Another Church is possible
International Incontro on Renewal in the Catholic Church
Carlos
III University - Leganes (Madrid)
2002
/ September / 19 - 22
A Renewed Church in Asia : A Mission of Love and Service
Theophilus Bela M.A.
Lay person.
Member of the Christian Forum for communication in Jakarta and of the
Indonesian Committee for Religion and Peace.
Jakarta.
I am asked to give a presentation about the vision of the Asian Catholic Church as Being Church in Asia which is fundamentally that of the “Church-In-Dialogue”. To start with I will give an outline about the vision of Renewal of the Church in Asia .
The down of the new millennium is a time of crisis . Yet a time of crisis, as Scripture and the whole history of the Church show us, is a time of new beginnings, of new movements. The thirty year history of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) has been a concerted series of movements toward a renewed Church . We observe eight movements that as a whole constitute an Asian vision of a renewed Church .
In articulating the “Emerging demands of mission of the Church at the turn of the century”, now we need greater clarity on the unity of the paths of mission and the triple dialogue with the poor, the cultures, and the religions ,which the FABC espouses . Dialogue therefore, has to be constantly kept in mind as the Church embarks on its mission of evangelization in Asia .
Dialogue is the fundamental way of being church in Asia. Ecclesia in Asia (EA) mentions “dialogue is a characteristic mode of the Church’s life in Asia” (EA 3). Specifically, the dialogue of life in the way to being a rooted and participatory Church in Asia . For a true and dynamic inculturation , participation and immersion take place first in and through what we call the dialogue of life, that is, in the daily contacts, the relations of spontaneous humanity in families, neighborhoods and work places, in cooperation and joint efforts for the common good and the well being of community .
The dialogue of life should not be understood narrowly . It can and does take place in small joint efforts as well as in great movements of people in different areas of social life, for the promotion of human well being . In a dialogue of life we discover the resources of spontaneous and liberative interhumaneness for being a better society and a harmony of peoples.
The Church can be truly evangelizing only in a dialogue of life in which there is respect for humanity of peoples, their cultures, worldviews, their heritage of values, which are fruits of the Spirit . The dialogue of life is the locus to discern the works of the Spirit. The evangelizing mission oth the Church demands this discernment .
By listening to the ways and actions of the Spirit, we learn the concrete historical imperatives of mission .It means that the Church is concerned not only for orthodoxy but also for orthopraxis which necessarily includes “orthopresence”
In interreligious dialogue, we learn from the heritage and wisdom of other religions and cultures, which strengthen and sustain the ongoing praxis of dialogue . For the future of dialogue , the Buddhist virtue of reverence for reverence and the principle of openness to truth wherever it comes from are necessary. These values are not mere philosophical principles, but constitute a way of life and spirituality .
We say that the Church in Asia is a Church in dialogue. One of the first requirements of dialogue is listening . Listening is a spirituality, an exercise and experience of faith . Listening as spirituality demand self-kenosis . Only in kenosis, can one listen pr be open to the mystery of the other, above all to the surprising ways of the Spirit, which blows where it wills . Listening takes place within a relationship. It fosters relationships and strengthens them .
A Church in dialogue should grow in genuine and intense listening and discerning. When the Church promotes a culture of dialogue, it promotes a spirituality of listening as essential to all genuine human relations. We cannot build communities, ecclesial or human, without a culture and a spirituality of listening .The Church can and should contribute also to civil society by its value priorities, especially by a culture of dialogue marked by listening .Dialogue is “a duty and challenge” to the whole Church (EA 31) .
Dialogue constitutes a model of intercultural and interreligious relationships worthy of human persons and believers . It also means that without dialogue, there is no practice of justice, and no praxis of love command . We can, therefore, affirm that the praxis of true dialogue is the praxis of the love command .We can go further and affirm that the praxis of dialogue is an act of evangelization .
The practice of true dialogue is an acceptance of the other as the other, in his or her dignity , freedom and worth .This is the first essential element of true love of neighbour, which does not instrumentalize any aspect of human person .The love command is counter-cultural exploitation .
In interreligious dialogue, we keep an openness of faith to God’s universality of grace, the ways in which it reaches peoples and religions responding to the mystery of the Ultimate and their place in the economy of salvation . Dialogue is a dialogue of salvation .Sharing our faith of Jesus Christ in a dialogical way “cannot constitute exclusion of the religious experiences of our neighbors in their religious tradition” (JP II).
Interreligious dialogue also means to build interreligious relations based on the common humanity and fellowship of faiths. This task includes building a just,humane, and compassionate society . The harmony of relationships is the foundation for interreligious harmony.
It is axiomatic to say that to be human, i.e. to be authentically human, is to be truly and effectively interhuman . Our humanity grows and flourishes when our relationships are humane, brotherly and sisterly. So too, to be religious, to be an authentic religious believer, is to be truly and effectively interreligious . In this approach, we learn corresponsibility for cooperative action and solidarity to respond to great issues affecting our Asian society . Social justice, peace, human rights, and ecology are common questions to religions that challenge them to responsibility .
Instead of being a liability and obstacle to social and religious harmony, religions need to be engaged in joint action for building a society that is just, humane and compassionate for all .”Religion is not, and must not become a pretext for conflict, particularly when religious cultural and ethnic identities coincide. Religion and peace go together” (JP II) .
Committed persons and groups of different religious communities can and do come together in cooperative action for the promotion of human rights, communal harmony and peace and for the protection of the environment. In pluralistic societies such persons or groups belong to different religions and ideologies. In their actions and movements we discern the signs of hope and join them in solidarity in a truly evangelical spirit .
Interreligious dialogue means undergoing a paradigm shift from conversation and exchange to one of journeying together, undertaking a pilgrimage towards healed and healing, reconciled and reconciling harmony, in a world saddled with tensions and conflicts . This paradigm shift is rooted in a dialogue of life where people relate to each other as fellow humans and fellow believers and strengthen life in community .
We learn the value of respect for others’ religions and learn reverence for reference, a Buddhist virtue, so basic in all interreligious relations . In interreligious dialogue, we not only learn from each other but also we are taught by each other . We can therefore understand this as a mutual process of evangelizing and of being evangelized .
The great challenge of interreligious dialogue for the local churches in Asia is that they grow not only in ecumenical togetherness in mission, but are dialogical in its deepest and richest sense , by being rooted in God’s own dialogue of life and salvation with all humankind, and avoid the instrumentalization of interreligious relations . The churches are committed to God’s reign and its growth among peoples . Being a Church in dialogue is itself an expression of evangelization that emcompasses many aspects .
In Asia at the turn of the century, building interreligious relations in togetherness with a conviction of God’s reign, as a gift and challenge to all, will be one of the most important demands of mission . Sharing or proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ belongs here .
Religious Fundamentalism
The importance and urgency of this demand of mission becomes clearer with the growth of different forms of fundamentalism –cultural, religious,nationalist – which disrupt and break people’s togetherness and solidarity .
In countries where there is revival of religious fundamentalism, there is a campaign for homogeneity of culture and nationalism, like the Hindutva of Hindu fundamentalism in India, threatening the pluralistic, secular character of modern democratic polity, affirmed by the Indian Constitution . Such an approach is also seen in some of the Asian countries with Muslim majority .Islamisation promoted by fundamentalists makes those who do not belong to their affiliation second class citizens, outsiders or objects of harassment, a great negative force opposed to solidarity and harmony of peoples.
When we say no to such forces , we not only claim our legitimate freedom to be ourselves as churches , but also say something about our faith and what it stands for in relation to others, their religious traditions and their rights,and above all, our commitment to the Gospel values of justice, dignity, freedom, love and solidarity and garmony of peoples . When we commit ourselves to build interreligious harmony and peace, we do gospel work .
The dialogical way of being Church calls for an adequate formation for dialogue for priests, laity and religious . Bishops, as pastors of the local churches, need to give leadership because the mission of the Church can be fulfilled only in dialogue . In Asia, the Church has to learn to be interreligious . Every Christian has to grow in this interreligious relatedness . Here we note that the office for the ecumenism and interreligious dialogue of the FABC and commissions for dialogue in different national Bishops’ conferences have not only promoting interreligious dialogue but also have been offering training programs for pastors, clergy, religious and laity .
At the turn of the century , commitment to the ongoing ministry of dialogue remains a duty and challenge to the Church in Asia . Hence formation needs to be taken up as a matter of urgency . Basic ecclesial communities, the hope for the future of the universal Church, ought to become conducive to formation in and for dialogue . Faith formation and catechesis need to include this dimension . Christian communities in Asia need to grow in interreligious awareness as a demand of being Church .If the ecumenical relatedness of the Church aims at ecclesial unity, interreligious relations fostered by various levels of dialogue become integral to the fundamental goal of evangelizing mission of the Church . Formation for this way of being Church becomes a priority for which inputs and insights come from the experiences of dialogue for the last two decades or more .