Vatican 'looking forward' to Asian faith meeting

September 23, 2013 - A leading Catholic Church official in the Philippines has said that Vatican officials are looking forward to the Asian faith conference that will be held in Manila next month. In a statement released at the weekend, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila said the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization and the Synod of Bishops are eager to know and experience the activities prepared for the Philippine Conference on New Evangelization, to be held October 16-18 in Manila. He said the Asian gathering aims to counter "secularist influences" hounding the Church in Asia and to respond to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s call to rediscover and deepen the Catholic faith. "The challenge was not just to focus on the negatives or the shadows found in the world but also on the opportunities for mission," Card. Tagle said. He is hopeful the delegates will be directed toward the "rediscovery and rejuvenation of their faith, keeping the Church’s mission of new evangelization in synch with the modern times." The Manila meeting will carry a "tripartite objective" of "creating an experience of God in the context of the challenges of the new millennium, strengthening bonds of communion, and providing avenues of inspiration and direction imbued with the spirit of new evangelization." Dubbed as the "grand climax" of the Year of Faith celebration in Manila, the three-day conference will features talks, workshops, and activities that tackle "modern day approaches to deepen one’s faith and spirituality." (Source: UCANews)