CBCK News
2009-10-30 13:55
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The 5th AsIPA General Assembly

The 5th General Assembly of the Asian Integral Pastoral Approach (AsIPA) was held under the theme of "'Do this in memory of me' (Lk 22,19) - Bread Broken and Word Shared in Small Christian Communities (SSCs) or Basic Ecclesial Communities (BECs)" at the Regional Major Seminary, Davao, Philippines, from October 20 to 28, 2009.


 


There were about 225 delegates involved in SSCs/BECs from 18 countries such as the Philippines, Korea, China, Japan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and Germany. For the part of the Church in Korea, 23 delegates including the Most Rev. Peter Kang U-il, President of the CBCK and Bishop of Cheju, Rev. Michael Park Ki-joo and Rev. Bartholomew Jun Won from the Archdiocese of Seoul, Rev. Michael Joseph Riordan, Rev. Emmanuel Huh Chan-rhan from the Diocese of Cheju, and women religious and lay persons participated in the Assembly.


 


In the homily of the Opening Mass at the San Pedro Cathedral in the Archdiocese of Davao, the Most Rev. Edward Joseph Adams, Apostolic Nuncio in the Philippines said, "I heartily welcome all of you from the various Asian countries. You are gathered here to search a better way to imitate Jesus Christ and find new aspects of the Church. I hope that this General Assembly will be a significant occasion for you to seek for a new way to development of the Church in Asia." Then Archbishop Adams gave apostolic blessings from Pope Benedict XVI to the participants.


 


In his congratulatory message, His Eminence Stanislaw Cardinal Rylko, President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, said, "I wish that the communities of the Church in Asia, which are united in the Eucharist, bear good fruits through the 5th AsIPA General Assembly."


 


Beginning with the Opening Mass, the participants focused on sharing experiences of SSCs/BECs of various Asian countries and meditating the meanings of the Word of God and the Eucharist presented in SSCs/BECs through varied programs: Bible Enthronement, national reports, group discussions, keynote address on 'SSCs/BECs as Eucharistic Communities' by the Most Rev. Chito Tagle, Bishop of Imus, exposure of the SSCs/BECs in the Archdiocese of Davao and in the diocese of Tagum, sharing of the Gospel, cultural night, and issuing the final statement.


 


The Subcommittee for Small Christian Communities under the Committee for Evangelization of the CBCK presented a report on the pastoral care of the Catholic Church in Korea for SCCs entitled "The Activity of the Subcommittee for SCCs of the CBCK (2006-2009)." In this report, the Subcommittee explained its future plans to research the influence of the SCCs on the faith life of the lay persons, as well as to study the pastoral orientation of the diocesan pastoral ministry, in accordance with the national meeting of the pastoral ministers.