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Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences – Office of Social Communication OOSSCC 1916 CTM Bldg. Oroquieta Street Sta. Cruz, Manila 1003 Philippines Tel: (632) 7327170, 338776 Fax: 7327171 Email: [email protected]

TAIWAN: CARDINAL PAUL SHAN DIES SINGAPORE: FOOD AND FAITH Cardinal Paul Shan Kuo-his, Twenty-six young adults, comprising Catholics and non- retired of Kaohsiung, Catholics, gathered for a “Food and Faith” program on July 29 Taiwan, died on August 22 at the at Taman Mas Merah, on the West Coast. The participants age of 88. A native of Puyang in discussed faith issues over sandwiches and other savory food. Chinese mainland, he joined the “Verbum Dei” superior Sr. Maria Jose M. Egido said Jesuits in Beijing in 1946, then Singaporeans love to talk about food they enjoy with family and left to study for priesthood. He friends. For this reason, she said Singaporean Catholics have was ordained priest in the “great potential to share also their faith with even greater Philippines in 1995. Pope John gusto.” (CN) Paul II appointed him Bishop of PHILIPPINES: ONLINE PRAYER NETWORK FOR Hualien in 1979, transferred him TEENAGE CATECHIST MARTYR to Kaohsiung in 1991, and made The Cebu Archdiocesan Youth Commission has launched an him a Cardinal in 1998. Cardinal online prayer network, Barkada ni Pedro (close friends of Shan was an active collaborator Pedro), on August 6. The site in Facebook.com was created in of the Office of Social tribute to the young Filipino martyr Pedro Calungsod, whose Communication of the FABC canonization to sainthood is scheduled for October 21, 2012. (Federation of Asian Bishops’ Blessed Pedro was a 17th century teenage catechist of the Jesuit Conferences) as one of its five- mission in the Marianas. (CBCPNEWS) member board of Bishops, and in PAKISTAN: RADIO VERITAS ASIA – URDU SERVICE developing the Mandarin language service of Radio Veritas CELEBRATES SILVER JUBILEE Asia (RVA) in Manila. (CBCPNEWS/OSC) The Urdu Language Service of Radio Veritas Asia celebrated KOREA: ONLINE VIDEO FOR CATECHUMENS its 25 years of broadcasting with a ceremony at Rabita Manzil, The Korean has created and posted an on- Lahore on August 4. Close to 100 guests came along with Msgr. line video on YouTube to explain its origins and activities to Andrew Francis, chairman of the Pakistan bishops’ social non-Catholics and catechumens. The video at communication commission, and former RVA Urdu shows how the local faithful, despite severe persecution with prayers of thanksgiving. A special candle was also lighted during the imperial era, were able to grow and spread the to symbolize the beginning of the service’s 26th year, which Gospel message. The second half of the video explains the role holds the theme “Peaceful People, Peaceful Society.” On the and function of the Korean Bishops’ Conference, which same occasion, Bishop Francis also launched the new DVD accompanies the faithful and structure of the entitled Jab Hath Uthain, which features music videos of singer Church. (ASIANEWS) Parvez Fida. The DVD was produced by WAVE MONGOLIA: 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF MONGOLIAN Communication Centre in Lahore. (RM) CHURCH CELEBRATED WITH SONGS, PRAYER AND TAIWAN: CATHOLIC STUDENTS IN EAST ASIA SILENCE WARN AGAINST INTERNET ADDICTION The Catholic Church in Mongolia celebrated its 20th The IMCS (International Movement of Catholic Students) of anniversary, coinciding with the Mongolian Youth Day East Asia gathered more than 30 students in Taipei July 23-29 celebration, in Ulaanbaatar on July 7. Bishop Wenceslao Padilla to discuss the issue of Internet addiction. In their reflections, the gave the opening speech encouraging the participants to be student-participants who came from Taiwan, Hong Kong, enthusiastic and faithful in following Jesus. Faith sharing Macao, Japan and Korea said “balance” is needed for effective followed, which helped convey their joys, difficulties, and Internet use. They emphasized the importance of sharing time dreams for the Church in Mongolia. The Youth Day Cross was with family rather than being isolated from the world. This paraded with more than 170 youth from different parishes. Then year’s meeting of the Association of Chinese Catholic followed the Eucharistic celebration presided by Archbishop University Students in Taiwan, a member of IMCS-EA, also Savio Han, sdb from Propaganda Fide in Rome. A competition took the same theme to encourage youth to reach out in simpler, on the “History of the Catholic Church in Mongolia” brought more human ways and to use the Internet less. (ASIANEWS) fun and knowledge for the young people. They meditated on the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, and participated in the Taize “… (S)ilence… provides… a particularly powerful mode of expression. prayer and silence. These made them recall their commitment to Silence, then, gives rise to even more active communication…” Jesus and the Church. (CM) - Pope Benedict XVI, World Communication Day Message 2012

FABC-OSC Communication INFO August 2012 Vol. 27 No. 8 : PRIEST WHO COULD SPEAK EIGHT MYANMAR: POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS LANGUAGES CALLED TO THE LORD PUBLICATIONS TO BE UNCENSORED Fr. Phillip Kolandaisamy, a Malaysian priest who could speak Publications of a political or religious nature were the last to eight languages, passed away on July 29 at the Miriam Home be free from government censorship in a bid to exact reforms in for the Aged in Kluang, . He was 74. Bishop Paul Tan of the military-ruled country. Banning censorship of “all media” Melaka-Johor diocese, main celebrant at the July 31 funeral finally ends more than half a century of harsh restrictions on Mass, said, “Let us thank God for Fr. Kolandaisamy and be journalists and the media. Last year, President Thein Sein began reminded by him that we too must dedicate ourselves totally to introducing significant changes in the economic field, including Christ our Lord by loving and serving people as Christ did.” the release of hundreds of political prisoners, active Concelebrating the Mass held at the Church of St. Louis in collaboration with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Kluang were Archbishop and Archbishop greater openness to the outside world. (ASIANEWS) Emeritus Soter Fernandez of , Bishop-elect TAIWAN: YOUNG CHRISTIANS, BUDDHISTS, of , and some 40 priests from TAOISTS COME TOGETHER FOR INTERRELIGIOUS Singapore and Malaysia. (CN) DIALOGUE MALAYSIA: USE MEDIA IN THE ‘YEAR OF FAITH,’ The 13th meeting of the Taiwan Conference on Religion and BISHOPS TOLD Peace (TCPR) was held August 2-5 in Hualien, on the east coast The Vatican representative in Malaysia has encouraged the of Taiwan. The event was attended by representatives of 10 region’s bishops to use the media to evangelize during the Year youth religious groups, including Buddhists, Taoists, Catholics, of Faith. Msgr. Marek Zalewski suggested to the bishops of Protestants and ikuantaos. The aim is to acquaint young people Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei that they can use “television with each other, talking, working together and nurturing and radio transmissions, film and publications” to highlight “the friendships for future cooperation and mutual enrichment. faith, its principles and content.” The Charge d’Affaires of the Launched in 1994 by French Jesuit Alberto Poulet Mathis, Apostolic Nunciature in Kuala Lumpur was speaking at a TCPR organizes meetings on inter-faith dialogue. meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia- (ASIANEWS) Singapore-Brunei held from July 23-27 in Majodi Centre, SINGAPORE: FOLLOWING ST. FRANCIS XAVIER IN Plentong, Johor Bahru. Msgr Zalewski also urged the bishops to MALACCA look at the “quality of catechesis”, saying that efforts in this Thirty young adults “walked” in the footsteps of St. Francis area will involve examining “local catechisms and various Xavier during a pilgrimage-cum-retreat in Malacca August 4-5 catechetical supplements in use in the particular Churches” to organized by the Verbum Dei Missionaries. The retreat saw ensure “their complete conformity with the Catechism of the participants taking part in a “Malacca Amazing Race,” Catholic Church.” (CN) composing tunes to well-known prayers, and spiritually HONG KONG: PRESS FREEDOM TAKES A DIVE, journeying with the famous Jesuit missionary to the countries he JOURNALISTS SAY had travelled to. (CN) Journalists and editors in Hong Kong believe that restrictions PAKISTAN: MUSLIMS, CHRISTIANS MAKE on press freedom have risen sharply in recent years, according RAMADAN FRIENDSHIPS to the results of a poll released by the Hong Kong Journalists The Ramadan custom of breaking the day-long fast with a Association on June 24. Nearly 87 per cent of media workers communal meal has led to new friendships springing up questioned in the survey said new limitations hamper their between Muslims and Christians. A group known as Interfaith work. Conducted between April 18 and May 4, the survey Youth-In-Action organized one of these evening meals, polled 663 reporters, photographers, editors and people in media commonly known as Iftar, in Lahore’s Loyola Hall on August management. A clear majority in the recent survey attributed the 11. The event was one of many organized nationwide by Church change to the government tightening its grip on the flow of groups to mark the month of Ramadan. At Loyola Hall 30 information (92.7 percent). Self-censorship in the industry guests, about half of them Muslims, raised their hands in prayer scored at 71 percent and political interference by Beijing and or made the sign of the cross as the siren from a nearby mosque the central government liaison office was cited by 67.5 percent. signaled the end of the day’s fasting. (CBCNEWS) Dominic Lau Chung-yeung, a Catholic journalist in Hong Kong, INDIA: SANDESHA HOLDS UNIQUE DANCE said the trend of deterioration poses a significant threat and has PROGRAMME increased since the handover of Hong Kong in 1997. Lau added In line with its mission to promote peace and harmony, that the government has reduced the number of press Sandesha Foundation for Culture and Education had organized a conferences and offers information largely on condition of off- unique dance program Nritya Sangama in collobaration with the record or anonymous sources. (SE) Karnataka government’s Department of Kannada and Culture on August 18 at Sandesha in Mangalore. Three different dance forms – Kathak, Mohiniyattam and Bharathnatayam – were presented by local artists with international acclaim. Bishop Henry D’Souza of Bellary and the present Chairman of Sandesha Foundation presided over the program. (CBCI)

FABC-OSC Communication INFO August 2012 Vol. 27 No. 8