Asia

Bishop Stephen Chow Sau-yan concluded a five-day visit to Beijing at the invitation of Archbishop Li Shan. He was thus able to meet the Catholic community of the Chinese capital. The purpose of the visit was to promote communion between the two dioceses.

The Churches in Asia find their voice and publish their response to the Continental Stage of the Synod, which is characterized through an ancient traditional Asian custom.

The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) held a 50th anniversary General Conference from 12-30 October 2022. On Wednesday, the document Conference delegates drafted was launched during an online event.

The “Digital Synod” reached an estimated 20 million people and gleaned tens of thousands of responses from non-Catholics and non-believers, according to Fr Jeffrey Segovia, who points out that real people lie behind all the clicks and likes that fill social media.

The third and final day of the Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality opened with an orientation by Cardinal Hollerich, who focused his remarks on synod as symphony and the need for conversion.

Laymen participating in the Asian Continental Assembly see the synod as a vehicle for bringing change, new ways of thinking, and new directions, and are happy to have contributed their Asian voices to the process.

Day two of the Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality began with an orientation provided by Sr Nathalie Becquart, who praised the delegates for their ability to talk about tensions without tension.

Women speak on the sidelines of the Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality, assuring their peers that, ‘In the synodal process, we are with you and our voices should be heard.’

Cardinal Grech brings the Pope’s ‘fatherly blessing’ to the delegates to the Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality, expresses his gratitude, and provides orientation.

80 delegates from all over Asia entered into communal discernment on Friday, seeking the aid of the Holy Spirit in the opening Mass of the Holy Spirit.

The fifth of seven Continental Assemblies for the Synod will get underway on Friday with 80 participants and delegates representing 29 Asian countries.

Pope Francis released a video message for the 9th World Day of Prayer and Reflection against Human Trafficking.

Indonesia's parliament approved a new criminal code on Tuesday (Dec 6) that bans sex outside marriage with a punishment of up to one year in jail.

The Bishops of Asia say they have been “challenged” by the voices of the poor, the earth, women, young people, and struggling families.

As the Bishops of Asia wrap up their General Conference in Bangkok, Indian-born Cardinal Oswald Gracias says FABC delegates have been “eagerly trying to listen to every whisper of the Holy Spirit”.

In his address to the Asian Bishops' General Conference on Saturday, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle focuses on the importance of reading in an age of social media to develop critical thinking and empathy.

Laywomen are also participating as invited guests at the General Conference of Asian Bishops, and they have much to say about the important role they are playing at the Conference.

As the Bishops of Asia draw near the end of their first General Conference, Cardinal Charles Bo expresses his hopes that the Church in Asia might embrace harmony with the poor, other religions, and the surrounding culture.

The Cardinal and Bishop delegates, along with priests, religious and lay people attending the General Conference of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, went on pilgrimage on Thursday to explore Thailand’s Catholic and social history.

Among those participating in the FABC General Conference in Bangkok are laymen who have been invited as guests. They too come from all over Asia. Their presence makes the People of God “complete”.

Susan Pescoe, a member of the team who drafted the Synod Continental Document shares with delegates at the FABC General Conference how Pope Francis was involved in the process.

Six women religious attending the Asian Bishop's General Conference in Bangkok explain that their presence is important, since they represent the poor, minorities, the vulnerable, and local people across the region.

Three Asian Cardinals attending the General Conference of the FABC taking place in Bangkok meet with members of the press on Monday, each sharing how the Holy Spirit is guiding the process undertaken.

The first week of the General Conference of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC) meeting in Bangkok wraps up with a challenge to reflect on how participants can bring hope in our contemporary world.

The head of the Asian Bishops’ Conference, Cardinal Bo, told a gathering of bishops from across the continent that Asian spirituality’s emphasis on actions over words is a gift to the modern Church.

Pope Francis encourages members of the Federation of Asian Bishops gathered in Thailand this month to discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to them, while maintaining fraternity and embracing the poor, young people, and dialogue.

The President of Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) highlights the important achievements of the Churches in Asia over the past five decades, and calls for 'comprehensive change and robust renewal' to address the new pressing challenges of our times.

Celebrations are underway as the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) marks fifty years of its existence, beginning on Monday with an inauguration at the shrine of Thai martyred priest, Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung. The events are taking place in the context of its first ever General Conference.

The Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences requests prayers from the faithful as it prepares to inaugurate the FABC 50 General Conference in August, with the aim of charting their direction for the coming years.

Protesters say they don't need support from chief prelates and would like to see President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in jail