The Catholic Church in Northeast 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 August 26, 2024, at Jubilee Memorial Hall of North East Diocesan Social Service Society, Guwahati, Assam.
“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 Northeast India understanding in particular,” said Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati in his presidential address.
Welcoming all the delegates from 15 dioceses of Northeast India, the President of Northeast India Regional Bishops’ Council (NEIRBC) Archbishop Moolachira said, “As the people of 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' provide us with a stronger resolve to be unstinting in our efforts, ensuring that all the people of Northeast India enjoy abundant life.
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 Northeast India.
Addressing the delegates on the occasion, Bishop George Pallipparambil SDB of Miao diocese and the Chairman of the Commission for Evangelization of North East India Regional Bishops' Council (NEIRBC) echoed the words of Saint Pope John Paul II.
"We pray that in the Third Millennium, our revisiting of "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, delivered the keynote address that summarized the 'Ecclesia in Asia' and underlined the obscurity surrounding the document even after 25 years, as well as how Christians in Aisa are required to reclaim the Asian identity to make the document relevant in the local context of Northeast India.
Explaining the dynamics of the Regional Pastoral Conference 2024, Bishop James Thoppil and the Secretary General of NEIRBC said, “The Church in Northeast India is known for vibrancy, and the whole Church in India looks towards Northeast 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 evangelization, to become an inspiration and role model for the rest of the country and Asia in general,” he added.
In addition to Ecclesia in Asia, the conference also examined 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 featured a panel discussion on evangelization in the post-present scenario, catechesis in Northeast India from the past to the present from different perspectives, group discussions on synodal ways of being Church, a general discussion on effective ways of evangelization in the light of 'Ecclesia in Asia', and the use of AI tools for the 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 Manoj Sunny, Secretary for the Office of Evangelization of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
