Felix Antony –
Guwahati: The Catholic Church in North East India set the preparation for the Jubilee Year 2025 in motion by revisiting ‘Ecclesia in Asia’ an apostolic exhortation issued by Saint Pope John Paul II in 1999, at the annual Regional Pastoral Conference that began on 26 August, 2024 at Jubilee Memorial Hall of North East Diocesan Social Service Society, Guwahati.
“It is 25 years since Saint Pope John Paul II issued this apostolic exhortation, Ecclesia in Asia, a document intended to serve as the blueprint for the expansion of the Catholic Faith in Asia. As the Silver Jubilee Year of the Ecclesia in Asia coincides with the Jubilee of Hope 2025 proclaimed by Pope Francis, a revisit to the document would help us have an Asian understanding of who Jesus is and what his mission was in general and a North East India understanding in particular,” said Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati in his presidential address.
Welcoming all the delegates from 15 dioceses of North East India, the President of North East India Regional Bishops’ Council (NEIRBC) Archbishop Moolachira said, “As the people of the Asia, where Jesus Christ was born, the people of North East India are thirsting for the living water that Jesus alone can give. May our revisiting of the ‘Ecclesia in Asia’ help us with stronger resolve to be unstinting in our efforts so that all the people of North East India have life, and have it in abundance.”
The three-day event was attended by 150 delegates from the region, including Archbishops, Bishops, Provincial Superiors, Secretaries of various commissions, special invitees and resource persons from across North East India.
Addressing the delegates on the occasion, Bishop George Pallipparambil SDB of Miao diocese and the Chairman of the Commission for Evangelization of NEIRBC, echoed the words of Saint Pope John Paul II. “Just as in the first millennium the Cross was planted on the soil of Europe, and in the second on that of the Americas, we pray that in the Third Millenium, our revisiting of the Ecclesia in Asia will lead us to a great harvest of faith in this vast and vital continent of Asia,” he said.
Dr. Kuriakose Poovathumkudy, Professor of Oriens Theological College (OTC), Shillong, presented the keynote address that summarised the ‘Ecclesia in Asia’ and underlined the obscurity surrounding the document even after 25 years and how the Christians in Aisa are required to reclaim the Asian identity to make the document relevant in the local context of North East India.
Explaining the dynamics of the Regional Pastoral Conference 2024, Bishop James Thoppil and the Secretary General of NEIRBC, said, “The Church in North East India is known for vibrancy and the whole Church in India looks towards North East India for its unique ways of going about its ministry and service to the people. Let this conference, as we revisit a relevant apostolic exhortation, help us to be filled with greater zeal for mission and evangelisation to become an inspiration and role model for the rest of the country and Asia in general.”
Along with Ecclesia in Asia, the conference also studied two other papal documents. Dr. Stanislaus Chiliankhup, Rector of OTC presented a paper on Evangeli Nunciandi and Evangeli Gaudium, important apostolic Exhortations by Saint Pope Paul VI in 1975 and Pope Francis in 2023, respectively, that stressed the mandate and joy of proclaiming the Gospel.
The three-day conference had panel discussion on evangelization in the post covid present scenario, catechesis in North East India from the past to the present from different perspectives, group discussions on synodal way of being Church, general discussion on effective ways of evangelization in the light of ‘Ecclesia in Asia’ and use of AI tools for work of evangelization and its ethical concerns in the present-day context.
Setting the tone of the Jubilee 2033, the greatest of all the jubilees as it marks the 2000th anniversary of Jesus’ Death, Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost, the Birthday of the Church, the conference also saw a paper presentation on ‘Year 2033’ by Mr. Manoj Sunny, Secretary for the Office of Evangelization of Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.
Remember Pope John Paul II’s blunder at the release of this document in India in 1999, as a State guest. What was the need to highlight or recall this? It will only open up old wounds.
Also What message does this report give? All the speakers seemed to be from outside the region! Where is the local church? Very disappointing.