PONTIFICIA UNIVERSITÀ GREGORIANA

Facoltà di Missiologia

ECCLESIA IN ASIA
PRESENTATION OF THE DOCUMENT WHITH SOME
THEOLOGICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS

Esercitazione per il corso di

Teologia sistematica della missione
MP 2002

Dello Studente: Wieslaw MAZ

Matricola: 158748
Diretto dal Professore: Adam Wolanin

Roma 2009
INTRODUCTION

I. PRESENTATION OF THE DOCUMENT

1. 'SEE' – AN EXPLORATION OF THE ASIAN CONTEXT

2. 'JUDGE' – DOCTRINAL TEACHING

CHRISTOLOGY FOR ASIA

PNEUMATOLOGY FOR ASIA

3. 'ACT' – PASTORAL AND PRACTICAL TEACHING

WITNESS TO THE GOSPEL

THE PRIMACY OF PROCLAMATION

THE CHALLENGE OF INCULTURATION

INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

II. THEOLOGICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS

1. DOCUMENT FOR ASIA – NOT AN ASIAN DOCUMENT

2. THEOLOGICAL DEBATE

3. JOHN PAUL II

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 INTRODUCTION
With the promulgation of the Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Asia in New
Delhi, India, on November 6, 1999, the Pope John Paul II wished to share with the
Church in Asia and throughout the world the fruits of the Special Assembly for
Asia of the Synod of Bishops1 (4), which had met in Rome from April 19 to May
14, 19982. The Asian Synod was a part of the larger program of preparation to
welcome the Third Millennium of Christianity, a program announced by the Pope
in his Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio Adveniente3 and which was centered on the
challenges of the new evangelization4. Referring to the Asian Synod, the Pope wrote
in that same letter:

The issue of the encounter of Christianity with ancient local cultures and religions
is a pressing one. This is a great challenge for evangelization, since religious
systems such as Buddhism or Hinduism have a clearly soteriological character5.

1 The extent documentation of the synod: Enchiridion del Sinodo dei Vesovi.
1996-2007, (edizione bilingue), III, Bologna 2007, 5557-5979.
2 The issuance of EA was the concluding moment of the Special Assembly for Asia
of the Synod of Bishops, popularly known as the “Asian Synod”. This four-year
project of Church reflection and renewal began with the publication of the
Lineamenta (1996), continued with discussion on the Instrumentum Laboris
(1998), reached its apex with the month-long Synod sessions in Rome (April 19
– May 14, 1988), and culminated with the proclamation of the post-synodal
Ecclesia in Asia. J.H. KROEGER, Continuing Pentecost in Asia. Introducing
'Ecclesia in Asia', in J.H. KROEGER, P.C. PHAN, The Future of the Asian
Churches. The Asian Synod and 'Ecclesia in Asia', Quezon City, Philippines, 2002,
70.
3 Cf. Tertio Millenio Adveniente (Novemer 10, 1994), 21,38.
4 Preparation for the Jubilee Year was for the Pope one of the most important
events of his Pontificate: “Preparing the Year 2000 has become as it were a
hermeneutical key of my Pontificate”. Ibid., 23.
5 Ibid., 38. Cf. EA 2.
 The theme chosen by the Pope for the Synod was: Jesus Christ the Saviour
and his Mission of Love and Service in Asia:”That they may have Life and have it
abundantly” (Jn 10:10), and was intended to be the inspiration for the Synod to
“illustrate and explain more fully the truth that Christ is the one Mediator between
God and man and the sole Redeemer of the world, to be clearly distinguished from
the founders of other great religions”(2).

P. Phan, one of the theologians who followed attentively the synodal

discussions estimates that, “all of the five Special Assemblies of the Synod of
Bishops that the Pope John Paul II convoked to celebrate the coming of the third
millennium of Christianity6, the one for Asia was, theologically speaking, the most
exciting”7. However, the Asian Synod was much more than only theological debate.
It was “a moment of special grace!”(3); “a celebratory remembering of the Asian
roots of Christianity”(4); “a call to conversion”(4); and in the firs place “an ardent
affirmation of faith in Jesus Christ the Saviour”(4). All of these 'moments of grace'
guided the Synod Fathers to call “all Christ's disciples in Asia to a new commitment
to mission”(4).

6 Africa (1994), America (1997), Asia (1998), Oceania (1998), and Europe (1999).
7 Theological topics that had been debated among theologians in their recondite
journals and books were now brought to the open forum: 1). How to proclaim
the uniqueness and universality of Jesus Christ as savior in Asia in the presence
of the Buddha and other religious founders? More radically, can and should this
claim about Jesus still be made? 2). What can we say about the Church as the
necessary means of salvation in light of other religions which, far from
disappearing like darkness before the dazzling light of the Christian faith as past
missionaries have confidently predicted, are as vibrant as ever, many of them
older and more vigorous that Christianity itself, and continue to nourish billions
of Asian souls among whom Christians are but the tiniest minority? 3). Why is
Jesus, who was born in Asia, still regarded by Asians as a stranger despite more
than centuries of intense evangelization? 4). Can inculturation, interreligious
dialogue, and liberation of the poor and the marginalized be considered intrinsic
parts of evangelization? If so, should they replace proclamation? P.C. PHAN,
(ed.), The Asian Synod. Texts and Commentaries, Maynknoll 2002, ix.
 I. PRESENTATION OF THE DOCUMENT
The doctrinal and pastoral teaching of Ecclesia in Asia has to be analyzed
with a double reference to its major themes and the particular situations of Asia.
The document addresses many theological and practical questions but focuses on
one single constituency, the local Church in Asia8. In the light of this
methodological clarification, we are going to present the teachings of Ecclesia in
Asia, following the schema proposed by P. Hai. According to this theologian, the
structure of the Pope's document is based on the “See, Judge, Act” process, typical
of contextual methodology9.

The firs part of the Exhortation corresponds to the “SEE” phase, in which
the Pope gives an overview of the Asian context (chapter 1); the second part
corresponds to the “JUDGE” phase, with its doctrinal presentation of christology
and pneumatology for Asia (chapters 2 and 3); and the third part corresponds to the
“ACT” phase, with its pastoral and practical teachings, in which the Pope refers to
the witness to the Gospel (chapter 7), proclamation and inculturation (chapter 4),
ecumenical and interreligious dialogue (chapter 5), and human promotion (chapter
6)10.
8 P.N.V. HAI, Lay People in the Asian Church: A Study of John Paul II's Theology
of the Laity in Ecclesia in Asia with reference to the Documents of the
Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, Australian EJournal of Theology,
10(2007), www.dlibrary.acu.edu.au (...).htm, (25.05.2008), chapter 1.
9 Ibid.
10 This grouping differs from what was proposed by James Kroeger, who structured
the post-synodal document along three “underlying thematics”. His first section,
consisting of chapter 1, is “an exploration of the concrete situation of
contemporary Asia”. His second section, comprising chapters 2,3, and 4, deals
with the “Theological-Doctrinal Aspects of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit”, and
his third section, composed of the last three chapters, discusses “The Church's
Mission of Love and Service in Asia”. In his view, chapters 2,3, and 4 together
“describe a type of 'doctrinal orientation to the Church's Asian mission'. The
strength of this assertion is that it highlights the the linkage between chapter 2
“Jesus the Saviour: Gift to Asia” and chapter 4 “Jesus the Saviour: Proclaiming
the Gift”, an implicit allusion to the Pope's gift/task idea, a logic that we contend
is central to Ecclesia in Asia. Ibid. Cf. J.H. KROEGER, Continuing Pentecost in
 In this writing we are going to focus our attention on some selected topics
of Ecclesia in Asia, namely: the Asian context, christology for Asia, pneumatology
for Asia, witness to the Gospel, proclamation, inculturation and interreligious
dialogue. Most of the titles that appear in the Exhortation are followed.

1. 'SEE' – AN EXPLORATION OF THE ASIAN CONTEXT

To understand the situation of the Church in Asia it is important to have a

consistent knowledge of the specific conditions of the Asian continent, which make
the context of the Church's mission. There are two major factors which conditioned
“the Church's mission of love and service in Asia” (5): the first: self-understanding
of the Church as “a community of disciples of Jesus Christ” (5), and second:
“social, political, religious, cultural and economic realities of Asia” (5). In the first
chapter Ecclesia in Asia evaluates the second factor.

Religious and Cultural Context

As the Pope remarks “the most striking feature of the [Asian] continent is
the variety of its peoples who are heirs to ancient cultures, religions and traditions”
(6). It is the cradle of the world's major religions and the birthplace of many
spiritual traditions, for which “the Church has the deepest respect and seeks to
engage in sincere dialogue with their followers” (6)11.

The Exhortation gives a comprehensive list of the religious and cultural

values which the people of Asia are pride of:

love of silence and contemplation, simplicity, harmony, detachment, non-

violence, the spirit of hard work, discipline, frugal living, the thirst for learning
and philosophical inquiry. (...) respect for life, compassion for all beings,
Asia, 71.
11 It is interesting to note the distinction between 'religions' to which Pope
accounts Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism; 'traditional or tribal religions',
and 'spiritual traditions' – Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism,
Jainism, Sikhism and Shintoism (6).
 closeness to nature, filial piety towards parents, elders and ancestors, and a highly
developed sense of community. (...) family as a vital source of strength, a closely
knit community with a powerful sense of solidarity. (…) spirit of religious
tolerance and peaceful co-existence (6)

At this point the document for the first time underlines that, all of these
values “await their fulfillment in Jesus Christ” (6).

It is also at this point that, the Pope speaks for the first time of the “Asian
soul” with its innate spiritual insight and moral wisdom. “It is the core around
which a growing sense of 'being Asian' is built” (6). 'Asian soul' and 'being Asian'
can be discovered and acknowledge “not in confrontation and opposition, but in the
spirit of complementarity and harmony” (6), as the Pope affirms.

Evaluation of the religious and cultural realities underlines that, “despite the
influence of modernization and secularization, Asian religions are showing signs of
great vitality and a capacity for renewal” (6).

Economic and Social Context

Given description of the social and economical situation of Asia stressed the
significance of enormous diversity of situations. “Some countries are highly
developed, others are developing through effective economic policies, and others
still find themselves in abject poverty (7). However, there is a rapid change which
brings both positive and negative transformations.

Regarding the negative aspects, the document speaks of: urbanization,

which often brings the situations of organized crime, terrorism, prostitution, and the
exploitation of the weaker, especially in the suburbs of the mammoth
conglomerations; migration, which forces millions of people in situations which are
difficult economically, culturally and morally; tourism, which in some cases results
in degradation of young women and even children through prostitution; population
growth, which, as the Pope underlines “is not merely a demographic or economic
problem but especially a moral one” (7); entertainment industries and mass media,
which are threatening traditional values.

The document stresses that there are two factors which call for an urgent
concern, namely: poverty and the exploitation of people, and specifies two groups
of population: women and indigenous or tribal people, who are often victims of this
unjust social conditions.

Regarding the positive aspects of the rapid changes which took place across
the Asian continent, the Exhortation highlights the extensive economic growth of
many Asian societies in recent decades, which has created “a new generation of
skilled workers, scientists and technicians” (7), who are the hope of further
development in Asia.

Political Context

Exploring the political situations of Asian countries, the document

underlines complex panorama of ideologies, exercising their power in the
Continent: “from democratic forms of government to theocratic ones. Military
dictatorships and atheistic ideologies are very much present (8). The Pope points
out that, in some countries “Christians are not allowed to practice their faith freely”
(8).

One of the biggest problems faced by Asian countries is the “widespread

corruption” (8), which exists at various levels of both government and society.
However, there is a “growing awareness throughout Asia of people's capacity to
change structures” (8). And people are becoming “increasingly conscious of their
human dignity and right and more determined to safeguard them” (8).

Church in Asia

The Exhortation ends its evaluation of this complex and changing Asian
context with a moment of reflection on the past and present of the Church in Asia.
It is stressed that, in the past, “despite centuries-long presence of the Church in
Asia and many apostolic endeavors, the Church in many places was still considered
as foreign to Asia, and was often associated with the colonial powers” (9). As to the
present day, the Church “faces multiple philosophical, theological and pastoral
challenges” (9). Moreover the Church, with the exception of the Philippines, is
facing a challenge of “being minority”.

The hope for the Church can be seen in her presence “among peoples who
display an intense yearning for God” (9), which as “Church knows (...) can only be
fully satisfied by Jesus Christ” (9). Another “solid cause of hope is the increasing
number of better trained, enthusiastic and Spirit-filled lay people. Among them the
lay catechists” (9), which deserved special recognition. John Paul II underlines, and
sees as the work of the Spirit, the increasing number of the apostolic and
charismatic movements, as well as associations and ecclesial movements devoted
to the promotion of human dignity and justice (cf. 9).

2. 'JUDGE' – DOCTRINAL TEACHING

CHRISTOLOGY FOR ASIA

The second chapter of the Ecclesia in Asia presents what can be called a
'christology for Asia', in which the Pope stresses those elements of christology that
could be, and often are reinterpreted in the Asian context. The Pope reminds that
“the Church's unique contribution to the peoples of the [Asian] continent is the
proclamation of Jesus Christ, true God and true man, the one and only Saviour for
all peoples” (10), and see the faith of the Church in Jesus Christ as “a gift received
and a gift to be shared” (10).

Jesus Christ, the God-Man Who Saves

The presentation of the person of Jesus starts in the document with

underlining his “authentically human life” (11). In him, who “was close to the
poor” (11), the Kingdom of God has become present to all people. Pope remarks
that “divine compassion had never been so immediately accessible” (11) as it is in
the person of Jesus Christ, who is the true God and true man. With this in mind the
Pope proclaims:

Jesus is our Savior in the fullest sense of the word because his words and works,
especially his resurrection from the dead, have revealed him to be the Son of God,
the pre-existent Word, who reigns for ever as Lord and messiah (11)

The Person and Mission of the Son of God

The Pope underlines that there is “the communion of life of the Blessed
Trinity and the unity of the three Persons in the plan of creation and redemption”
(12), which means that “we cannot isolate or separate one Person from the others”
(12). The saving action of Jesus is always in relation to the Godhead, and through
Jesus “God's word of salvation appears in all its fullness” (12). It is through Paschal
Mystery of Jesus that the Father “offers reconciliation and fullness of life to the
world” (12). The document emphasizes that what Christianity offers to the word is
the truth that:

in Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, (...) God is not distant,
above and apart from man, but is very near, indeed united to every person and all
humanity in all of life's situation (12)

Jesus Christ – the Truth of Humanity

The document wants to put stress on the fact that “the Incarnate Son of God
not only revealed completely the Father and his plan of salvation; he also fully
reveals man to himself” (13). Once and for all, Jesus became both “the revelation
and the accomplishment of a humanity” (13). In him we can learn “what it means
to be human” (13) and discover the true meaning of the “dignity of each person”,
whose vocation is “to receive love and give love in return” (13). In this way Jesus
brought the “new communion between human beings” (13). The Pope, reminding
the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, concludes: “by his Incarnation, he,
the Son of God, in a certain way united himself with each individual. In this
profound insight the Synod Fathers saw the ultimate source of hope and strength
for the people of Asia in their struggles and uncertainties” (13).

The Uniqueness and Universality of Salvation in Jesus

Arriving at its focal point of the uniqueness and universality of Salvation in

Jesus Christ, the Exhortation makes clear distinction/continuing remark on pre-
existent Word and the incarnate Word. It recalls that “pre-existent Word was
already present in creation, in history and in every human yearning for good (14),
however, “as the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ is now proclaimed as the fulfillment
of all creation, of all history, and of all human yearning for fullness of life” (14). By
his Resurrection, Jesus Christ “is present to all and to the whole of creation in a
new and mysterious way” (14), and all of the authentic values which can be traced
out in religions and cultures “find their fullness and realization” (14) in his person.

The document concludes its christological part with clear reminding of the
uniqueness and the universality of Salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus is unique
because in his person “the definitive manifestation of the mystery of the Father's
love for all” (14) was realized, and “it is precisely this uniqueness of Christ which
gives him an absolute and universal significance” (14). This universal mediation of
salvation means that, “even for those who do not explicitly profess faith in him as
the Saviour, salvation comes as a grace from Jesus Christ through the
communication of the Holy Spirit” (14).

Having presented a 'christology for Asia' the Pope expressed his genuine
vision for Asia:

Contemplating Jesus in his human nature, the peoples of Asia find their deepest
questions answered, their hopes fulfilled, their dignity uplifted and their despair
conquered. Jesus is the Good News for the men and women of every time and
 place in their search for the meaning of existence and for the truth of their own
humanity (14)

PNEUMATOLOGY FOR ASIA

The Spirit as the prime agent of dialogue

Ecclesia in Asia gives a profound account of the work of the Holy Spirit in
the history of humanity. Starting from the first moment of creation, which is “the
first manifestation of the love of the Triune God” (15), the Holy Spirit “is always
present in the world as its life-giving force” (15). The Pope states that, “the Spirit is
in a certain sense a hidden power at work in history, guiding it in the ways of truth
and goodness (15). In this way the Spirit “influences human societies and cultures”
(15), being at “the origin of the noble ideals and undertakings which benefit
humanity on its journey thorough history (15).

Based on these premises, the document recognizes the positive role of

cultures and religions in guiding people to what is good, drawing the attention to:
“Multiple and diversified action of the Holy Spirit who continually sows the seeds
of truth among all peoples, their religions, cultures and philosophies” (15). The
Pope then concludes:

This means that these religions, cultures and philosophies are capable of helping
people, individually and collectively, to work against evil and to serve life and
everything that is good (15)

Acknowledgement of the Holy Spirit, as the one who “sustains people in

their search for mutual understanding and acceptance” (15), advanced the Synod to
regard “the Spirit of God as the prime agent of the Church's dialogue with all
peoples, cultures and religions” (15).

The Holy Spirit and the Incarnation of the Word

In his teaching on the Spirit the Pope underlines that “the Incarnation of the
Son of God is the supreme work of the Holy Spirit” (16). Therefore, It must be
remembered that, “the action of the Spirit in creation and human history acquires
an altogether new significance in his action in the life and mission of Jesus” (16).
The 'seeds of the Word' which the Spirit sows among the nations “prepare the
whole of creation, history and man for full maturity in Christ” (16).

As to some tendencies “to separate the activity of the Holy Spirit from that
of Jesus the Saviour” (16), the Pope reminds what he wrote in Redemptoris Missio:

The Spirit is not an alternative to Christ, nor does he fill a sort of void which is
sometimes suggested as existing between Christ and the Logos. Whatever the
Spirit brings about in human hearts and in the history of peoples, in cultures and
religions serves as a preparation for the Gospel and can only be understood in
reference to Christ, the Word who took flesh by the power of the Spirit (16)

As the consequence, “the universal presence of the Holy Spirit cannot serve
as an excuse for a failure to proclaim Jesus Christ explicitly as the one and only
Saviour” (16).

Regarding the relation between the Spirit and the Church, the document
states boldly that, as “the universal presence of the Holy Spirit is inseparable from
universal salvation in Jesus” (16), so too his “universal presence can never be
separated from his activity within the Body of Christ, the Church” (16). The Holy
Spirit “shapes the Church as a community of witnesses who, through his power,
bear testimony to Jesus the Saviour” (17), as well as, reminds the Church that, “she
is not an end unto herself: in all that she is and all that she does, she exists to serve
Christ” (17) being the “seed of the Kingdom of God” (17).

The Holy Spirit and the Church's mission in Asia

The document expresses the conviction of the Church that “deep within
people, cultures and religions of Asia there is a thirst for 'living water' (cf. Jn 4:10-
15), which the Spirit himself has created and which Jesus the Saviour alone can
fully satisfy” (18). In this sense, the Spirit prepares the people of Asia “for the
saving dialogue with the Saviour of all” (18). Only listening to the Holy Spirit, the
Church “can accomplish her mission” (18).

In this complex and always changing realities of the Asian continent the
Church “must discern (…) the Spirit's call to witness to Jesus the Saviour in new
and effective ways” (18).

3. 'ACT' – PASTORAL AND PRACTICAL TEACHING

In the third part of Ecclesia in Asia John Paul II presents practical

guidelines to some of the activities that consist of the “one and indivisible” (42)
mission of the Church.

WITNESS TO THE GOSPEL

The document emphasizes that “there can be no true proclamation of the

Gospel unless Christians also offer the witness of lives in harmony with the
message they preach” (42). Every situation of life can be the opportunity for the
Christians to reveal the “power which the truth of Christ has become in their lives”
(42). It is especially important in Asian context, where “people are more persuaded
by holiness of life than by intellectual argument” (42). Therefore “the experience of
faith and of the gifts of the Holy Spirit” (42) must become “the basis of all
missionary work”(42).

The Pope addresses those who in the Church exercise a variety of specific
functions and charisms, calling them to give witness to the Gospel. Among those
listed by the document, there are: bishops and priests, who “need a solid and
continuing formation” (43); religious, and especially contemplative religious
communities, which are “a special source of strength and inspiration” (44) for
mission in Asian countries; lay people, who “are already serving as true
missionaries, reaching out to fellow Asians who might never have contact with
clergy and religious” (45); Christian family, which should be a place, where the
truth of the Gospel is the rule of life and the gift which the family members bring to
the wider community” (46); Christian children, which also “have a role in
evangelization, both in their family and in the wider community” (46); young
people, who are to be “effective agents of mission” (47); martyrs, who through
their martyrdom gave the profound witness of “the very essence of the Christian
message” (49). The Pope stresses also the positive role of social communication
and mass media in evangelization, which “can assist greatly in the proclamation of
the Gospel” (48).

THE PRIMACY OF PROCLAMATION

Ecclesia in Asia puts emphasis on “the primacy of the proclamation of Jesus

Christ in all evangelizing work” (19), and reminds that, “there can be no true
evangelization without the explicit proclamation of Jesus as Lord” (19). During the
Synod the participants testified to “the need for a renewed commitment to the
proclamation” in Asia (19). The great question, which remains, and to which John
Paul II tries to give some proposals, is “how to share the Good News of Jesus
Christ” (19) to brothers and sister in Asia?

Proclaiming Jesus Christ in Asia

The document wants to clarify that the “insistence on proclamation is

prompted not by sectarian impulse nor the spirit of proselytism nor any sense of
superiority” (20). Proclamation is rather “the supreme service which the Church
can offer to the peoples of Asia, for it responds to their profound longing for the
Absolute” (20). Respect and esteem for the followers of other religions “does not
eliminate the need for the explicit proclamation” (20).

The Pope encourages the evangelizers to learn from Saint Paul how to
“engaged in dialogue with the philosophical, cultural and religious values” (20) of
the peoples, so that these resources could become “a shared possession of the
whole Church” (20). John Paul II is aware of the challenges of this “task of
proclaiming Jesus in a way which enables the people of Asia to identify with him”
(20), and stresses that, “the presentation of Jesus Chris as the only Saviour needs to
follow a pedagogy which will introduce people step by step to the full
appropriation of the mystery” (20).

In general, the Pope is recommending “narrative methods” (20), which are

specific to Asian culture. In particular, the Synod spoke of “an evocative pedagogy,
using stories, parables and symbols” (20). The value of “personal contact” (20) is
stressed, which requires the evangelizer “to take the situation of the listener to
heart, so as to offer a proclamation adapted to the listener's level of maturity, and in
an appropriate form and language” (20). The participants of the Synod stressed also
the need to “evangelize in a way that appeals to the sensibilities of Asian peoples”
(20). The general position on the subject was that, “the Church must be open to the
new and surprising ways in which the face of Jesus might be presented in Asia”
(20).

Despite, or maybe because of, these attempts of looking for the new ways
of expressing the Christian faith in the Asian context, the Pope concludes:

The faith which the Church offers as a gift to her Asian sons and daughters cannot
be confined within the limits of understanding and expression of any single
human culture, for it transcends these limits and indeed challenges all cultures to
rise to new heights of understanding and expression (20)

THE CHALLENGE OF INCULTURATION

Regarding the urgent in Asia theme of inculturation the document stresses

that, “the Gospel and evangelization are (...) not identical with culture” (21).
However, as the Kingdom of God operates among people in their particular
cultures, the process of “borrowing elements from human cultures” (21) is the
necessary one, so that the Kingdom could rise to its fullness. It is important to
remember that when the Gospel and culture meet, the role of the Church is “not
only transmits her truth” (21), but also to “take from the various cultures the
positive elements” (21). It is “the obligatory path for the evangelizers” (21) to make
the Christian faith the “part of a people's cultural heritage” (21). In this vital but
challenging task of evangelization, which especially in the Asian context, must be
undertaken with particular attention and “ discernment” (21), the presence of the
Spirit plays decisive role, actually, as says John Paul II: “the Holy Spirit is the
prime agent of the inculturation” (21).

In some areas of the Church activity the process of inculturation exposes

more explicit form. The Pope speaks of “certain areas for particular attention” (21),
which are: theological reflection, liturgy, the formation of priests and religious,
catechesis and spirituality.

The document emphasizes that, “theological work must be guided by

respect for the sensibilities of Christians” (22), and inculturated forms of
expressing the faith can not cause th confusion or even scandal among the people.
The test of true inculturation John Paul II sees in the growing commitment to the
faith:

The test of true inculturation is whether people become more committed to their
Christian faith because they perceive it more clearly with the eyes of their own
culture (22)

As to inculturation of the Liturgy, the Pope underlines that, “the Liturgy is a

decisive means of evangelization” (22). It is true “especially in Asia, where the
followers of different religions are so drawn to worship, religious festivals and
popular devotions (22). At this occasion the importance of the “biblical apostolate”
(22) is emphasized: “Scriptures should be made known among the followers of
other religions” (22). As it was reminded “the word of God has an inherent power
to touch the hearts of people” (22).
 Another important factor of inculturation regards “the formation of
evangelizers” (22). It is essential “to adapt the formation of evangelizers to the
cultural contexts of Asia” (22). It is interesting to note that, in this context the
document stresses the need of “a solid grounding in biblical and patristic studies,
(…) a detailed and firm grasp of the Church's theological and philosophical
patrimony” (22). Only then the evangelizers will “benefit from contact with Asian
philosophical and religious traditions” (22). It is encourage also that “seminary
professors” (22) gain “a profound understanding of the elements of spirituality and
prayer akin to the Asian soul” (22).

INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

Ecclesia in Asia gives en extent explanation on the role of dialogue in the

new evangelization. At the first place, it is stressed that, new era of proclamation of
the Gospel is very much expected. Today “a major part of the human family still
does not acknowledge Christ” (29), on the other hand, the situation of the Church
and the world is “particularly challenging for religious belief and the moral truths”
(29). As the Pope says “there is a tendency almost everywhere to build progress and
prosperity without reference to God, and to reduce the religious dimension of the
human person to the private sphere” (29).

The relationship of the Church with the contemporary world is the one “in a
spirit of dialogue” (29). The document clarifies that “the desire for dialogue (…) is
not simply a strategy for peaceful coexistence among peoples” (29), but is “an
essential part of the Church's mission” (29), and is grounded “in the logic of the
Incarnation” (29).

Regarding the interreligious dialog, the document reminds that, starting

from the Second Vatican Council, the approach of the Church towards the followers
of other religions is marked by “contact, dialogue and cooperation” (31). The
Church, however, regards interreligious dialog not only as “a way of fostering
mutual knowledge and enrichment” (31), but “it is a part of the Church's
evangelizing mission, an expression of the mission ad gentes” (31).

The Pope highlights two fundamental truth, which cannot be undermined

whenever interreligious dialogue is at work, there are: “the firm belief that the
fullness of salvation comes from Christ alone” (31), and that “the Church
community is the ordinary means of salvation” (31). In this context John Paul II
reminds his letter to the Fifth Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishop's
conferences, in which wrote:

Although the Church gladly acknowledges whatever is true and holy in the
religious traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam as a reflection of that truth
which enlightens all people, this does not lessen her duty and resolve to proclaim
without failing Jesus Christ who is 'the way and the truth and the life'. The fact
that the followers of other religions can receive God's grace and be saved by
Christ apart from the ordinary means which he has established does not thereby
cancel the call to faith and baptism which God wills for all people (31)

In interreligious dialogue there is no place for “abandonment of principles”

(31) or “false irenicism” (31). It is a time of “witness given and receive” (31),
which can help in “mutual advancement on the road of religious inquiry and
experience” (31), and brings about “elimination of prejudice, intolerance and
misunderstandings” (31).

The document stresses the necessity of adequate formation to interreligious

dialogue and the necessity of working out “a directory on interreligious dialogue”
(31). It also highlights the fundamental qualifications of those involved in dialog
with the followers of other religions traditions: “Only those with a mature and
convinced Christian faith” (31) and “happy in their faith community” (31) are
“qualified to engage in genuine interreligious dialogue” (31). It is expected of the
Asian Church to “provide suitable models of interreligious dialogue” (31), with the
faithfulness to the principle: “evangelization in dialogue and dialogue for
evangelization” (31).

II. THEOLOGICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS

1. DOCUMENT FOR ASIA – NOT AN ASIAN DOCUMENT

The Asian Synod itself, as well as the document Ecclesia in Asia were
subject to the extent theological debate in Asian theological and ecclesiastical
circles. P. Phan points out that, though it was proclaimed as “a moment of special
grace” (3), “the synod had drawn (...) both favorable and unfavorable comments,
especially with regard to its Lineamenta and its modus operandi”12. After
promulgation of the Ecclesia in Asia the situation looked similarly. It was received
with a great enthusiasm, with muted applause, or with a sens of disappointment13.
M. Amaladoss put it boldly: the “exhortation is a document for Asia. It is not an
Asian document. It is not the voice of Asia. The tone and style are very un-
Asian”14.

Another Asian theologian, J. Prior expressed his disappointed with the

Exhortation stating that Ecclesia in Asia is “a papal document”. It is “the pope's
response to the voice of the Asian Bishops”. He made a remark that, in Ecclesia in
Asia John Paul II quotes himself sixty-eight times while making “not a single direct
reference to any intervention by an individual bishop, nor to interventions by
bishops in the name of their conferences”, nor to “regional episcopal bodies such as
the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) or the Council of Oriental

12 P.C PHAN, 'Ecclesia in Asia': Challenges for Asian Christianity, in P.C. PHAN, The
Asian Synod. Texts and Commentaries, Maryknoll 2002, 249.
13 Ibid.
14 E. CHIA, Of Fork and Spoon or Fingers and Chopsticks, in P.C. PHAN, The Asian
Synod. Texts and Commentaries, Maryknoll 2002, 275.
Patriarchs (CPCO)15.

During the preparatory time to the Asian Synod, there were comments of
disappointments, especially regarding Lineamenta and the procedure of the synod
itself16. When the Synod started it was also clear that there were to be points of
disagreement and “sincere” debate17.

15 In this regard, it is interesting to note that all but eight of the propositions
appeared in Ecclesia in Asia. P.C. PHAN, The Asian Synod, 6. Citation of J. Prior,
originally in J. Prior, Unfinished Encounter: A Note on the Voice and Tone of
ecclesia in Asia, EAPR 37(200), 256-257, taken from E. CHIA, Of Fork and Spoon
or Fingers and Chopsticks, 275.
16 While many episcopal conferences sedulously studied the Lineamenta and gave
detailed responses to its questions in spite of the shortness of time and
difficulties in translation, some did not hide their deep disappointment with the
Lineamenta and the procedure of the synod itself. In particular, the Japanese
Episcopal Conference noted that the issues and agenda, as implied in the
fourteen questions, betrayed the concerns of the Church in the West, did not
take into account the real situation of Asia, and were therefore unhelpful. The
Japanese bishops requested more time to study the document, especially the
subsequent Instrumentum Laboris, before the synod. They suggested radical
changes in the procedure of the synod itself to allow Asian bishops greater
autonomy and freedom in determining the overall direction and agenda of the
synod. They also strongly criticized the theology of the Lineamenta, in particular
its christology and ecclesiology, as 'overly self-complacent and introverted' and
inappropriate for the peculiar situation of Asia. The Indonesian bishops
questioned the underlying assumptions of the Lineamenta regarding
evangelization and suggested that the synod's focus should not be on mission
but rather on “Asian spirituality”, or “Asian religious experience”, or “Asian
mysticism”. The Vietnamese bishops objected to the paternalistic tone of some
passages in the Lineamenta and its excessive concern for orthodoxy, especially
with regard to the uniqueness of Jesus as Savior. P.C. PHAN, The Asian Synod,
2-3.
17 Francis Hadisumarta, bishop of Manokwari-Sorong, Indonesia, speaking on
behalf of the Indonesian Bishops' conference, declared: “The Catholic Church is
not a monolithic pyramid. Bishops are not branch secretaries waiting for
instructions from Headquarters! We are a communion of local Churches...” He
conclude his intervention with some explosive questions: “This vision, where
Episcopal Conferences would have the trust and authority to evangelize – in
dialogue with the poor, with cultures and with other faith traditions – is both
ancient and new. Do we have the imagination to envisage the birth of new
Patriarchates, say the Patriarchate of South Asia, of Southeast Asia and of East
Asia?... Thus, we envisage a radical decentralization of the Latin Rite –
 To have a better understanding of the gap between the voice of the Pope and
the Asian Church, it would be of help to compare the Seventh FABC Assembly
Final Statement and Ecclesia in Asia. E. Chia points out that, “both assemblies
more or less touched on the same theme, namely, the Church's mission in Asia in
the new millennium. Most of the bishops who took part in the Synod for Asia also
took part in the FABC Plenary Assembly. Yet, the concerns and emphases that
appear in the FABC statement and Ecclesia in Asia seem radically different”18.

Even though, many of Asian theologians and Bishops contested in a various

ways the policy of the Church towards its Asian denomination, it seems that, most
of these voices express a genuine concern about the Asian Church, so that, “the
Churches in Asia become truly of Asia19.

2. THEOLOGICAL DEBATE

The theological debate that took place prior to, during and after the Asian
Synod in Rome, in 1998, and with reference to Ecclesia in Asia, was focused on
some burning issues, which in the Asian context are of the most importance. They
are: the universality of Jesus as the unique Saviour, mission and proclamation,
interreligious dialogue, the model of church for Asia.

Christ – one Mediator

Commenting on Ecclesia in Asia 2, which states that “Christ is the one

Mediator between God and man and the sole Redeemer of the world, to be clearly
distinguished from the founders of other great religions” (EA 2). M. Amalados
declares that, “this face of Christ will not certainly be acceptable to the other
believers in India and Asia!”20. The idea of the Universality of Jesus as the unique
devolving into a host of local Rites in Asia”. P.C. PHAN, The Asian Synod, 5.
18 E. CHIA, Of Fork and Spoon or Fingers and Chopsticks, 278-279.
19 P.C. PHAN, Challenges for Asian Christianity, 252.
20 M. AMALADOSS, Mission in Asia: A Reflection on 'Ecclesia in Asia', in P.C. PHAN,
Savior was also the theme of the Lineamenta. The Document warns against the
danger of partial christologies, especially those that raised questions about the
“uniqueness of Jesus Christ in the history of salvation” (33)21.

P. Phan points out that, the real concern of Asian Christians is how to
present Jesus Christ and the Church with an authentic Asian face? 22 In official
responses to the Lineamenta the uniqueness and universality of Jesus as the Savior
was never placed in question. P. Phan gives a short summary on the situation:

The burning issue for the Asian Churches is how to proclaim this truth about
Jesus credibly in the midst of crushing poverty, competing religious systems, and
cultural diversity. The unanimous answer to this problem is found to be dialogue:
dialogue with the poor, with religions, and with cultures23.

Mission of the Church

Commenting on the notion of mission, that emerges from Ecclesia in Asia,

M. Amalados outlines the goal of the mission as understood in the Church:

The goal of mission is to save people. This salvation is available ordinarily to

those who have faith in Jesus Christ and are members of the Church. Jesus saved
us in and through his paschal mystery two thousand years ago, and he has sent us
into the world to share this good news and salvation with others. The others, in
whom also the Spirit of God is present and working, are yearning and waiting for
this salvation. To fulfill this yearning and lead them to the fullness of salvation is
the aim of mission. One can achieve this goal through various means such as
proclamation, dialogue, witness, and loving service. Of these, proclamation is
primary and the other activities are ordained to it24.

The Asian Synod, 222.

21 P.C. PHAN, The Asian Synod, 13-14.
22 M. AMALADOSS, Mission in Asia, 222.
23 P.C. PHAN, The Asian Synod, 17.
24 M. AMALADOSS, Mission in Asia, 224-225.
 The theologian does not wish to “contest or to argue with this vision”25.
However, he presents the paradigm of mission that has been emerging in Asia in
recent years from the context of its experience. As it is stressed, in the emergence of
a new paradigm, “a new element or experience makes us not throw away any of the
existing elements, but relate them in a new way, perhaps with new emphases”26.

According to the new paradigm, creation itself is a self-communication of God,

who is reaching out to all peoples through the Word and the Spirit in various
ways, at various times, and through the different religions. This ongoing divine-
human encounter is salvific. However, God's plan is not merely to save individual
souls, but to gather together all things in heaven and on earth. God is working out
this plan in history through various sages and prophets. Jesus, the Word incarnate,
has a specific role in this history of salvation. But Jesus' mission is at the service
of God's mission. It does not replace it. Taking e kenotic form, it collaborates with
other divine self-manifestations in other religions as God's missions is moving
towards its eschatological fulfillment. As disciples of Jesus, we must witness to
the Abba and to his Kingdom of freedom and fellowship, love, and justice. The
“preparation-fulfillment” framework that links Judaism and Christianity cannot
be projected on to other religions27.

Proclamation

In his writing on the “only Savior” in relation to the “personal Savior”, P.

Phan embodies the vision of many Asian theologians, who are trying to find the
most appropriate ways of proclaiming the faith in Asia:

Immediate goal of the proclamation of the gospel is to enable a person to accept

Jesus as his or her “personal Savior”, and not as the “only Savior”. It is this

25 Ibid.
26 M. AMALADOSS, Mission in Asia, 225.
27 A Vision of Mission for the New Millennium (Conclusions of the Ishvani-Kendra
Research Seminar, Mar. 9-12, 2000), Mission Today 2(2000), 253-254. Quotation
follows M. AMALADOSS, Mission in Asia, 225.
 personal and total commitment of the catechumen to Jesus that is being promoted,
and not the rejection of possible ways in which God can reach other people, a
possibility that can no longer be denied after Vatican II. The vital question before
all else is not whether and how other people can be saved but how I can fully
enter a personal relationship with God. Once a person has found that Jesus is the
way for him or her to reach God, then out of this personal experience he or she
can bear witness to this fact to others. The strength and fervor of this witness are
born not out of the theological conviction that Jesus is the only Savior but out of
the deep experience that he is the personal Savior for me. Were I asked in my
preaching questions about other religions and savior figures, I will have to
recognize, joyfully and gratefully, their various good elements and the saving
presence of God's Spirit in them, but I will testify to Jesus as my way to God and
invite others to try out this way for themselves. If they accept Jesus as their
personal way to God, then I will have shown that Jesus is the universal and only
Savior, that is, Savior for me as well as for others28.

Interreligious dialogue

The interreligious dialogue is one of the most important factors of the Asian
context. However, it is interesting to note that, in the recent documents of FABC as
the theme for discussions rarely appears. It is due to the fact that, interreligious
dialogue is the phenomena which penetrates all activities of the Church. There is no
mission without dialog in Asia.

P. Phan summaries, not yet the prevalent position of the Asian Church in
regard to interreligious dialogue, but at least the one that is becoming the option:

In Asia With regard to interreligious dialogue, many Asian episcopal conferences

call for not only a respectful dialogue with non-Christians, but also an explicit
recognition of the salvific value on non-Christian religions, not as independent
from or parallel to Christ, but in relation to him. The Indian bishops affirm: “For
hundreds of millions of our fellow human beings, salvation is seen as being
28 P.C. PHAN, Challenges for Asian Christianity, 256.
 channeled to them not in spite of but through and in their various sociocultural
and religious traditions. We cannot, therefore, deny a priori a salvific role for
these non-Christian religions”29.

Church as Communion

It was emphasized during the Synod that, a certain degree of autonomy and
freedom for the local Churches is necessary, if they are to fulfill their mission.
Some of the bishops expressed their bad feelings about a lack of dialogue and even
trust between the Asian Churches and Rome30. M. Amaladoss clarifies what is here
at stake:

The Church in Asia still has a foreign image. We can speak of the need for the
Church to become local at least in three areas: financially, culturally, and in
responsibility. (…) Financial dependence affect real freedom of operation. (…)
We will become Asian when we can respond freely and creatively to the Gospel
in our own cultural idiom, giving rise in this way to local theology, liturgy,
spirituality, and organization structures. Do we have this freedom today or do
foreign structures still weigh heavily on us, often under the guise of tradition?
Even the process of inculturation is centralized31.

How can a Church emerge as a local Church if it cannot take responsibility for its
life and its creative action, for its organization and administration, without
detriment to the communion of Churches and to the role of the pope in this

29 P.C. PHAN, The Asian Synod, 17.

30 This lack was exemplified in the composition of the Lineamenta itself. In the
words of the Japanese bishops, “From the way the questions are proposed, one
feels that the holding of the Synod is like an occasion for the central office to
evaluate the performance of the branch offices. That kind of synod would not be
worthwhile for the Church in Asia”. Speaking of the goal of the synod, they said,
“We do not hope for a synod aiming at discovering how the Asian Church can be
propped up by the Western Church, but one where the Bishops of Asia have an
honest exchange and learn how they can support and encourage one another”.
Ibid., 18.
31 M. AMALADOSS, Expectations from the Synod of Asia, in P.C. PHAN, The Asian
Synod. Texts and Commentaries, Maryknoll 2002, 57-58.
 communion?32

M. Amaladoss arrives at conclusion that, “if the Church does not become
Asian, it cannot effectively and credibly witness to the Gospel in Asia. It is an irony
of history that Christianity, born in Asia, has come back to Asia via Europe as a
foreign product”33.

Similarly, P. Phan looks for a new possibilities for the Church in Asia.

Now that the Asian Churches have come of age, however, they should be able to
move to the stage of self-government, self-support, self-propagation, and self-
theologizing.

To assume responsibilities in these areas, while remaining in full communion

with the Church universal, demands courage, imagination, creativity,
collaboration at all levels of the Church life, and above all trust in the Holy Spirit,
and is much more challenging (and uncomfortable) that simply “applying”
existing church laws and traditions to the different situations of Asia34.

3. JOHN PAUL II

It is interesting to note that, with regards to interreligious dialog, some of

the Asian theologians pointed out two kinds of teachings which John Paul II was
exercising during his Pontificate. As E. Chia observes “Ecclesia in Asia is but just
one voice of the pope (…) The voice of the Holy Father can be heard in many other
contexts as well. Moreover, at times these other voices seem to contradict much of
what has been discussed about his voice as expressed in Ecclesia in Asia.

32 AMALADOSS, Expectations from the Synod of Asia, 58.

33 Ibid. Regarding to the model of Western Church, the author objects: “If the
post-Christian societies of the West are any indication, having more Christians in
Asia may not be the best solution to promoting God's Kingdom there. A small
but authentic and committed Christian community may be more important than
a mass of nominal and alienated Christians”. M. AMALADOSS, Mission in Asia,
232.
34 P.C. PHAN, Challenges for Asian Christianity, 252.
Specifically, reference is made to the numerous interreligious encounters initiated
by the pope himself”35. The theologian admits that, thanks to John Paul II the
Church advanced a lot in the area of interreligious dialogue. The role of the Pope's
personal encounters with the followers of other religions is of a great significance:

There is no denying the fact that in the present pope the Catholic Church has
advanced leaps and bounds in the area of interreligious dialogue. His actions
speak louder than his words. People are more likely to follow his practice than his
speech. In the pope's own words, it is true that “people today put more trust in
witnesses than in teachers” (EA 42). The Church in Asia, is hearing the pope loud
and clear in this his proclamation that interreligious dialogue is essential”36.

In this context M. Amaladoss speaks of the encounter of John Paul II with

the group of the religious leaders, which took place a day after promulgation of
Ecclesia in Asia, in Delhi. During the meeting the Pope said:

It is a sign of hope that the religions of the world are becoming more aware of
their shared responsibility for the well-being of the human family. This is a
crucial part of the globalization of solidarity which must come if the future of the
world is to be secure (…). Religious leaders in particular have the duty to do
everything possible to ensure that religion is what God intends it to be, a source
of goodness, respect, harmony, and peace! (…) Dialogue is never an attempt to
impose our own views upon others, since such dialogue would become a form of
spiritual and cultural domination. This does not mean that we abandon our own
convictions. What it means is that, holding firmly to what we believe, we listen
respectfully to others, seeking to discern all that is good and holy, all that favors
peace and cooperation37.

M. Amaladoss evaluates this meeting positively and in high esteem: “If our

35 E. CHIA, Of Fork and Spoon or Fingers and Chopsticks, 280-281.

36 Ibid.
37 The text was published in VJTR 63(1999), 885-886. Taken from M. AMALADOSS,
Mission in Asia, 232.
proclamation of Jesus and his good news is done in such a context, it will be
welcomed everywhere in Asia38.

P. Hai proposes a new way of interpreting John Paul II's theology of

mission. According to the theologian, there is a distinction between “the theological
firmness (fortiter)”39 of John Paul II's doctrinal teachings on proclamation and “the
Pastoral flexibility (suaviter)”40 that he encourages in the pastoral and practical
actions of the Church in the Asian context.

P. Chia seems to propose some conclusions, which help to understand this

apparent contradiction between 'words and actions', proclamation and dialogue in
John Paul II:

The important lesson to draw from this is that John Paul II believes it is not an
either-or choice, but must be a both-and option. Dialogue does not exclude
proclamation, and proclamation must always include dialogue. Both are self-
involving, both are necessary, and both are integral to the evangelizing mission of
the Church41.

38 M. AMALADOSS, Mission in Asia, 233.

39 P.N.V. Hai, Lay People in the Asian Church, (www).
40 Ibid.
41 E. CHIA, Of Fork and Spoon or Fingers and Chopsticks, 282.
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