Asian Bishops honour New York priest who helped establish FABC
(Nov.11,2009): Asian prelates are paying homage to Maryknoll Father Edward Francis
Malone, who was instrumental in establishing the federation of Asian episcopal conferences.
The priest died last Wednesday at age 84. Fr. Malone helped develop the Federation
of Asian Bishops’ Conferences – FABC, during his 33 years of service with the group.
He served as the assistant general-secretary of the federation. Edward Francis
Malone was born in 1925 in New York City. He was ordained a priest in 1952 and was
assigned to Maryknoll's Mission Region in Hong Kong in 1971. He was appointed assistant
secretary-general of FABC the same year, till his retirement in 2004. "Under his leadership,
eight FABC general assemblies have been organized and celebrated in different parts
of Asia," the federation said in an obituary. "Father Malone has inspired, animated
and supported the different FABC offices and gave them freedom to develop pioneering
programs for their apostolates. He was responsible for setting up the FABC structure,
including the drafting and ratification of the FABC statutes and by-laws." Tributes
also came from various conferences that form part of the FABC. Archbishop Lawrence
Saldanh, president of the Pakistani bishops, praised Father Malone as the "architect"
of FABC. Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, president of the bishops' conference of Malaysia,
Singapore and Brunei, recalled Father Malone as "a great man who put FABC on solid
footing both administratively and financially." Bishop Peter Kang, president of the
Korean bishops, said that Father Malone had offered "his whole life as a missionary
for the evangelization of Asia." Fr. Malone had a doctorate degree in theology
from the Angelicum. He edited more than 100 editions of "FABC Papers," which explore
issues including theology, interreligious dialogue, social communication, the social
apostolate of the Church in Asia, and the laity.