.; also SRS.46.

15. Cf.SRS.29.

16. Cf. FABC V 1990, Workshop Report 1, D, 3 b, FABC Papers n.59, p.49.

17. Cf. Austin Flannery, O.P. ed., Vatican Council II. More Post Counciliar Documents, Vatican Collection vol.2, Collegeville: Liturgical Press 1982, p.696.

18. Cf. Statement n.22, FAPA I, pp.31-32.

19. Cf. SRS.4.

20. Cf. FABC III, Statement n.15, FAPA I, p.100.

21. Cf. FABC I, Statement n.33, FAPA I, p.34. M. Amaladoss, S.J. proposes certain elements in theologizing applicable in the Asian context, in: Theologizing in India Today, in Vidyajyoti XLIII (1973) pp.213-225.

22. Cf. Joint Consultation of Justice and Peace Coordinating Committee for Asia and Oceania, Hua Hin, October 21-28, 1988, FABC Newsletter n.69, November 1988-January 1989, p.2.

23. Cf. Asian Colloquium on Ministries in the Church (ACMC), Hong Kong 1977, Con- clusions 30, FAPA I, p.121.

24. Cf. Fr. M. Suseno, S.J., “Perkembangan yang sejati. Catatan tentang Ensiklik karangan Paus Yohanes Paulus II ‘Sollicitudo Rei Socialis’ tanggal 30 Desember 1987” (a paper presented at the annual assembly of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference, 1988), p.24.

25. Cf. Fr. M. Suseno, S.J. op.cit., p.16.

26. 26. Cf. SRS.8; “Libertatis Conscientia” n.72; “Octogesima Adveniens” n.4.

27. Cf. Fr. M. Suseno, S.J., ibidem.

28. Cf. FABC I, Statement n.12, FAPA I, p.29.

29. Cf. FABC III, Statement n.9.1, FAPA I, p.95; BISA I 1974, n. 4, FAPA II, p.346; IMC, Message 19: “solidarity and sharing with the poor”, FAPA I, p.216.

30. Cf. FABC I, Statement n.9, FAPA I, p.31, quoted in IMC, Consensus Paper Workshop IV, n.1, p.236; BISA (Bishops’ Institute for Social Action) I, 1974, n.2, FAPA II, p.345; BISA VI, 1983, n.3, ibid. p.380.

31. Cf. FABC III, Statement n.8.1, FAPA I, p.94; cf. n.9.7: on relationships and structures perpetuating injustice and exploitation, p.97.

32. Cf. M. Azevedo, S.J., Modernity: A Cul- tural Reality, in SEDOS Bull., 88:5 (1988) p.173-174.

33. Cf. Final Statement, n.2.1.6, FABC Pa- pers n.59, p.27. F.Wilfred, Sunset in the East? pp.35-36.

34. Cf. FABC V 1990, Workshop Report 5, C, 1, FABC Papers n.59, p.65.

35. Cf. TAC-FABC on Church and Politics 1992, A. Socio-Political Situation, n.1.1.

36. Cf. The TAC-FABC on Church and Politics, n.2.2.2.

37. F. Wilfred: “Increasing economic protectionism of the North has reduced the countries of the South to economic marginality”; most nations of Asia are “drawn into the world economic order as suppliers of raw materials and cheap labourance in trade today weighs heavily in favour of the North, while the South languishes under increasing debts and the resulting constraints on its economy and development”, Sunset in the East? p.17. The TAC-FABC on Church and Poli­tics 1992 speaks of “a neo-colonialism, if not a neo-servility, in the economic world”, created by the present economic and technological dependence of Asian countries on developed and affluent countries and on monetary agencies of a few wealthy nations, like the international Monetary Fund and the World Bank; cf. A. 2.2 “Threats to a Just Economic Order”, n.2.2.1.

38. Cf. M. Azevedo, S.J., art. cit., p.173. Cf. The TAC-FABC on Church and Politics 1992: the money-power to buy over Asian resources, combined with the technological power to determine development and growth, enable prosperous contries to control the economic balance in their favor and to the detriment of weaker nations, n.2.2.1.

39. Cf. BISA IV, 1978, n.4, FAPA II, p.364.

40. The notion of “structures of sin” is explained in SRS.36 with reference to John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation “Reconciliatio et Paenitentia”, December 2, 1984, n.16, AAS. LXXVII (1985) p.2. Cf. also SRS.40 on “evil mechanisms”; 46 considers them as “the principal obstacle to be overcome on the way to authentic liberation”.

41. Cf. Asian Bishops’ Meeting (ABM), Manila 1970, resolution 4.

42. Cf. ABM 1970, resolution 3, FAPA I, p.19; BISA IV 1978, n.5: “denial of basic rights and of free speech, intolerance of free people’s organizations and participation”, FAPA II, p.364; cf. n.11, p.366.

43. Cf. ABM 1970, resolution 5, FAPA I, p.20.

44. Cf. SRS.24.

45. Cf. FABC III, resolution II, FAPA I, p.104; cf. IMC, Message 30, pp.218-219; Consensus Paper Workshop IV, n.14, ibid.,. pp.240-241. Cf. Asian Refugees: A Role for the Churches? Report of the CCA/WCC-CICARWS Asian Refugee Working Group Meeting, Bangkok, May 17-19, 1989.

46. Cf. FABC III, Statement n.9.7-8, FAPA I, p.97; n.17.2, p.101; cf. ACMC, Conclusions nn.89-93 on “women in ministry”, ibid., p.137; also Conclusions 121 on “the ministries of lay women”, p.147.

47. Cf. Syllabus VI, p.108; cf. FABC IV, Statement n.3.3.1 adds to the list of injustices discrimination, forced marriages, hard labour, etc., FAPA II, p.319. Cf. on Asian tourism as “a pressing theological concern”, F.Wilfred, Sunset in the East? pp.65-77.

48. Quoted in JPIC-WCC. n.24; other violations of women’s rights are mentioned in nn.25-27.

49. Cf. Statement, “We believe...”, n.6.

50. Cf. FABC IV, Statement n.3.7.2, FAPA II, p.326.

51. Cf. Declaration on Humanization in Soci- ety, cf. FABC Newsletter n.54, July - September 1985, p.2.

52. Cf. Statement, n.3, in FABC Papers n.50, Hong Kong: Caritas 1988, pp.74-75.

53. The remark has been made at FABC V 1990, that the almost-universal acceptance of the dignity of all human persons shows differences in practice between countries, also in Asia, primarily due to the varying degrees of consciousness of the common good, ..., as well as to the cultural factors that form a faith perspective, factors infected by human weakness evident in “structures of sin”; cf. Workshop Report 6, B, 3, a, FABC Papers n.59, p.67.

54. Cf. Final Statement, nn.2.3.1-2, FABC Papers n.59, pp.28-29.

55. It is to be noted, however, that religions themselves have often been oppressive and have served to legitimize unjust structures. Cf. TAC-FABC on Church and Politics 1992, A. Socio-Political Situation, n.1.3.

56. Cf. F.Wilfred, Sunset in the East? pp.36-37. Cf. the Asian Colloquium on the Social Doctrine of the Church, Pattaya City 1992, Statement, “We see the need...”, n.3: “to be in touch with our cultural heritage to discover therein values that are truly human and can serve as basis for alternative models of authentic development”.

57. Cf. FABC V 1990, Workshop Report 3, C, 1, FABC Papers n.59, p.58; also Workshop Report 5, C, 2 on the loss of shared societal values leading to widespread dishonesty and corruption in public and private life, p.65.

58. Cf. FABC V 1990, Workshop Report 5, C, 3, FABC Papers n.59, p.65.

59. Cf. FABC V 1990, Workshop Report 5, C, 4, FABC Papers n.59, p.65. On problems of dialogue, cf. F.Wilfred, “Dialogue Gasping for Breath? Towards New Frontiers in Inter-Religious Dialogue”, Sunset in the East? pp.208-228.

60. E.g., periodic disturbances are a sign of the mass upsurge of the people for a better life; cf. TAC-FABC on Church and Politics 1922, n.4.1.1.

61. Cf. Ibidem, n.4.1.2.

62. The settlements arrived at by such means need, however, to obtain legal sanction, and such procedures should be extend­ed to other places, cf. ibidem, n.4.1.3.

63. Cf. ibidem, n.4.1.4.

64. Cf. ibidem, n.4.1.5.

65. Cf. ibidem, n.4.1.6.

66. Cf. ibidem, n.4.1.7.

67. Examples: “ASEAN” = the Association of South East Asian Nations; “SAARC” = the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation; cf. ibidem, n.4.1.11.

68. Cf. The TAC-FABC on Church and Politics 1992, n.4.2.1.1.

69. Cf. ibidem, n.4.2.2.

70. Cf. ibidem, n.4.2.3. F.Wilfred, Sunset in the East? pp.244-251.

71. Cf. ibidem, n.4.2.5.

72. Cf. M. Amaladoss, S.J., The Local Churches in Asia: Problems and Prospects, in Verbum SVD XXVII:4 (1986), p.325.

73. Cf. F. Wilfred, Sunset in the East? The Asian Reality Challenging the Church and its Laity Today, in FABC Papers n.45, Hong Kong: Caritas Printing Training Centre, 1986, p.1; on pp.34-35 the author specifies certain areas of challenges: the question of power, the process of modernization, conflicting conceptions and ideologies, the situation of inequality, and the Asian religions.

74. Cf. FABC I, Statement n.23, FAPA I, p.32.

75. Cf. FABC I, Statement n.28, FAPA I, p.33.

76. Cf. IMC, Consensus Paper Workshop IV, n.3, FAPA I, p.237.

77. Cf. Lk.4:18-19; 6:20-21,24-25; 7:22-23; 12:15-21; 16:19-31; 18:24-25. Cf. also F.Wilfred, Sunset in the East? pp.60-62.

78. Cf. The TAC-FABC on Church and Politics 1992, n.2.2.1.2.

79. Cf. FABC IV, Statement n.3.1.2, FAPA II, p.315.

80. Cf. SRS.31.

81. Cf. FABC V 1990, Workshop Report 1, D, 3, f, FABC Papers n.59, p.49.

82. The TAC-FABC Document on Church and Politics 1992 reminds us that models of development in the period immediately following de-colonization overlooked the existence of a rich variety and diversity of cultures and within cultures”, and that many Asian countries today are at a critical stage of growth with a lot of opportunities”, cf. A. Socio-Political Situation, n.1.4.

83. Cf. F.Wilfred, Sunset in the East? pp.34- 35.

84. Cf. ABM 1970, Message n.15, FAPA I, p.14.

85. Cf. FABC V 1990, Workshop Report 1, D, 3, c, FABC Papers n.59, p.49. The Statement of the Asian Colloquium on the Social Doctrine of the Church, Pattaya City, 1992, keeps “questioning the model of development that pervades the world and has been imposed on our Asian societies, with its damaging effects on our values, traditions and ways of life”, in: “We see the need...”, n.1.

86. As is the case in Thailand, western style development may result in expropriation of resources of the country by the world market system; cf. Synopsis of the Report of the National Seminar on the Encyclical ‘Sollicitudo Rei Socialis’ by the Catholic Council of Thailand for Development on August 29-31, 1988, at Chantaburi Diocesan Centre, in EAPR XXVI:1 (1989) p.29.

87. Cf. Ibidem

88. Cf. Searching for Asian Paradigms, Contribution of Youth to the Promotion of Social Goals and Cultural Values in the Development Process, articles written by Asian authors and edited by C.I.Itty, Bangkok: Suksit Siam (distributor), 1984.

89. Cf. ABM 1970, Message n.24, PAPA I, p.16.

90. Cf. The TAC-FABC on Church and Politics 1922, n.5.2.

91. Cf. The TAC-FABC on Church and Politics 1992, n.5.3.

92. Cf. Asian Colloquium on the Social Doctrine of the Church, Pattaya City 1992, Statement, “We believe...”, n.2.

93. Cf. The TAC-FABC on Church and Politics 1992, n.2.2.2.3.

94. Cf. ACMC, Conclusions 12, FAPA I, p.114. The “dialogue of life” is spoken of in FABC V, Final Statement, IV C n.8.l.3, as a way “toward the integral liberation of all”.

95. Cf. FABC I, Statement n.20, FAPA I, p.31; cf. FABC III, Statement n.9.6, ibid. p.96; “Syllabus of Concerns” III, p.106; FABC IV, Statement n.3.1.11, FAPA II, p.317.

96. Cf. Fr. F. Claver, S.J., An Anthropologi  cal-Pastoral Perspective on “Sollicitudo Rei Socialis”, in EAPR XXVI: 1 (1989), p.11.

97. Ibidem, p.12.

98. Cf. ACMC, Conclusion 18, FAPA I, p. 116; BISA V 1979, n.26-29, PAPA II, p.376-377.

99. Cf. FABC IV, Statement n.3.1.7, FAPA II, p.316.

100. Cf. R.W. Timm, C.S.C: “Analysis of the swift economic growth of Japan, Taiwan and South Korea reveals that they all began with successful land reform, since agricultural production was the necessary stimulant for industrialization”, art. cit., pp.22-23.

101. Cf. BISA I 1974, n.9, FAPA II, p.347; FABC IV, Statement n.3.1.8, FAPA II, p.316; BISA V 1979, n.24, ibid. p.376; BISA VII 1986, n.21, ibid. p.393.

102. Cf. FABC IV, Statement n.3.0.2, FAPA II, p.314; cf. IMC, Message 28: we are joined with brothers and sisters of the “living faiths of Asia in the common quests for truth and freedom, justice and love for our peoples”, FAPA I, p.218; cf. BISA I 1974, n.12, FAPA II, p.348; BISA III 1975. n.6, ibid. p.359; n.8.3, p.360; BISA IV 1978, n.7, p.365; BISA V 1979, n.30-32, ibid. p.377-378; BISA VI 1983, n.10, ibid. p.382-383; cf. Evangelization in Asia Today, Statement of the All-Asian Conference on Evangelization, Suwon, August 24-31, 1988, n.9, FABC Newsletter n.68, September-October 1988, pp.5-6; BIRA (Bishops’ Institute for Interreligious Affairs) IV/7, Tagaytay, October 23 - November 3, 1988: reflecting on how socio-economic and political situations affect efforts toward dialogue, FABC Newsletter n.69, November 1988 - January 1989, pp.1-2; Ulrich Dornberg, Development and Interreligious Dialogue. Some Preliminary Remarks for Discussion, in Seeds of Peace IV:3 (September 1988), pp.20-25.

103. Cf. ABM 1970, Message n.15 ref. to Paul VI’s message to the Asian Bishops’ Meeting, November 28, 1970, FAPA I, p.14. With regard to the means used in the struggle for justice on behalf of the poor, FABC V 1990, Workshop Report 3, C, 3, remarks that the Gospel norm, “resist not the aggressor” has an Asian tone; it presents two prominent examples, namely: Mahâtma Gandhi who “spent a lifetime in struggle for his people, but never turned anyone against any- one else”, and the Dalai Lama who “though acutely conscious of the suffer- ing of his people, has never grown bitter, has preserved his serenity, and is absolutely confident of ultimate success”, FABC Papers n.59, p.59.

104. Cf. ABM 1970, Message n.24, FAPA I, p.16; cf. resolution 2, p.19; resolution 12, p.21; FABC I, Statement IV, nn.13- 18, FAPA I, pp.29-30; cf. ACMC, Conclusions 12, ibid. p.114; IMC Consensus Paper Workshop III, ibid. p.232-235.

105. On the socio-political context of interreligious dialogue, cf. F.Wilfred, Dialogue Gasping for Breath? Towards New Fro  tiers in Interreligious Dialogue, CCA- FABC, Living and Working Together with Sisters and Brothers of Other Faiths in Asia, An Ecumenical Consultation, Singapore, July 5-10, 1987, pp.70-73.

106. Cf. FABC I, Statement IV, n.14, ibid., p.30. Cf. Theological Advisory Commission (TAC) FABC, Theses on Interreligious Dialogue. An Essay in Pastoral Theological Reflection, in FABC Papers n.48, Hong Kong 1987, especially thesis 1 pp.3-6, thesis 4 pp.10-11, and thesis 7 pp.18-19.

107. Cf. Final Statement, n.7.3.2.3 ad 2, FABC Papers n.59, p.39; also 2.3.3: “to work together for a new world which is at once more human and more divine” is seen as a motivation for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, p.29. Cf. Conclusions of the Theological Consultation, FABC Office of Evangelization, Hua Hin, 1991, nn.39-46, on dialogue. Cf. Asian Colloquium on the Social Doctrine of the Church, Pattaya City 1992, Statement, “We believe...”, n.5: “In the context of Asia, inter-religious dialogue and collaboration for authentic and total human development is a key to social

108. Commitments, n.5.

109. Quoted by D. Preman Niles in his presentation at the CCA Asia Mission Conference, Cipanas, Indonesia, September 21- 27, 1989.

110. Cf. SRS.38.

111. Cf. Resolution 8, FAPA I, p.20

112. Cf. Statement, “We denounce...”, nn.1-4. Cf. the Appeal of the Colloquium “to all governments to respect the human rights and promote the dignity of every human being and group, and to respond to our peoples’ aspirations for equality and participation in public life”, n.6.

113. Cf. Chapter II, nn.2.9 and 2.10. Given the role of ecumenical and above all interreligious dialogue as the “essential mode of evangelization” in Asia, it would be quite worthwhile to explore the interreligious and ecumenical resources as well, which, however, we will leave here for lack of time and space; see: The TAC- FABC on Church and Politics 1992, nn.4.3 and 4.4.

114. Cf. The TAC-FABC on Church and Politics 1992, n.4.5.1.

115. Cf. Asian Colloquium on the Social Doc- trine of the Church, Pattaya City 1992, Statement, “We believe...”, n.4.

116. Cf. ibidem, n.4.5.2.

117. Cf. ibidem, n.4.5.3.

118. Cf. ibidem, n.4.5.4. The Asian Colloquium on the Social Doctrine of the Church insists on the formation of the lay faithful in the field of social involvement, Statement, Commitments, n.6.

119. Cf. ibidem, n.4.5.5.

120. Cf. ibidem, n.4.5.6.

121. Cf. ibidem, n. 4.5.7.

122. Cf. F.Wilfred, “Towards an Anthropologically and Culturally Founded Ecclesiology”, Sunset in the East? p.231-241.

123. Cf. SRS.12.

124. Cf. FABC III, Statement n.7, FAPA I, pp.93-94.

125. Cf. FABC IV, Statement n.4.6.2, FAPA II, p.334.

126. Cf. BISA V 1979, n.12, FAPA II, p.374; BISA VI 1983, nn.8-9, ibid. p.382. Cf. F.Wilfred, Sunset in the East? part I chapter 5: “Option for the Poor and Options of the Poor – Reflections from an Asian Perspective”, pp.100-117, particularly pp.111ff on involvement of the Churches.

127. Cf. IMC, Consensus Paper Workshop IV, n.11; 13, FAPA I, pp.239-240.

128. Cf. BISA II 1975, n.4, FAPA II, p.352.

129. Cf. ABM 1970, Message n.19, FAPA I, p.15, referred to in IMC, Consensus Paper Workshop IV, n.4, p.237; BISA I 1974, n.3, p.346.

130. Cf. SRS.39.

131. Cf. BISA V 1979, 12-13, FAPA II, p.374, quoted in IMC, Consensus Paper Workshop IV, n.5, p.238; the Consultation of South East Asian Bishops on Dialogue between Church and Society emphasized a “spirituality of justice and non-violence which includes the preferential option for the poor”, FABC Newsletter n.64, September - November 1987, pp.2-3; AISA I, Antipolo, August 28 - September 5, 1987, FABC Newsletter n.64, p.3; AISA II, Macau, January 4-9, 1989, FABC Newsletter n.70, February - April 1989, p.1.

132. Cf. IMC, Consensus Paper Workshop IV, n.8, p.239; n.9 mentions some of the causes; cf. BISA III 1975, n.3, PAPA II, p.358.

133. Cf. ABM 1970, Message n.17, FAPA I, p.14.

134. Cf. ABM 1970, Message n.20, FAPA I, p.15; cf. resolution 2, p.19.

135. Cf. BISA III 1975, n.8.2, ibid. p.360.

136. Cf. BISA II 1975, n.11, FAPA II, p.354.

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