Introduction
In this paper, we intend to highlight how the current synodal process would be a ‘new way’ of being a Church in Asia today, and how it would enable the local Churches in Asia to achieve their respective Public Good in solidarity with the rest of the living realities in Asia. In order to go about our task, we intend to first have a quick look at the instances in history when such ‘new ways’ of being Church were launched in Asia, and then, we will point out how the current synodal process will enable the Churches in Asia to be truly local, and thus, would enable them to promote the public good.
I. ‘New Way of Being Church in the History of Asia: Five Main Initiatives
Analyzing the history of the Church in Asia, one can easily perceive five main initiatives of “new ways of being Church in Asia”. In fact, this phrase itself expresses a certain sense of continental identity, i.e., by being Asian, continental, or contextual through such a ‘new way’. The five initiatives are:
- New Way of Being Church’ during the Apostolic Era in Asia
It is well-accepted that there had been scattered Christian missionary activities in some parts of the Asian continent right from the Apostolic times. Thus, Popular Christian tradition/s has it that quite a number of Apostles themselves were involved in proclaiming the good news in Asia. Not only Thomas and Bartholomeus who are believed to have been to India, but also the great missionary in the New Testament, Paul himself is believed to have been to what was known as “Asia Minor” which was surely part of Asia. Their’s surely were ‘new ways’ of being Church on Asian soil.
Moreover, we still have some vibrant Christian communities in various parts of Asia which have their roots going back to those Apostolic times, eg., the various Oriental Churches of Asia. Perhaps, it is worth noting here that from the earliest times, their way of being a Church was mainly synodal as attested by those ancient Oriental Churches even today.[1]
- ‘New Way of Being Church’ during the Missionary Era in Asia
Christianity as a major world religion entered the Asian ethos in a wider and more formal sense from the time of the European missionary activities since the 15th century. Most of these European missionaries who belonged to different religious congregations/orders were so dedicated in their endeavors to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the Asian peoples that they not only worked but also died in Asia giving themselves completely to the cause of the Mission of the Church as it was understood at that time. That’s why in spite of some of the exaggerations and errors in their missionary methods in ‘importing’ European Christianity to Asia, no one would ever deny that often they exhausted themselves with great missionary zeal and dedication to the cause of evangelization in Asia for which they had given their whole lives. However, Jesus who was born lived, and died in Asia[2], was brought to Asia on a large-scale well-planned missionary effort, by presenting him to the Asians in an exclusively non-Asian (but European) garb, so to say.[3] There were, of course, some glaring and scattered exceptions to this main trend, as those missionary methods adopted by pioneers such as Matteo Ricci in China, Roberto de Nobili in India, and Joseph Vaz in Sri Lanka, attest. That is to say that it was a time when the missionaries sincerely and tirelessly, but almost unquestioningly tried to plant in Asia the ecclesial experiences they have had in their native lands, often without any adaptation to the local contexts and ‘signs of the times’.[4]
- ‘New Way of Being Church in the post-Vatican-II Era
After Vatican II, in most parts of Asia, there were various efforts to implement the conciliar teachings in the hope of entering into yet another ‘new way’ of being Church all over the world. The conciliar teachings which called for really ‘new’ and radically diverse ways of being Church all over the world had their impact on the Churches in Asia, too. For example, the celebration of the Eucharist in the respective vernaculars, the translations of the Bible and other ecclesial works into vernacular, scattered efforts at inculturation in various spheres of ecclesial life, changes in seminary curricula, the establishment of national episcopal conferences, …etc. took place. This surely was a radically ‘new way’ of being the Church in Asia.
- ‘New Way of Being Church’ – the FABC Model since 1990
The Fifth FABC Plenary Assembly of Bishops which was held in 1990 in Bangkok is considered by quite a number of scholars not only as being quite innovative but also as being a sort of giving birth to a new way of being Church in Asia, especially through the Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs).[5] Almost anticipating the current synodal process, these BECs encouraged greater lay participation in the life and mission of the Church, especially in parishes and Christian movements. With the able encouragement of the FABC and some local dioceses in Asia, the concept of BECs gave birth to a more meaningful and relevant way of being the followers of Jesus Christ in Asia which surely was ‘a new way’ of being Church.
- The latest universal Initiative towards a ‘New Way of Being Church’ – the call to be a Synodal Church
With Pope Francis’ initiative to launch a process of synodality in the universal Church, one notices not only the latest effort towards a ‘new way of Being Church’ but it is also an effort to put into practice the basic ecclesiology of Vatican-II as one finds it in Lumen Gentium. In this sense, though it is not that ‘new’ (at least in theory), it surely is radically ‘new’ because such a process appears to many in the contemporary Catholic Church as something totally “new”. Simply put, it is not only a recovery of Vatican II’s ecclesiology but it is also a return to the essence of the early Church practice of the synodal way.
[1] Cf., Norman Tanner SJ, (Ed.), Decrees of Ecumenical Councils, Vol. I, London: Sheed & Ward, 1990, 108; Francis Thonippara CMI, “Jerusalem Council: A Paradigm for a Synodal Church”, Asian Horizons 14:1 (March 2020), 29-44.
[2] Cf., Pope John Paul II, Ecclesia in Asia (1999), No:20.
[3] Jesus of Nazareth, as presented to Asia by these missionaries was someone quite different from the Jesus that comes out of the pages of the gospels. See, for example, Albert Nolan, Jesus Before Christianity, Revised Edition, Maryknoll (NY): Orbis Books, 1992.
[4] Although this phrase came into popular ecclesial use only since the period of Vatican II, what we mean here is the lack of those missionaries to see the need to respond differently to what was so different from their native contextual realities. According to the well-known Sri Lankan theologian, Aloysius Pieris, all such missionary efforts to convert Asians to Christ on a large-scale conversion spree (as they had done elsewhere) were futile. Consequently, even as Christianity continues to be a minority in Asia even to this day, has been blocked by the intrinsic link between the great Asian religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism,….etc. and the respective cultures of Asian countries within which these religions had taken root and grown. Cf., Aloysius Pieris, An Asian Theology of Liberation, Maryknoll (NY): Orbis Books, 1988.
[5] Cf., Ramesh Lakshmanan, “A New Way of Being Church: FABC Teachings on Basic Ecclesial Communities”, East Asian Pastoral Review, 51:2 (2014), 140-165.