Cardinal Gracias: The Church and the young people of Asia, to help decadent West
by Nirmala Carvalho
Card. Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai, president of the Bishops 'Conference of India, and the new Secretary General of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC), proposes the Asian model of religiosity against secularization and the disintegration of the family in the West. Focusing on young people, builders of a new humanity and tomorrow’s leaders.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Card. Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai and president of the Indian Bishops Conference, was elected Secretary General of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC). The FABC is the body that represents 19 bishops' conferences, consisting of 28 member countries in Asia. The Federation coordinates the work of the Church in these countries, and liaises with the Vatican and government authorities. The Central Secretariat is located in Hong Kong and is the primary service agency of the FABC, an instrument of coordination both within the FABC and with external offices and agencies in other Asian countries.
The tasks of the FABC include: exchanging information and experiences, promoting studies and research on issues common to the Conference members, particularly in the areas of evangelization, justice, peace, cultural adaptation and other aspects of human development, establishing contacts with relevant pontifical organizations and international studies, organizing conferences, meetings and seminars on relevant topics, and promoting dialogue with other Christians, with members of other Asian religions and all men and women of good will, mutual understanding and confronting common problems in Asia. Below, an exclusive AsiaNews interview with Card. Oswald Gracias, the new Secretary General of the FABC.
Eminence, what is your vision of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences?
FABC is a should assist all the other Episcopal Conferences in Asia, apart from coordinating, it should be a channel for exchange for the apostolate and also to help in particular the weaker conferences like Laos, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, while the stronger countries like India can share personnel, expertise and resources. In their work and their mission, it must focus on the realities of Asia today: its historical, cultural, religious, socio-political and economic realities.
Card. Gracias, you are a champion of religious freedom in India, Asia and the world. As Secretary General of the FABC, how will you address the challenges of religious freedom and the growing intolerance and fundamentalism?
Asia is also the cradle of the world’s major religions; Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. It is the birthplace of many other spiritual traditions such as Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Sikhism and Shintoism.
Religious Freedom is a Universal Right and is certainly one of the roles of the FABC to show to the world how Religions work and work towards inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue. To collaborate with each other for the good of humanity, affirming the values of mutual respect, solidarity and peace. We are all searching for the Truth, and therefore we have a common goal and we have much more commonalities than things that separate us. Asia can teach the global society about importance of inter-religious dialogue and effective ways of dialogue.
Sadly, while rising fundamentalism is cause for concern, prayers and dialogue, there are also stories of witness, where good overcomes evil, stories of hope, for Asia has a rich cultural heritage and with its multi-cultural and pluri-religious society it has been a model for harmonious and peaceful coexistence of different tribes, peoples and communities
Building bridges of understanding, promoting inter religious dialogue, and working towards building Gods Kingdom of love, truth peace and justice harmony, sincere mutual understanding and together maintain and promote social justice and moral values as well as peace and freedom for all people
Asia is rich in culture; we can make our contribution to the Universal Church and take our rightful place in society.
How can Asia face the challenges of secularism and be a symbol for the secular West?
Asia is a continent of spiritual vitality. We Asians have a sense of the divine and God is an important element in our lives and our families. Therefore, Asia can contribute to the importance of God and the family in our lives, to fight the forces of the secular world. In Asian families, the children are loved as God's gifts Families have an important place in our cultures. Values like filial respect, love and care for the elderly and the weak, love and harmony for the children, are held in high regard in all cultures and religious traditions of Asia. We know that secularization leads to the exclusion of God from life and the increasing disintegration of the family. This is the contribution of Asia to the secular world: the importance of God and family.
Today we are witnessing the economic decline of the western world. Our beloved Holy Father's encyclical Caritas in Veritate asked to bring ethics to our political and economic life: Asia shows that it is possible. We the people of Asia, imbued with religious and cultural values, we can show the world how to bring God from the edge of life and society to the center of our lives, our families, society and the world.
Your Eminence, you are a young leader who leads a young continent. What are your hopes for the Asian Youth?
Young people are the present, and Asia is a young continent home to about 60% of the world’s young people, full of vitality and capacity for renewal. The youth is our greatest strength and we hope to strengthen our youth, giving them hope and skills: working with governments, making them the leaders of tomorrow, and with ethical values and visions that can make a positive difference in all spheres of society , for the common good. We know that the seed of faith is present in the Asian youth and we want to nurture this faith, cultivating optimism and hope in our young people.
The Asian youth tackle the culture of death with a commitment to life, a vision of hope and a renewed ethic of justice and responsibility: promoting a culture of life, to be builders of a new humanity.
The tasks of the FABC include: exchanging information and experiences, promoting studies and research on issues common to the Conference members, particularly in the areas of evangelization, justice, peace, cultural adaptation and other aspects of human development, establishing contacts with relevant pontifical organizations and international studies, organizing conferences, meetings and seminars on relevant topics, and promoting dialogue with other Christians, with members of other Asian religions and all men and women of good will, mutual understanding and confronting common problems in Asia. Below, an exclusive AsiaNews interview with Card. Oswald Gracias, the new Secretary General of the FABC.
Eminence, what is your vision of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences?
FABC is a should assist all the other Episcopal Conferences in Asia, apart from coordinating, it should be a channel for exchange for the apostolate and also to help in particular the weaker conferences like Laos, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, while the stronger countries like India can share personnel, expertise and resources. In their work and their mission, it must focus on the realities of Asia today: its historical, cultural, religious, socio-political and economic realities.
Card. Gracias, you are a champion of religious freedom in India, Asia and the world. As Secretary General of the FABC, how will you address the challenges of religious freedom and the growing intolerance and fundamentalism?
Asia is also the cradle of the world’s major religions; Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. It is the birthplace of many other spiritual traditions such as Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Sikhism and Shintoism.
Religious Freedom is a Universal Right and is certainly one of the roles of the FABC to show to the world how Religions work and work towards inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue. To collaborate with each other for the good of humanity, affirming the values of mutual respect, solidarity and peace. We are all searching for the Truth, and therefore we have a common goal and we have much more commonalities than things that separate us. Asia can teach the global society about importance of inter-religious dialogue and effective ways of dialogue.
Sadly, while rising fundamentalism is cause for concern, prayers and dialogue, there are also stories of witness, where good overcomes evil, stories of hope, for Asia has a rich cultural heritage and with its multi-cultural and pluri-religious society it has been a model for harmonious and peaceful coexistence of different tribes, peoples and communities
Building bridges of understanding, promoting inter religious dialogue, and working towards building Gods Kingdom of love, truth peace and justice harmony, sincere mutual understanding and together maintain and promote social justice and moral values as well as peace and freedom for all people
Asia is rich in culture; we can make our contribution to the Universal Church and take our rightful place in society.
How can Asia face the challenges of secularism and be a symbol for the secular West?
Asia is a continent of spiritual vitality. We Asians have a sense of the divine and God is an important element in our lives and our families. Therefore, Asia can contribute to the importance of God and the family in our lives, to fight the forces of the secular world. In Asian families, the children are loved as God's gifts Families have an important place in our cultures. Values like filial respect, love and care for the elderly and the weak, love and harmony for the children, are held in high regard in all cultures and religious traditions of Asia. We know that secularization leads to the exclusion of God from life and the increasing disintegration of the family. This is the contribution of Asia to the secular world: the importance of God and family.
Today we are witnessing the economic decline of the western world. Our beloved Holy Father's encyclical Caritas in Veritate asked to bring ethics to our political and economic life: Asia shows that it is possible. We the people of Asia, imbued with religious and cultural values, we can show the world how to bring God from the edge of life and society to the center of our lives, our families, society and the world.
Your Eminence, you are a young leader who leads a young continent. What are your hopes for the Asian Youth?
Young people are the present, and Asia is a young continent home to about 60% of the world’s young people, full of vitality and capacity for renewal. The youth is our greatest strength and we hope to strengthen our youth, giving them hope and skills: working with governments, making them the leaders of tomorrow, and with ethical values and visions that can make a positive difference in all spheres of society , for the common good. We know that the seed of faith is present in the Asian youth and we want to nurture this faith, cultivating optimism and hope in our young people.
The Asian youth tackle the culture of death with a commitment to life, a vision of hope and a renewed ethic of justice and responsibility: promoting a culture of life, to be builders of a new humanity.
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