Card. Rylko Seeks to Tackle “Bleeding of Christian Presence in Asia”

(31 Aug 10 – RV) “Proclaiming Jesus Christ in Asia Today”, is the focal point of a Congress opening in the Korean capital Seoul on Wednesday, sponsored by the Vatican’s Council for the Laity and the Korean Bishop’s Conference.

Council President Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, will preside over an inaugural Mass in Seoul Cathedral, launching five days of seminars, round table discussions and workshops on the life of the Laity in the mission of the Church in Asia.

Participants have been drawn from across the continent, with guest speakers from India, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines and Japan taking part.

Ahead of his departure, Cardinal Rylko spoke to us about the challenges for the Church in Asia, which he hops to see tackled at this Congress:

“During our Congress want to tackle the many challenges that are emerging in evangelization on this continent. For example, there is a growing fundamentalism that imposes drastic restrictions on religious freedom in many Asian countries. There are cases of discrimination or outright religious persecution”.

He goes on to add that “the bishops of some Asian countries denounce the sad phenomenon of a "bleeding of the Christian presence" many Catholics leave their countries "at risk" and flee to safer places ... In this sense the Christians of this continent need our solidarity and our special spiritual support”.

Cardinal Rylko points out that “Another challenge is the encounter with the great Asian religious traditions. This enconter creates the risk and danger of the spread of a mentality of relativism and syncretism that distorts the real meaning of evangelization”.

The Cardinal says results in a tendency to replace mission with a vague dialogue in which all positions are equal, reducing evangelization to a form of “human development”.

Asia, the Cardinal concludes, is changing rapidly. The last Congress of this nature was held 16 years ago and since then the effects of globalisation on the continent’s rapidly developing economies and societies is notable. Particularly an emerging post-modern mentality that rejects God. All these challenges, he says show an urgent need for a serious Christian formation, a thorough initiation of the baptized, whether in parishes or in lay associations.