Communication on August 20
* "Every Issue Related to the Family Should Be Addressed in the Light of the Gospel" - FABC 8th Plenary Assembly Starts Its Seven-day Journey
The 8th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences was opened on August 17, 2004 at the St. Joseph's Major Seminary and the St. J. Hasang Education Centre of the Diocese of Daejeon, Korea, under the theme "The Asian Family toward a Culture of Life."
Beginning with the opening Mass on August 17, the Plenary will address for seven days various issues related to the family, such as the custom and the tradition; social structures; patriarchy and the sexual inequality; economic and cultural globalization; secularization; urbanization; migration; labor of minors; the elderly; the environment.
The Most Rev. Andreas Choi Chang-mou, Archbishop of Kwangju and President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, in his homily at the opening Mass pointed out the crisis of Asian families caused by the uncritical reception of western culture and economic factors and noted, "When the Church puts God and His Word in the first place, more and more Christian families will keep their lives centered on God. And these families will obviously become the light and salt of the world."
In the opening address, the Most Rev. Robert Sarah, Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, emphasized "the inculturation as an effort to dialogue with a holy and loving God" and urged the faithful to "try to evangelize and save the world with love." He also said, "The Catholic Church and the Asian and African societies must stand firm in presenting marriage and family life as something precious."
The 8th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences was opened on August 17, 2004 at the St. Joseph's Major Seminary and the St. J. Hasang Education Centre of the Diocese of Daejeon, Korea, under the theme "The Asian Family toward a Culture of Life."
Beginning with the opening Mass on August 17, the Plenary will address for seven days various issues related to the family, such as the custom and the tradition; social structures; patriarchy and the sexual inequality; economic and cultural globalization; secularization; urbanization; migration; labor of minors; the elderly; the environment.
The Most Rev. Andreas Choi Chang-mou, Archbishop of Kwangju and President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, in his homily at the opening Mass pointed out the crisis of Asian families caused by the uncritical reception of western culture and economic factors and noted, "When the Church puts God and His Word in the first place, more and more Christian families will keep their lives centered on God. And these families will obviously become the light and salt of the world."
In the opening address, the Most Rev. Robert Sarah, Secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, emphasized "the inculturation as an effort to dialogue with a holy and loving God" and urged the faithful to "try to evangelize and save the world with love." He also said, "The Catholic Church and the Asian and African societies must stand firm in presenting marriage and family life as something precious."