CCA condemns the arrest and detention of Bishop Carlos Morales of the Philippine Independent Church

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

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15 May 2017

Bishop-morales-2

The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) condemned the illegal arrest and detention of the Bishop of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Church) – IFI, Bishop Carlos Morales on Thursday, 11 May 2017.

Bishop Morales, his wife Maria Teofilina Morales, driver Sadome Dalid and a companion were arrested at a checkpoint while travelling by car in the village of Gango in Ozamis City, Philippines.

“The Christian Conference of Asia considers the illegal arrest and detention of a religious and spiritual leader like Bishop Morales appalling and a violation of human rights,” the General Secretary of the CCA, Dr. Mathews George Chunakara said in a statement. He further urged the immediate release of Bishop Morales and his companions.

“It is unfortunate that Bishop Morales has been accorded with such maltreatment. Despite introducing himself as a bishop, he was illegally arrested, handcuffed and detained in a crowded holding cell in the city's police station.”

The bishop is facing charges of "harbouring a Most Wanted person", who was travelling with the bishop in his car and is an alleged member of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

While condemning the arrest and detention of Bishop Morales, Bishop Antonio Ablon of the nearby Pagadian Diocese of the IFI said that the accusation of the police against Bishop Morales was baseless. He stated that as a religious leader, the bishop has an obligation to provide protection or sanctuary to any person who is in distress or politically persecuted.

Members of the church held a protest outside the police station to call for the release of the bishop and his companions. The IFI is a member church of the CCA and the World Council of Churches (WCC).

Read the full text of the CCA General Secretary’s statement on Bishop Carlos Morales' illegal detention.