Network Pastoral Asia

Theological Research Department Reader

Theological Research Department Dr. Stefan Voges 11/01/2016

Meeting at the National Catechetical Educational and Biblical Centre, Colombo, Sri Lanka 24 – 29 November, 2015 Content

CONTENT Agenda ...... 4 List of Participants ...... 7 1. Sri Lanka ...... 9 Sri Lanka at a Glance ...... 10 Piyal Yesnaka Fernando 2. Network Pastoral Asia ...... 14 Network Pastoral Asia: Looking back, moving ahead … ...... 15 Cleophas Fernandes Formulation of a Shared Vision for NPA ...... 17 Arthur Leger SJ Developing a Shared Vison: A Work in Progress ...... 23 Arthur Leger SJ 3. Lay Leadership ...... 27 Laity and their Role in the context of Sri Lankan Church ...... 28 Fr. Laily Fernando and Mr. Nimal Ignatius Perera Lay Persons in the Church and in the World. Theological Reflections ...... 36 Michael Amaladoss SJ Lay Leadership – Its Challenges ...... 40 Michael Amaladoss SJ Lay Leaders – Fostering, Formation, Functioning ...... 44 Michael Amaladoss SJ Power To Lead- a Model of Formation and Empowerment of Lay Leaders ...... 48 Ruth D’Souza 4. The Year of Mercy ...... 59 A Holy Year of Mercy - Extraordinary jubilee year ...... 60 S.M. Michael SVD 5. Presentations of the Pastoral Institutes ...... 64 India: Assam Don Bosco University ...... 65 Joy Thomas SVD India: Pallotine Animation Centre ...... 68 Thomas Vijay SAC India: National Biblical Catechetical and Liturgical Centre ...... 70 Sagaya John Fondacio Asia ...... 74 Charles Bertille Bangladesh: National Social Catechetical Training Centre ...... 82 Bablu Sarker

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 2 Content

India: Ishvani Kendra ...... 85 S.M. Michael SVD Philippines: Caceres Lay Institute for Mission ...... 89 Andrew Recepcion Vietnam: Saigon Pastoral Institute ...... 92 Peter Nguyen-Van Hien Indonesia: STKIP Katekis St. Paulus ...... 94 Yohanes Servatius Lon 6. Statement ...... 97 Instead of a statement: Retrospection on the Fourth Meeting of Network Pastoral Asia ...... 98 Cleophas Fernandes

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 3 Theological Research Department Reader

AGENDA

4th Meeting of Network Pastoral Asia 2015

Tuesday, 24 November: Day of Arrival

Arrival expected before 7.30 p.m. 08.00 p.m.: Supper – Informal Exchange

Wednesday, 25 November

08.00 a.m.: Breakfast 09.00 a.m. – 10.30 a.m.: Session 1 • Opening Payer – Sri Lanka Group • Welcome to Sri Lanka – Fr. Piyal Yesnaka Fernando • Introduction to the meeting – Klaus Vellguth • Indications about the venue (logistics) – Fr. Piyal Yesnaka Fernando • Brief Review of the last meetings at Manila, Bangalore and Ho Chi Minh – Fr. Cleophas Fernandes • Welcome to the new participants 10.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.: Tea/Coffee break 11.00 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.: Session 2 • Working towards a vision-mission for NETWORK ASIA – animated by Arthur Leger 01.00 p.m.: Lunch 02.30 p.m. – 04.00 p.m.: Session 3 • (Continued) Working towards a vision-mission for NETWORK ASIA – animated by Ar- thur Leger 04.00 p.m. – 04.30 p.m.: Tea/Coffee break 04.30 p.m. – 06.30 p.m.: Session 4 • Lay leadership in the Church in the context of Sri Lanka – Presentation by Mr. Nimal Ignatius Perera and Fr. Laily Fernando 07.00 p.m.: Eucharist 08.00 p.m.: Dinner 08.45 p.m.: Session 5 • Presentations by Pastoral Institutes on their success stories in fostering and forming lay leaders (5 groups, 10 minutes each) Agenda

Thursday, 26 November

08.00 a.m.: Breakfast 09.00 a.m. – 10.30 a.m.: Session 1 • Theological Perspectives: Role of laypersons in the Church and in the world – Mi- chael Amaladoss SJ 10.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.: Tea break 11.00 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.: Session 2 • Theological Perspectives: Lay Leadership, its challenges – Michael Amaladoss SJ 01.00 p.m.: Lunch 01.30 p.m.: Leave by Bus for the Eucharist and Cultural Evening at Gampaha 03.00 p.m.: Eucharist 04.00 p.m.: Cultural Evening 08.00 p.m.: Dinner

Friday, 27 November

07.15 a.m.: Eucharist animated by Indian Group, Pakistan and Bangla Desh (Frs. Sagaya John and Joy Thomas to coordinate) 08.00 a.m.: Breakfast 09.00 a.m. – 10.30 a.m.: Session 1 • The malaise of clericalism and the challenge of lay leadership – Anton Meemana 10.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.: Tea break 11.00 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.: Session 2 • Lay ministries in the Church, fostering, formation and functioning – Mi- chael Amaladoss SJ 01.00 p.m.: Lunch 03.00 p.m. – 04.30 p.m.: Session 3 • Laudato Si` and its inspiration for contextual pastoral formation in our institutions – Anton Meemana 05.00 p.m. – 06.30 p.m.: Session 4 • (Continued) Presentations by Pastoral Institutes 08.00 p.m.: Dinner

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 5 Agenda

Saturday, 28 November

07.15 a.m.: Eucharist animated by Philippines, Indonesia, China and others 08.00 a.m.: Breakfast 09.00 a.m. – 10.30 a.m.: Session 1 • A good working model of formation and empowerment of lay leaders – Ruth D’Souza 10.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.: Tea break 11.00 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.: Session 2 • (Continued) Presentations by Pastoral Institutes 01.00 p.m.: Lunch 01.30 p.m.: Exposure to a pastoral situation of Sri Lanka connected with lay leadership, visiting Sri Lanka and Dinner out

Sunday, 29 November

07.15 a.m.: Eucharist 08.00 a.m.: Breakfast 09.00 a.m. – 10.30 a.m.: Session 1 • The Year of Mercy and its inspiration for contextual pastoral formation in our institutions – by Indian Group – S. M. Michael (short presentation and discussion) 10.30 a.m. – 11.00 a.m.: Tea break 11.00 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.: Session 2 • Concluding Session – tie up and future plans 01.00 p.m.: Lunch

After lunch: Departure or departure the following day

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 6 Theological Research Department Reader

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

Directors/ representatives E-mail address Address 1 Prof. Dr. mult. Klaus Vellguth [email protected] missio Goethestr. 43 52064 Aachen Germany 2 Fr. Dr. Joy Thomas SVD [email protected] Chair in Christianity Assam Don Bosco University Azara, Airport Road Guwahati - 781 017, India Tel: 9435128973 3 Prof. Dr. S.M. Michael SVD [email protected] Ishvani Kendra [email protected] Post Box 3003 Pune – 411 014, India 4 Fr. Cleophas Fernandes [email protected] Parish Priest & School Manager St Pius X Church & High School Mulund West Mumbai 400 080, India 5 Fr. Dr. Sagaya John [email protected] NBCLC Post Bag 8426 Hutchins Road, 2nd Cross Bangalore 560 084, India 6 Fr. Dr. Thomas Vijay SAC [email protected] Pallottine Animation Centre Post Box 18 Pallotti Nagar MankapurGorewada Ring Road Nagpur – 440 013 7State Maharashtra, India 7 Fr. Dr. Yohanes Servatius Lon [email protected] STKIP Katekis St. Paulus Jln. Jend. A. yani l0/ Tromolpos 6 Ruteng 86501 Flores, NTT, Indonesia 8 Prof. Dr. Paul Steffen SVD [email protected] Via dei Verbiti 1 00154 Roma, Italy 9 Fr. Dr. Arthur Leger SJ [email protected] EAPI – East Asian Pastoral Institute P.O. Box 211 U.P. Campus 1101 Quezon City, Philippines 10 Fr. Piyal Yesnaka Fernando [email protected] National Catechetical Educational and Biblical Centre Lankarama 19 BalcombePlace Colombo 8, Sri Lanka 11 Fr. Peter Nguyen-Van Hien [email protected] Archdiocesan Pastoral Centre 6 bis Ton DucThang Street, Ben Nghe Ward District 1 Ho-Chi-Minh-City, Vietnam 12 Fr. Bablu Sarker [email protected] National Catechetical Centre [email protected] HazratBorhan Shah Road Jessore 7400, Bangladesh 13 Fondacio [email protected] Charles Bertille Charles Bertille 15 Jalan Tasik Indah 3 Taman Tasik Indah Off 5th mile Jalan Ipoh 51200 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia List of Participants

14 Andrew Recepción [email protected] Dr. Andrew Gimenez Recepción Caceres Mission Office Archbishop’s Residence 4400 Naga City Philippines 15 Dr. Stefan Voges [email protected] missio Goethestr. 43 52064 Aachen Germany 16 Dr. Paul Hwang [email protected] 3 F 32-2 Dangsa –dong 2 (i)-ga Yeongeungpo-gu Seoul Korea 18 Ruth D‘Souza [email protected] Power to Lead – Sampoorna Empowerment Foundation 3A, Central Plaza, 166, C.S.T. Road, Kalina, Santacruz (E), Mumbai :- 400 098, Maharashtra, India

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 8 Theological Research Department Reader

1. Sri Lanka Theological Research Department Reader

SRI LANKA AT A GLANCE Piyal Yesnaka Fernando

Welcome

Sri Lanka at a Glance

Sri Lanka Population 2015

Current population 21 070 332

Current male population (49.3%) 10 395 756

Current female population (50.7%) 10 674 576

Births this year 312 226

Births today (11/18/2015) 800

Deaths this year 106 107

Deaths today (11/18/2015) 272

Net migration this year -38 715

Population growth this year 167 405

Religion in Sri Lanka

Data from the 2011 census

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 11 Sri Lanka at a Glance

Map of Sri Lanka, showing majority religions by D.S. Divisions, according to 2011 census.

Religions in Sri Lanka

The Efforts of Sri Lankan Church on Lay Leadership

The situation and awareness of lay people have been changing over a long period. Recognition of change has come rather slowly. In this background re-stating the role of lay people comprehensively is rather important. Lay faithful share in the priestly, prophetic and shepherding functions of Christ in different ways. They participate in the life and mission of the Church by responding to God’s call and contribute to the sanctification of the world through entry into its structures.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 12 Sri Lanka at a Glance

FABC – V. plenary Assembly’s vision

We share the vision of FABC-V where the Church in Asia will have to be a Communion of communities where the lay faithful, religious and clergy recognize and accept each other as sisters and brothers. They are called together by the Word of God. • A Church where decision making and administrative services are shared in accordance with the orientations given by Vatican II and subsequent Church documents utilizing to the maximum possible the structures provided by the Universal Church. • An intensive re-evangelization programmed for the laity using new approaches. It needs also to develop the social or communitarian dimension of Christian spirituality, so that Catholics can be more active in fields such as politics, economics, the professions etc.

• To facilitate change, an urgent re-training programme for clergy to re- focus on co-operation and co-responsibility with the laity and religious, emphasizing their pastoral functions and relieving them of administrative work.

• To expand our vision and creativity to address the needs and concerns of youth.

• Safeguarding and nurturing the family as the basic unit in society and supporting it to face the many challenges it encounters today.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 13 Theological Research Department Reader

2. Network Pastoral Asia Theological Research Department Reader

NETWORK PASTORAL ASIA: LOOKING BACK, MOVING AHEAD … Cleophas Fernandes

Network Pastoral Asia III

 Ho-Chi-Minh City, Vietnam

 30 October – 3 November 2014

 18 Participants from China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Vietnam plus 2 of MISSIO, 1 of Urbaniana

Focus: Challenges of Pluralism for Pastoral Animation in the Light of Evangelii Gaudi- um

Reference Points:

 The Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia

 Evangelii Gaudium

Evolving Perspectives

 Asian contextual diversity in cultures, religious traditions, social contexts (Manila)

 Common understanding of ‘pastoral’ (Manila)

 Felt need to contextualize pastoral formation in our diversity (Bangalore)

 Distinctive marks of plurality in specific contexts – sharing (Vietnam)

 Evangelii Gaudium and its pastoral implications for the Local Churches (Vietnam)

 The richness of pluralism of the Asian context and its implications for a pastoral response (Vietnam)

 Practical issues for a follow-up

 Not one plan of action for all but enlightened to respond prophetically in our local pluralistic context

Consistent features

 Atmosphere: friendly, free, fellowship

 Encounter with Local Church and its context (Not vacuum)

 Inputs my Resource Persons

 Current documents, Church and others as reference points Network Pastoral Asia: Looking back, moving ahead …

 Sharing by representative Institutes/Centres

 Free and friendly discussions/exchanges

 Exposures pastoral and cultural

 Prayer time, liturgical and other

 Brief relevant statements

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 16 Formulation of a Shared Vision for NPA

FORMULATION OF A SHARED VISION FOR NPA Arthur Leger SJ

‘As people talk, the vision grows clearer. As it gets clearer, enthusiasm for its benefits grow’.

Peter Senge, Fifth Discipline, 1990

Rationale for a Shared Vision

1. It keeps the story alive despite the changes of persons and contexts.

2. It focuses on capturing, communicating, and reconciling our goals and our methods for achieving those goals.

3. It is a picture that everyone in the network carries in their heads and hearts.

4. It converts the networking into 'our networking'.

5. It creates a sense of commonality and gives coherence to diverse pastoral activities.

6. It creates excitement and makes an extraordinary network.

7. It allows everyone to work together.

8. It creates a common identity and a sense of purpose.

9. It encourages new ways of thinking and acting.

10. It gives courage and fosters risk taking and experimentation.

Components of an Effective Shared Vision

1. Storyline

2. Group/Team Learning Process

3. Commitment

4. Values

5. Strategic Plan/Imperatives

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 17 Formulation of a Shared Vision for NPA

The Birthing of NPA: Looking Back to Envision the Future [extracted from EAPR 50 (2013) Number 4]

The Desire

In recent years the desire has arisen to intensify the relationship and friendship with the pastoral institutes in Africa, Asia, and Oceania and to enter into regular contacts beyond financial support. For this reason, the project Network Pastoral was started in 2010, initially as a research project. As part of this project, MISSIO (initially together with Adveniat, the German relief organization that supports pastoral projects in Latin America) contacted pastoral institutes all over the world and sent them a questionnaire especially tailored to different pastoral institutes in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. The aim of the questionnaire was to acquire more precise information about the work of the pastoral institutes and to make the information available to all institutes so that they could inspire and be inspired by―and get into contact with―one another.

The Questionnaire

The questionnaire was developed through a long process. The questions refer to the organi- zational structure of the institute itself, to the pastoral vision and the theological concepts, to the different fields of work and engagement, and to their contacts with other pastoral institutes at both national and international levels. The questionnaire seeks to determine:

1. the hopes, dreams, and visions of these pastoral institutes in their local context.

2. the pastoral aims the institutes pursue,

3. the pastoral options the pastoral institutes feel obliged to take,

4. the pastoral areas the institutes focus on,

5. the pastoral processes the institutes have initiated and accompanied, and

6. the pastoral programs the institutes have developed.

It was gratifying that a large number of the pastoral institutes which were contacted replied directly and in detail. The responses were posted in our own Wiki which was set up in four languages (English, German, French, Spanish) so that the “self-presentation” of the pastoral institutes is now accessible world-wide through the internet (see www.pastoral-global.org). So far the responses from 31 pastoral institutes from Asia, 17 from Africa, and 14 from Latin America have been presented on this Wiki.

A Desire for Networking

Numerous pastoral institutes signaled in their feedback that they had a great interest in getting to know other pastoral institutes and wished for intensive networking. For this reason, MISSIO, together with the East Asian Pastoral Institute, invited the directors of different Asian pastoral institutes to attend an initial conference of the Network Pastoral in Manila. The conference took place from October 29 to November 1, 2012 at the East Asian Pastoral Insti-

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 18 Formulation of a Shared Vision for NPA

tute (EAPI) in the capital of the Philippines. Those who attended were representatives of the National Biblical, Catechetical, and Liturgical Centre (Bangalore/ India), the Pallottine Anima- tion Centre (Nagpur/India), the Pusat Catechetical Center (Yogyakarta/Indonesia), the East Asian Pastoral Institute (Manila/Philippines), the Saigon Pastoral Institute (Ho-Chi-Minh- City/Vietnam), and the Singapore Pastoral Institute (Singapore). Prof. Dr. Paul Steffen, mis- siologist at the Urbaniana in Rome, was invited as an external observer. The aim of the conference was to gain insight into the work of the other pastoral institutes and furthermore to work out a common understanding of “pastoral” in an Asian context.

The CAPPI

Before the pastoral institutes were introduced to the participants, the initiative of the Confer- ence of Asian Pacific Pastoral Institutes (CAPPI) was called to mind.

As far back as 1986, a first meeting of the Conference of Asian Pacific Pastoral Institutes took place at the EAPI in Manila. The di-rectors of 15 pastoral institutes from the Asian- Pacific area took part in the foundation assembly of CAPPI. At that time they saw themselves faced with the situation that in their institutes, priority was given to the training of lay people, but these were confronted with an increasing clericalism in the church. In a mutual exchange of ideas they considered how this challenge could be dealt with appropriately.

Three years later, in 1989, a second meeting of the Conference of Asian Pacific Pastoral Institutes was held at the Pastoral Institute in Multan (Pakistan). This meeting attended by participants from twelve countries was, on the one hand, characterized by the increasingly critical situation of the Christians in a Moslem-dominated Pakistan. On the other hand, the representatives of the pastoral institutes discussed ordination and ministry issues in the Church from christological, ecclesiological, and practical theological viewpoints. A final meeting of the Conference of Asian Pacific Pastoral Institutes took place in 1991 at the Pusat Catechetical Center in Yogyakarta. Under the theme, “Understanding Changing Realities,” 30 representatives of pastoral institutes from Asia and the Pacific area discussed the theological approach, considered controversial at that time, of the Sri Lankan theologian Aloysius Pieris.

CAPPI saw itself as an association of pastoral institutes from the Asian-Pacific area whose representatives were seeking possibilities to connect with and help one another. It defined itself as a “tangible sign of the firm commitment to mission by the churches in Asia-Pacific.”1 In the final statement of the 2nd Conference with the theme, “The Concept and Practice of Ministry,” the participants in the conference recorded with regard to CAPPI:

It brings together practical initiatives into various aspects of this mission for mutual support, growth and enrichment, and acts as a forum for exchange of resources, program re-search and practical studies for the development of formators and participants in its member Pasto- ral Institutes.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 19 Formulation of a Shared Vision for NPA

Even though the project Network Pastoral did not develop from the Conference of Asia Pacif- ic Pastoral Institutes (CAPPI), both their idea and motivation are strikingly similar. A quarter of a century after the last CAPPI conference and the 2012 Network Pastoral Conference, the requirement for pastoral institutes in Asia to network with each other, exchange experiences, and support and strengthen each other still remains.

Topics from the Last Three Meetings

Manila: Common Understanding of “Pastoral”

Not least, against the background of the experience of Payatas, lively discussions ensued on how the delegates of the conference in Manila could formulate a common understanding of “pastoral” including both the different contexts of the Church in Asia and the challenges which each of the pastoral institutes is confronted with. It turned out that the understanding of “pastoral” in an Asian context can be formulated in a specific way.

The participants finally explained their understanding of “pastoral” like this: “Like Jesus and the disciples of Emmaus, our pastoral centers are journeying with the people of Asia. Our way is deter-mined by the gospel and by attitudes that embody the compassionate love of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. The main challenge for our Asian pastoral approach is to find ways of encountering and being enriched by the different religious traditions and cultures of Asia. In humility we are aware of our own weakness and as servant leaders we journey in our common search for God which determines the way we are engaged in our ministries of service for a holistic and integral trans-formation of persons and society. As authentic disciples of Christ, we seek to dialogue with different religions, cultures, and the numerous [people] living in poverty. We understand “pastoral” as our compassionate care to enable faith to connect with life. The pastoral task of the Church is to witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our witnessing must always be practiced in a gentle way so that we live in harmony with the various religions and cultures of Asia that enrich our journey.”

Bangalore, India: Understanding the Context This second conference of the Asian Network Pastoral took place in Bangalore, India, in November 2013. This meeting included an exchange of ideas and experiences on how the demand for contextualization is realized in the work of the pastoral institutes taking part.

Saigon, Vietnam: Challenges for Christianity in Asia & Appropriation of Evangelii Gaudium. This third conference continued the discussion on the importance of context and specifically looked at the newly published reference book: The Oxford Handbook of Christi- anity in Asia. The sessions focused on the areas of plurality, spirituality and cross- culturalism. The hosts presented the situation in Vietnam and then we were had an immersion experience of the poor but all a very professional and beautiful show of Vietnamese culture and dance.

Challenges for NPA

1. Keeping the story alive by sustaining interest

2. Responding to Asia’s changing contexts

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 20 Formulation of a Shared Vision for NPA

3. Pope Francis and the “new” pastoral approach

4. A different scenario: A network without Missio’s money and initiative

5. Dissemination of information on pastoral programs via publications, social media

6. Moving from regional networking to global networking

Working Mission

The NPA is the network for all those institutions in Asia who offer pastoral programs in a particular context for lay, religious and clergy. The NPA promotes a deeper understanding of pastoral knowledge and practice for the greater good of individuals and institution in Asia.

Our Commitment to Realize the Mission of NPA:

The principal means by which our mission is accomplished is through the synergy that occurs by bringing together directors and leaders, practitioners, theologians, scholars, consultants from many disciplines and from many nations to learn and experience pastoral impulses, concepts, processes, and realities.

Proposed Vision

The NPA will be valued for its expertise in developing and advancing pastoral knowledge and practice in Asia. The NPA strives to:

• Strengthen the networking amongst the members by learning from other pastoral institutes • Serve as a forum where people can share and exchange ideas, reflect on contemporary pastoral issues and develop new pastoral practices

Proposed Values

Shepherd Values

• Faith • Contextual Intelligence/ Expertise • Compassion • Service • Dialogue • Harmony • Relationships

Proposed Strategic Imperatives

• Advance the global pastoral network • Develop and engage more global and diverse membership • Strengthen NPA as a dynamic, sustainable global organization

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 21 Formulation of a Shared Vision for NPA

Process

Answer the 5 Ws

1. What? A group of leaders of pastoral institutes who meet once a year in different Asian locations with the support and guidance of Misso.

2. Why? The desire for networking and partnership to share experiences, knowledge and resources.

3. Who? We are pastoral institutes providing programs that focus on aspects of pastoral theology and pastoral praxis.

4. Where? We are focusing on Asia and Oceania.

5. When? We are talking about the future.

Reflect on the Focus Questions

1. Why did I come to this meeting?

2. What have you learnt from attending the NPA?

3. How have/can you contribute to the NPA?

4. What do we [NPA] want to create?

5. What values do we want to promote?

6. How have we incorporated ideas from the last three NPA into our lives, professional, institution and the Church?

7. Names the conditions that must exist for the NPA to continue be effective and relevant?

8. How would be translate and sell the new shared vision to our superiors, Board, Bish- op, staff.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 22 Theological Research Department Reader

DEVELOPING A SHARED VISON: A WORK IN PROGRESS Arthur Leger SJ

The proposed identity characteristics (vision, mission, commitment, strategic imperative) arise from the discussions during the morning sessions on Wednesday 25th November 2015. As mentioned by Klaus Vellguth, he envisions the development of a NPA vision and mission to be a two-three year process.

The initial stage of the process is to “talk” about the shared vision and hopefully gain clarity and enthusiasm amongst the members. A shared vision always emerges from an individual vision that goes through a refinement phase by listening to experiences of working with vision and articulating what we dream or hope to create.

Common experiences

1. It was a challenge to articulate and implement the vision due to culture, changing context, use of power and different pressing goals or focus like raising money.

2. The contribution of the different segments of community was considered key if there was to be an integration of the reality with the vision.

3. The role of leaders needed to be addressed in order to there was learning taking place.

Expectations

1. Mutual exchange of ideas and learning

2. Articulating ones ideas

3. Collaboration and Communion

4. Communication

5. Support and Sharing

6. Create opportunities for new ideas and “sparks”

7. Process of growth and change

8. Relationship and friendships

9. Listening to others for new learning

10. Ongoing process

Developing a Shared Vison: A Work in Progress

The reasons for creating a shared vision

1. It creates a sense of commonality and gives coherence to diverse pastoral activities.

2. It keeps the story alive despite the changes of persons and contexts.

3. It encourages new ways of thinking and acting.

4. It gives courage and fosters risk taking and experimentation.

Values

The values proposed as foundational for the vision and mission:

1. Collaboration

2. Mutual Exchange

3. Empowerment

4. Co-responsibility

5. Trusting in the Experience

6. Relationships

7. Friendship

8. Listening

9. Service

10. Harmony

Images

1. The Good Shepherd

2. Servant Leaders

3. Authentic Disciples [change order]

4. Witness

5. An Asian Image?

Challenges for NPA

1. Keeping the story alive with a new language and common understanding

2. Responding to Asia’s changing contexts

3. Pope Francis and the “new” pastoral approach

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 24 Developing a Shared Vison: A Work in Progress

4. A different scenario: A network without Missio’s money and initiative

5. Dissemination of information on pastoral programs via publications, social media

6. Moving from regional networking to global networking

Next Steps

• The members will review the suggested identification characteristics from the perspective of their own individuals. They will determine if there is any alignment between their institution and the proposed characteristics. e.g. Does an institution es- pouse the same values?

• A team is selected to gather data and make further changes with the new data. The team answers the questions: What makes this network different from other pastoral networks in Asia?

• Missio gives input into the characteristics to indicate its continued involvement in the process.

• The documents are then presented at the next meeting.

• Adopt a vision and mission and a 5-year strategic plan 2016-2020 for NPA

• Create a self-evaluation instrument that could be used by all pastoral institutes.

• Expand dialogue to pastoral issues on global level beginning with partners in Africa

• Strengthen regional networking amongst the members of NPA e.g. South Asia, East Asia

Working Mission

The NPA is the network for all those institutions in Asia who offer pastoral programs in a particular context for lay, religious, and clergy. The NPA promotes a deeper learning and understanding of pastoral knowledge and practice for the faith formation of individuals and institutions in Asia.

Our Commitment to Realize the Mission of NPA:

The principal means by which our mission is accomplished is through the synergy that occurs by bringing together directors and leaders, practitioners, theologians, scholars, consultants from many disciplines and from many nations to exchange and share experiences, pastoral impulses, concepts, processes, and realities with the hope of learning new ideas and practices.

Proposed Vision

The NPA will be valued for its expertise in articulating and advancing pastoral knowledge and practice in Asia. The NPA strives to:

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 25 Developing a Shared Vison: A Work in Progress

- Strengthen the networking amongst the members by learning from other pastoral institutes - Serve as a forum where people can share and exchange ideas, reflect on contemporary pastoral issues – Creates a sense of commonality and gives coherence to diverse pastoral activities - Keeps the story alive despite the changes of persons and contexts. - Fosters risk taking and experimentation and develop new pastoral practices

Proposed Values

1. Collaboration /Mutual Exchange/Co-responsibility 2. Empowerment/Leadership 3. Trusting in the Experience/Context 4. Relationships/Friendship

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 26 Theological Research Department Reader

3. Lay Leadership Laity and their Role in the context of Sri Lankan Church

LAITY AND THEIR ROLE IN THE CONTEXT OF SRI LANKAN CHURCH Fr. Laily Fernando and Mr. Nimal Ignatius Perera

Lay Leadership in the Sri Lankan Church

50 years have passed since Vatican Council II.

It was the first time in the long history of the Church the subject of Laity, the vast majority of her members was dealt explicitly.

While there are many positive signs of the emergence of an enlightened laity who would carry forward the major thrust of the Vatican Council, there are also signs of retraction, deviation and resistance against the Vision and Mission of Vatican Council II.

Fifty years after the Second Vatican Council the Church continues to “struggle with how to effectively incorporate the LAITY in the structures still unconsciously defined by dualism and hierarchy”.

In this context it would be helpful to note the Ten Fundamental Principles of Vatican II Re- newals presented by Avery Dulles .

1. Aggiornamento Updating ourselves to become a vital influence in the modern world in which we are a pilgrim people. 2. The Re-formability of the Church No longer seen as the “Perfect Society”, but as a church in need of “continual refor- mation”. 3. Renewed Attention to the Word of God Earnest desire to study, to read and to listen and be transformed by the Word of God. 4. Collegiality Creating a very clear break with the distinctly pyramidal structure applied to the Church from the medieval times, collegiality runs right through VAT II documents. Dulles sees a broad meaning here, as part of the “Spirit” of VAT II council. Thus the principle of collegiality understood in a wider sense, as pervading all levels of the church. This element has a direct relationship to the Laity because Dulles sees collegiality as impacting on decision making right through to how the whole church, Laity included, shares responsibility. The challenge of collegiality is the construction of decision making structures that respect the tradition of hierarchy and the nature of the Church as a Spirit-filled community of people. 5. Religious Freedom The right to decisions of conscience.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 28 Laity and their Role in the context of Sri Lankan Church

6. The Active Role of the Laity In the thirty to forty years prior to the Council significant attempts had been made to involve elite members of the Laity in the apostolate of the hierarchy as the first break from a passive Laity. Some progressive theologians and Pastors even began viewing the Apostolate as belonging to Laity by right of their Baptism. The Council “ canonised “ this view and , “ exhorted lay persons to advance the King- dom of God, by engaging in temporal affairs and by discharging their familial and vocational obligations in a manner faithful to Christ” But the council did not restrict lay people to their special mission to transform the world in Christ. It regarded Laity as particularly competent in “secular” matters, but it also provided for advanced participation in the inner affairs of the Church. 7. Regional and Local Variety in the Church A strong emphasis on “Local” Church. 8. Ecumenism Mutual understanding, respect and solidarity with other Christians. 9. Inter Religious Dialogue: Respectful conversations & dealing with Religious Traditions. 10. The Social Mission of the Church The Council clearly determined that the struggle for justice and the transformation of the world through the Gospel are constitutive elements of the Church’s Mission. “Peace and Social Justice are a requirement of the Church’s mission to carry on the work of Christ, who had the compassion on the poor and the oppressed.” The council also spoke with clarity that the primary responsibility for this mission belongs to those whose life is in the temporal world so greatly in need of renewal.

Population by Religion

Number %

Buddhist 14,222,844 70.2

Hindu 2,554,606 12.6

Islam 1,967,227 9.7

Catholic 1,237,038 6.1

Christian 272,568 1.3

Other 9,440 0.0

TOTAL- 20,263,723 100.0

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 29 Laity and their Role in the context of Sri Lankan Church

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 30 Laity and their Role in the context of Sri Lankan Church

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 31 Laity and their Role in the context of Sri Lankan Church

Population by Diocese Catholics %

1. Archdiocese of Colombo 6,37,729 10.95 2. Diocese of Chilaw 2,36,692 31.15 3. Diocese of Kurunegala 42,063 2.61 4. Diocese of Kandy 6,273 2.44 5. Diocese of Anuradhapura 9,145 0.73 6. Diocese of Mannar 67,087 24.8 7. Diocese of Jaffna 95,762 12.15 8. Diocese of Trincomalee 14,795 3.91 9. Diocese of Batticaloa 31,997 2.73 10. Diocese of Badulla 13,138 1.04 11. Diocese of Ratnapura 18,576 9.67 12. Diocese of Galle 7,578 0.31

Administration & Apostolates of CBCSL (Catholic Bishop Conference of Sri Lanka)

Catholic National Commissions for

- Seminaries, Clergy, Religious and Secular Institutes - Education,Catechetics& Bibl Apostolate - Missionary Activity - Liturgy & Culture - Social Communication - Laity - Justice, Peace and Human Development - Inter-religious Dialogue & Ecumenism - Migrants, Health, Tourism & Prisons.

National Directors /National Chaplains

- Pontifical Mission Societies - Catholic Education - Catechetic & Bible Apostolate - Liturgy & Culture - Social Communications - Laity - SEDEC-CARITAS - Migrants - Catholic National Association of the Laity - Legion of Mary - Society of St.Vincent de Paul - University Students - Catholic Youth Federation - Sri Lanka Cursillo Movement - St.Luke’s Doctors Guild

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 32 Laity and their Role in the context of Sri Lankan Church

- Kithudhana Pubuduwa (Charismatic Rnwl.) - Small Christian Communities (AsIPA) - Family Apostolate

Other Movements & Groups, Institutions where Laity are being trained, guided etc.

- Lay Theologates: Colombo, Kurunegala, Chilaw, Anuradapura, Jaffna, Galle (increase in no of students?) - Kithudana Pubuduwa (Initiated by Fr. Oscar, 90% lay involve.) - Community of Risen Lord (A break away … 100% lay) - Centre for Society & Religion (Init. Fr. Thissa omi Sadhana, CSM,) - Thulana Research Centre for Encounter & Dialouge (Fr. Aloysius Pieris SJ)

Attempts to implement VATICAN II Vision & Mission

1st National Convention (Just after Vatican II) 1968

2nd

3rd National Pastoral Convention (1995 April 19-23)

4th Participatory Church as a tool to implement Vatican II Vision & Mission (1995 October 2nd- 12th)

5th National Laity Convention ( 2001 Kandy)

6th Diocesan Pastoral Conventions (Kgla, Chilaw, Jaffn…)

Such attempts are being made…?

“When Lay people are kept in tutelage and treated more or less like children, they become an indifferent to the Church’s faith as to her life…It is obvious that a Church made up of Christians who are wholly passive, even from the point of view of belief , will be but a lifeless, anemic Church.” (Yves Congar, Laity, Church and World)

Some Observations

- The zest, the vitality which was infused by VAT II has to be revitalized. (on going process of update) - Positive attempt to go beyond , rather than go against the Law, Rite & Dogma. - LIFE beyond the Law - life of LOVE - Worship beyond the Rite – Liturgy of life lived - Faith beyond Dogma - Multiple expression

LIFE – Christian formation based on the spirit of Gospel rather than make them dependent on externally imposed laws. (Ex.Bishop Leo,Fr.Mike omi, Fr.Luckart omi experimented)

- Need of moral and spiritual formation for laity with the art of discernment to become spiritually mature

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 33 Laity and their Role in the context of Sri Lankan Church

- Temptation to return to the easier model of herding the flock with a legal stick rather than taking up the challenge in forming mature Christians with an adult conscience…

WORSHIP

- Prominence for the Word of God & People of God - Word of God has to be Proclaimed & Explained with serious preparation (Breaking of Word) - Prominence for the People of God - Presbyter has to Listen to the People, hear their voice, share their anxieties and provide nourishment (Breaking of bread ) - Rituals be aid to worship not a substitute for worship

FAITH

- Shifting our faith into the PERSON of JESUS - Trust in the absolutely trustworthy GOD - Priority of praxis without denying the importance of doctrines. - Returning to Pluralism in theology, liturgy and ecclesial life - A clear sign of the presence of the Spirit in the Church

People of God on a Pilgrimage towards KINGDOM (Reality of Kingdom, Gods reign, its implications here & now needs to be clarified…)

“Training the Clergy for mutuality and service and team ministry”

No proper, Systematic Formation of Lay Leaders, no such Centre so far. (It was proposed in NPC not …)

- Culture of dependency on clergy is still present and perhaps cultivated in a more sub- tle way so as to keep the laity/flock adhered to the Parish structure. (Rtd. Professor of University) - The Key Leader/Parish Priests do not KNOW, OWN and are convinced of the Vision & Mission of the CHURCH as PEOPLE of GOD/ Community of Believers in a Mission - hence the parish is directed elsewhere (A dedicated Social worker/Parish leader) - No Pastoral care but administrative policies they are not PASTORS but MANAGERS( Family book, Novenas, Collections....) – A journalist - Hence the style of Key Leadership Influence, shapes the Parish community, apostolic groups, etc. - Generous, dedicated lay leaders are being used, manipulated, without giving proper orientation, formation & renumeration….( A catechist ) - Critically aware, spiritually thirsty leaders are not understood, tolerated…( A Parish Pastoral council member) - In general both Clergy and Laity are in urgent need of purifying their understanding of Vision and Mission in the life of Church ( in their own contexts) A Religious Parish Pastor

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 34 Laity and their Role in the context of Sri Lankan Church

Our Response to these Challenges

Review, Re-organize and Re-launch Formation

Launch into the Formation of Leaders equipped with Biblical Spirituality to pursue the New (Original) Way of Being Church (People of God) in today’s context as repeatedly endorsed by the Asian Bishops

Humble acknowledgement of texts & sources used

Lay Christian Life in Sri Lanka, Joseph E Fernando SJ

Give Vatican II a Chance, Aloysius Pieris SJ

Empowering Asia’s Laity, Charles Bertille

Fr. Laily Fernando and Mr. Nimal Ignatius Perera National SCC Office, “Lankarama”, Balcombe Place, Colombo 08

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 35 Theological Research Department Reader

LAY PERSONS IN THE CHURCH AND IN THE WORLD. THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS Michael Amaladoss SJ

Who are the Laity: Clarification 1

- I shall start with three clarifications so that from the beginning we avoid certain prejudices - The term ‘Laity’ is a negative term – some one who is not qualified, who does not have knowledge – in our case, some one who is not the clergy nor the religious – also a hierarchy is involved: they are at the bottom - Vatican II gave them a new dignity by calling them “PEOPLE OF GOD”, specially chosen by God. They are the Church. The clergy and the religious too belong to this people. - The Clergy are the ministers or servants of this People - The Religious are a sort of models, as symbols of the Kingdom of God

They are Secular – Clarification 2

- The People are associated with the secular sphere, the temporal order, the world - They do not belong to the sacred sphere, the eternal and spiritual order, the Church (the sacramental sphere) - They are somehow seen as secondary or inferior in the Church which is the proper sphere of the clergy – a step away from the divine - There may be a hint of the ‘ritual purity-pollution’ dichotomy. They cannot come near the altar or touch the sacred vessels unless authorized - But our title speaks of their role in the Church and in the World – Baptismal priesthood and dignity – Compare celebrants and ministers of sacraments - So we can change the paradigm. They are the world, sacred and secular. The clergy are at their service in one part of it, when they gather for common worship

The Church or the Kingdom – Clarification 3

- When we speak about the People our discourse is normally centred around the Church - But in Asia we set the Church in the context of the Kingdom of God - The Church is the symbol and servant of the Kingdom - The role of the Church as servant is further radicalized in Asia where the Christians are a small minority, except in the Philippines - The Church and the clergy have no claims to any special power or prestige, which they may have enjoyed during the colonial period. - They may be admired for their educational and social work, not for their ‘sacredness’ - The Kingdom may be a better context for the People, their life and work, than the church and the ‘secular sphere’. Lay Persons in the Church and in the World. Theological Reflections

Identity – Dignity

- Baptism gives the identity and dignity of the People: They become the children of the Father, members of the Body of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit - “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into this marvellous light.” (1 Pet 2:9) - They share in the triple function of Christ as the Priest, Prophet and King. - They share also in the mission of Christ. Baptism is not a passport to salvation (“God desires everyone to be saved” - 1 Tim 2:4), but a call to mission – The mission is for building the Kingdom!

Identity and Dignity – 2

- Sensus fidei: “The whole body of the faithful who have an anointing that comes from the holy one (cf. 1 Jn 2:20, 27) cannot err in matters of belief… a supernatural appre- ciation of the faith (sensus fidei)” (Lumen Gentium, 12) - Universal Call to Holiness: “All in the Church, whether they belong to the hierarchy or are cared for by it, are called to holiness.” (cf. 1 Th 4:3; Eph 1:4) - Charisms for All: The People receive the differentiated charisms of the Spirit for the service of the community (1 Cor 12) – not mediated by the clergy - “The Lord Jesus ‘whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world’ (Jn 10:36) makes his whole Mystical Body share in the anointing of the Spirit wherewith he has been anointed; for in that Body all the faithful are made a holy and kingly priesthood… there is no such thing as a member that has not a share in the mission of the whole Body.” (Presbyterorum Ordinis, 2)

The Clergy as Servants

- “The Lord also appointed certain men as ministers, in order that they might be united in one body in which “all the members have not the same function” (Rom 12:4). These men were to hold in the community of the faithful the sacred power of Order, that of offering sacrifice and forgiving sins, and were to exercise the priestly office publicly on behalf of men in the name of Christ.” (PO 2) - (Through the sacrament of the priesthood) “priests by the anointing of the Holy Spirit are signed with a special character and so are configured to Christ the priest in such a way that they are able to act in the person of Christ the head.” (PO 2) - Are priests symbols of Christ or representatives? – offering sacrifice, leading, etc.? - Difference of function (or essence) need not mean hierarchy. The hierarchical vision is opposed to the synodal vision of the Church that is present in the Eastern Church and seems to be emerging in the Latin Church with Pope Francis. - St. John Paul II seems to side step this question in Christifideles Laici by grouping his reflections around the image of the Church as communion, invoking the image of the Vine and the branches (Jn 15:1-8). Benedict XVI speaks of co-responsibility rather than collaboration between the Clergy and the People.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 37 Lay Persons in the Church and in the World. Theological Reflections

The Mission of the Church

- In Asia, the mission of the Church is understood as the witnessing to the Good News (Gospel) in dialogue with the realities of Asia, namely the many poor, the rich cultures and the living religions. - The goal of this mission is the building up of the Kingdom of God and of the Church as its symbol and servant - The People, therefore, have a two-fold task: build themselves up as a community of the Kingdom and collaborate with all people of good will in building up the Kingdom of God in the world

People’s Mission in the Church

- How to make the Christian community a symbol and servant of the Kingdom? - Making the Church authentically local – inculturation - Making the community a fellowship of equals committed to the promotion of Gospel values in Society through social and political action, not necessarily aggressively, but as salt and leaven, marking itself a space in the public, civic sphere, through the media, symbolic actions, etc. – not necessarily party politics - The people should assume leadership in this matter – the influence of the clergy today may not extend beyond the church compound. - Dialoguing with other communities as the witnessing Church in promoting the common good and the values of the Gospel - Taking an active part in the social dimension of the sacraments and other celebrations - e.g. the Eucharist - promoting reconciliation and fellowship beyond divisive identities like caste, ethnicity, language, etc. - Empowering the women to play their role in society – equal, but different? Different in what way? - Taking charge of the human and social formation of the young

People’s Mission in the World

- We can look at this in the context of the three-fold dialogue – but the more basic dialogue is with the other Peoples of other religions and cultures, etc. - With the poor: not only helping the poor, but attempting to change the economic, political and social structures make people poor – also dialoguing with the non-poor – We have the social doctrine of the Church – Pope Francis has recently spoken against the profit-oriented free-market capitalism and the destruction of the earth, our common home – there are also the internal and external migrants, the excluded – egoism that avoids community - With culture(s): confronting the forces of secularization: materialism, scientism, consumerism and the culture of waste, the media, both mass and social – standing up for values – being active in the public space and in education which has so far depended on the religious – concern for the earth our common home.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 38 Lay Persons in the Church and in the World. Theological Reflections

People’s Mission in the World – 2

- With Religions: We are living in a world of increasing fundamentalism and violence – we need to build up a coalition with people of other religions and all people of good will against such destructive forces – how to help people, especially the young, to know, respect, accept and collaborate with the others – We will have to learn by doing – Pope Francis has also been promoting common prayer - We also need to collaborate with all people of good will in offering a basis of human and spiritual values to support and regulate social and political action - The FABC plenary assembly on the Laity in 1986 lists nine areas of challenges: politics, youth, women, family, education, mass media, the worlds of work, business and health services. (FABC Paper 47) – Church is omitted! - Challenges that we could add to this list today are the defence of people persecuted for their religious beliefs, interreligious violence, refugees, etc.

Pope Francis

- The Pope in a Letter to the head of the Council for Lay People (50 yrs. after Vat II): - “The Council, therefore, does not look at lay people as if they were ‘second class’ members, at the service of the hierarchy and only executors of orders from on high, but as disciples of Christ who, by force of their baptism and their nature inserted ‘in the world,’ are called to animate every space, every activity, every human relation according to the spirit of the Gospel.” - Lay people bring “the light, hope, [and] love received from Christ in those places that, otherwise, might remain unknown to the action of God and abandoned to the misery of the human condition.” - “No one can carry out better than them this essential work ‘to see that the divine law is inscribed in the life of the earthly city’”.

Conclusion

- There are a number of lay movements in the Euro-American Church. Except for some like ‘Sant Egidio’ they tend to focus on spirituality. - The Clergy has an important role. After a long period of domination and control it has to let the People free and empower them in every way, limiting their own role to one of facilitation and guidance in so far as it may be necessary. - Being largely poor and, in most places in Asia, minorities, getting them to be active in public life, whether in the Church or in the world will really be a challenge. In Europe most of the activists and leaders may be leaving the Church or distancing themselves from it – a little different in the USA.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 39 Theological Research Department Reader

LAY LEADERSHIP – ITS CHALLENGES Michael Amaladoss SJ

Vision of the Church

- Church, hierarchical or synodal – the West and the East - Jesus communicating the Spirit to the community, men and women, not only to the Apostles - The practice of the early Church as seen in the Acts – Peter responsible to the community: Cornelius – Paul reporting - The People of God and the Ministers: are the Ministers outside and above the People or they speak and act in the name of the People – The Spirit protects from error, but does not give special revelation - The emergence of the hierarchy: natural/part of faith or practical and legal, differing according to contexts – Does hierarchy creep in when the social dimension is re- duced, e.g. reconciliation - The vision of the Church as communion!

Vision of the Ministry

- In persona Christi capitis or in persona ecclesiae – e.g. the Eucharistic prayer: the priest prays in the name of the community; Eucharistic prayer without the institution narrative; Addai-Mari of the Syrian Church – ‘I absolve you’ or ‘May God absolve you’ (West and East) combined today – discipline, practice and theology than faith/doctrine? - The Mystical Body of Christ celebrates with Christ as the principal agent – the priest is not a mediator (pontifex) nor a representative, but a symbol – when the community or the social dimension is missing then individualism takes over - Often elected in the East, though given a special charism by ordination in view of their function – the sacrament of order is strictly necessary only for the sacraments of the Eucharist, Reconciliation and Order itelf.

Clericalism

- Clericalism creeps in when the priest becomes the centre and all other ministries are seen as derived from him or shared by him – so the people participate in the ‘power’ of the clergy, becoming ‘clerical’ - Why ‘canonical mission’ for ministries that do not require the sacrament of order? – Is this a mater of discipline or doctrine? - Does the vision of the Church as communion with the symbol of the “Vine and the branches” and the talk of ‘co-responsibility’ rather than collaboration move away from a clerical vision, because the centre is Christ – the universal Church as a communion of communions! (Unfortunately, Card. Ratzinger did speak once of ‘hierarchical communion’) Lay Leadership – Its Challenges

- The People have to assert their power – This is what is happening in charismatic groups! – This could happen in basic communities also!

Leadership

- Leadership is NOT a hierarchical position, status (economic, political, social) or power (physical or moral) and domination - It can be personal authority that comes out of special vision and knowledge, talent for reflection, speech or action, capacity to inspire and organize. - Such authority is experienced and lived on the one hand and recognized and accept- ed on the other - Jesus had such authority, though he was not a trained Rabbi, a Pharisee, a priest or a politician! - People with such authority usually emerge from groups - Leadership is to recognize such authority and use it for the community, with its con- sent, animating, facilitating, coordinating

Jesus as a Model

- Jesus was a ‘lay’ person, but was a leader – his leadership was servant leadership: Jn 13:1-17; Phil 2:3-11 - He spoke with authority about God, but with humility and simplicity as little children (Mt 20:25-28), familiar with God – it is nearness to God that lends credibility to his leadership (Mt 11:25-27; Mt 17:1-7; Jn 6) - He was sensitive to the charisms of others, of Peter, John, Mary Magdalene, Paul and encouraged and supported them.

Pope Francis

- Speaking to the Italian Church, Pope Francis spoke of three attitudes and two temptations - Three attitudes: humility, disinterestedness, joy (the beatitudes) - Two temptations: 1. Pelagianism focused on our own efforts, plans, organizations and not on God and God’s surprises 2. Gnosticism: guided by ideas and principles and not by reality, by people and their lives, problems, etc - The Church is not a prison that protects people with rules (walls), but a home, where there is freedom - Focus on the dignity of Baptism and personal conscience than on dependence on authority: cf. Pope talking to the Lutheran community in Rome

Leadership Qualities:

1. Awareness

- A clear vision of the mission and one’s own commitment to it

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 41 Lay Leadership – Its Challenges

- Awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses – the fruit of examination of con- sciousness - Inner freedom from one’s attachments – free from one’s self love, self will and self interest – indifference: openness to the Spirit moving through the world, through the others

2. Ingenuity

- Knowledge of the situation and adaptation to the situation– capacity for social analysis - freedom to be creative - Imagination and creativity – no readymade solutions or framework or tradition - Discernment – listening to God in others and in the world – reading the signs of the times – no mere ideologies – taking emotions seriously - Being a pilgrim – searching, movement

3. Love

- Union of minds and hearts – friends in the Lord – the community, model of the King- dom of God – how do you build community – healing of memories – ongoing formation - Love in deed – self-sacrifice and service (Jesus at the Last Supper) – love without at- tachment: loving the other for the other’s sake - Trust – transparency – no manipulation and hidden agendas – no politics – open communication – humility – representation – accountability, impartiality, care- frontation - Conflict resolution: truth, restorative justice, forgiveness - Participative consensus building – coordination and not domination – discernment in common - consultation

4. Heroism

- Aim high – great desires – with Jesus for the kingdom - Ready to fail – dream big - Ready to struggle – good and evil forces in the world – battling evil – not running away from necessary conflict – non violent? - Encourage people to work to full potential – respecting charisms - No fear – free in the Spirit

From a management perspective

- The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The best test is: do those served grow as persons: do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the ef- fect on the least privileged in society; will they benefit, or, at least, not be further de- prived? (Robert K. Greenleaf, 1977 – a pioneer of the servant-leader image)

Ten Characteristics (L. Spears)

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 42 Lay Leadership – Its Challenges

1. Listening: to the others because it is a common project – (listening also to oneself) 2. Empathy: Acceptance of the others, their gifts and good will – with sympathy it can become compassion – managing emotions – sensitive 3. Healing: searching for wholeness in oneself and in others – healing of hurts 4. Awareness: of the self and of the situation – understanding ethical, value and power issues 5. Persuasion: promote consensus – not coercion: power shown either through domination (open) or manipulation (hidden) 6. Conceptualization: dreaming the future, seeing the broader picture, not petty details 7. Foresight: an intuitive vision of the goal to achieve, which can be a driving force – more an art than science 8. Stewardship: focusing on the greater good of society and the others – holding the project in trust - strive for excellence 9. Commitment to the growth of the people: helping others to grow, to be trained, to participate - no imposition, but drawing out capacities – enabling them to become leaders in their turn 10. Building Community: empower people to work together and become community

Some more Qualities

1. Humility is truth – the project is greater than oneself - commitment 2. Passion for the project that infects and inspires others – be on the ground – lead by example – passion should lead to compassion 3. Empower: Know the others - empower them – encourage initiative and inventive- ness- delegation and subsidiarity 4. Trust: Be fair – Trust and be trusted 5. Communication – clear and frequent – especially in today’s world – use of modern media, mass and social

The 15 Diseases of People in Authority – Pope Francis to the Curia

1. Feeling ‘immortal’ or ‘essential’ – 2. Excessive activity – 3. Mental and spiritual ‘petrifica- tion’ – 4. Overplanning – 5. Bad Coordination – 6. Spiritual Alzheimer’s – 7. Rivalry and vain- glory – 8. Existential Schizophrenia – 9. Gossip and chatter – 10. Deifying the leaders – 11. Indifference to others – 12. Funeral face – 13. Hoarding – 14. Closed circles – 15. Worldly profit and exhibitionism.

Lao Tsu

To lead people, walk beside them … As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate … When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves!’

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 43 Theological Research Department Reader

LAY LEADERS – FOSTERING, FORMATION, FUNCTIONING Michael Amaladoss SJ

Formation IN Mission

- Formation for mission in mission – training of the people by the people – the clergy need not necessarily be involved - In Church circles we would immediately think of catechesis, seminars and programmes focusing on communicating knowledge - Without discounting knowledge, speaking of leaders we have to communicate – train – skills - It is not enough to “see, judge, act” – we need them to reflect and be trained during and following action - Explore the possibility of offering action programmes to all people – at least volunteers – let leaders emerge – then focus on them - Operate simultaneously at both levels – the wider human community and the Church

Catch them Young

- Our focus is on the Kingdom of God and the Church at its service – our focus is not on piety or liturgy, but action in society - What we mean by the Kingdom is really human communities in which people love each other and show that love in sharing, service and self-gift (cf. Jn 13-17) - Since we have a network of schools, they may be the places to start, rather than the parishes – we bring together and train all people of good will rather than merely Christians - Our experiment: We train the youth, giving them both knowledge and skills, enabling them to communicate these to the children – in the process, the youth are being trained as leaders - The Catholic children and youth could be brought together for a deeper Christian experience and knowledge at a second stage without isolating them, however – our religious exercises will have to become more participative

Formation of Seminarians

- Formation of lay leaders will not be successful if we do not form also the priests who will work with them. - The seminarians often participate in the pastoral ministries of the Church in view of forming them. - It will be interesting if they can join other young people working in the world - This will help them to widen their focus and also to build up relationships with people in a non-Church situation - They will also have companionship with other young leaders. The young people too may be better disposed towards priests. Lay Leaders – Fostering, Formation, Functioning

Action in Society

- Most schools and colleges will be open to outreach programmes that are not political - We are not against political action, but we can leave it to the trained people – we need not exclude it - Both boys and girls should be involved - They must be introduced and exposed to adult leaders - We seek to develop a spirit of curiosity and questioning, social awareness, concern for community, not only tolerating, but accepting difference - From the beginning we are training people to be leaders in society, not merely in the Church – these are not opposed to each other

Christian and Human Communities

- At an adult level, we could help the organization of Basic Christian Communities and around them also Basic Human Communities - The challenge is to make them action-oriented and not merely prayer groups or gathering together for celebrations or focused on personal perfection - The old ‘Catholic Action’ movement was commissioned by the Church. Authentic movements of the People should be free and autonomous, coming from below. - These communities could seek to collaborate with NGOs or start NGOs focused on particular social objectives - A movement of the People could be critical of the Church too - Conscientization programmes and occasional protests are not excluded

Parish and Diocesan Councils

- We can think of parish and diocesan councils that are not merely advisory, as they are at present – a synodal view of the Church - A priest’s expertise, competence, vocation and place in the Christian community is respected. But his limits in society are also acknowledged. - Except in the strictly sacramental sphere, where ordination is required, the priests’ role becomes advisory.

A Body of Experts

- Over a period the community should be able to assemble a body of experts in various fields who can aid the people in various areas like social analysis, human and psy- chological health and growth, community organization, arts and the media. - Periodic lectures and short training programmes could be made available. - Today the digital and electronic media could be used with on-line programmes, both for communication and training

An Option for the Poor

- The Church has always been concerned to help the poor. - But what do you do to transform the structures that make people poor?

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 45 Lay Leaders – Fostering, Formation, Functioning

- Pope Francis has recently spoken about unbridled consumerism and the profit- oriented free market economy. What can we do to challenge these and to change them? - In his encyclical Laudato Si’ he speaks about simple actions like people boycotting products of a particular company to challenge it to change. If such movements are interreligious and global they can have a real impact. - The production and sale of arms seems to be one area that needs urgent attention in the context of increasing global violence.

A Multi-cultural Community

- Dialogue between Gospel and culture is usually spoken of in terms of inculturation and the focus has been on missionaries, especially foreign ones. - We do not speak much of the Gospel transforming cultures - If we see inculturation and cultural transformation as a movement from below, then the People will be the primary actors. Culture is their group identity - In a multi-cultural society, the tendency is to think of unity in terms of one culture, one language, one religion, subordinating the others – globalization may attempt this at the global level – How do we defend cultural pluralism? - To live as a multi-cultural community is to “recognize, respect and accept” (Charles Taylor) the others and build an overlapping consensus (John Rawls) that will guide socio-political life and action – the Kingdom includes, but transcends every sort of pluralism through dialogue

Religious Pluralism

- Context of fundamentalism and violence – how to promote conflict resolution – truth, justice and non-violence - The ideal of a secular society that is positive to all religions – neither anti-religious nor a-religious - Without a sense of superiority and a spirit of proselytism - Equality and collaboration in the promotion of common human and spiritual values in society - Not merely tolerance, but acceptance - Common prayer when possible - Interreligious dialogue may be easier and more fruitful when led by People rather than priests

Conclusion

- We have to work, slowly, towards a mental transformation. In Asia the missionaries reached out to the poor. In the emerging Christian communities they were the leaders in every sphere: economic, political, social, educational and religious. Even today in many places foreign financial help is routed through the clergy. At some stage the people have to free themselves. - We need not repeat the mistakes of Europe where the quest for democratic freedom meant the liberation from the feudal powers, including the Church. Secularization in

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 46 Lay Leaders – Fostering, Formation, Functioning

Europe is an anti-clerical leading to an anti-religious and anti-God attitude. The Chris- tians being minority communities in much of Asia there may be an attempt to seek a defensive shelter in Church structures.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 47 Theological Research Department Reader

POWER TO LEAD- A MODEL OF FORMATION AND EMPOWERMENT OF LAY LEADERS Ruth D’Souza

Power to Lead- a working Model of Formation and Empowerment of Lay Leaders

Dr Ruth D’Souza Director - Power To Lead; Managing Director InteGreat People Mumbai

Leadership … affects the quality of our lives

… is all pervasive

… has power to shape our lives Power To Lead- a Model of Formation and Empowerment of Lay Leaders

We live in a VUCA world

Leadership in a VUCA world

Who can lead? – Anyone who has influence.

Leadership is influence … (John Maxwell)

Influence can make a difference.

Key – increase circle of influence

Role of the laity

• The laity make up roughly 98% of the Body of Christ.

• A unique role in the world.

• Lay Christians need to permeate social, political and economic realities.

• Lay believers are in the front line of Church life

• Lay Christians must bring Christ’s message to the whole world.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 49 Power To Lead- a Model of Formation and Empowerment of Lay Leaders

The laity must be formed for their mission in the world to assume their proper respon- sibilities, on all levels: from the political to the social, from the economic to the legisla- tive! (Pope Francis)

Reflecting on the situation in India … 2005

- Need to empower people to become transformational leaders - Key challenge is to build up leadership in key segments that will leverage change in society - Initiated by lay people for the lay people - Core team formed with lay people and few priests

10 years… 325 leaders…. MAKING A TANGIBLE DIFFERENCE

Power to Lead seeks to help participants discover the answers to the question:

What can I do to change the world?

Uniqueness of the program

- Within the Church, yet not by the Church - Conceived, organized and led by lay people - Moral support from the Church - Team of animators are unique- mainly lay people training lay people o Facilitators are Catholics, Hindus and Muslims o Focus on like mindedness, values – based leadership o Platform for cooperation - Program focuses on transforming people, empowering them and building skills to lead - Experiential learning process

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 50 Power To Lead- a Model of Formation and Empowerment of Lay Leaders

Power To Lead is different …

- Prepares one to lead not just in the Church but in the world - Focuses on: o Challenging people to live out the Gospel values vs World values o Discovering personal purpose and mission on earth – transformation o The social teachings of the church o Spiritual formation- personal prayer, bible study, sacraments, inner healing, mentoring o Social context of our country o Leadership skills- thinking, acting, leading, relating o Get inspired- be an inspiration to others, display leadership character Power To Lead aims to:

- To create change agents by first transforming oneself and then the world. - Inspire leaders to become agents of change, fired with the vision and values of Christ. - Equip and nurture leaders through an intensive and experiential learning initiative. - Integrate principles from the bible with leadership skills. - Enable participants to discover their life purpose, sharpen their thinking skills and make a difference

Power To Lead – Mission

Power to Lead is a movement which develops, empowers and supports values-based leaders to become agents of positive social transformation.

Expanding One’s Circle of Influence

Sphere of Influence Challenge Outcome

Individual Experience true freedom Identification of one’s deeper purpose and the meaning of life

Workplace / Home Ensure justice and integrity Leadership based on princi- in profession, business and ples of justice and equality in the home

Community Work for the marginalized Community Leadership with and for communal harmony sensitivity to the context of the world, based on the principles of social justice and harmony

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 51 Power To Lead- a Model of Formation and Empowerment of Lay Leaders

Target Audience – People who want to make a difference

- Bankers - Consultants - Media professionals - Lawyers - Educationists - Scientists - Entrepreneurs - Social workers - Corporate executives - Home makers - Politicians - Other professionals

Model of transformation

The design

- Blend of social, spiritual, theological, thinking and leadership Skills - Emphasis on Servant Leadership - Experiential Adult-learning interventions - 10 months of intensive, interactive workshops- alternate Sundays - Mentoring to develop strengths, focus and work on goals - Coaches for day to day guidance - Assignments o Biblical reflections o Journaling o Assignments and pre reading o Research

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Design of program

Sunday Sunday Project Live in 1 Sunday Project Project Live in 1 sessions sessions 3 3 days sessions 1 2 3 days

Between sessions: Assignments- Biblical reflections, Journaling, Research

Coaches

Mentoring

Course contents

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3 marked projects - Project 1 : Defining my personal mission - Project 2: Professional Business/Social leadership project (team project) - Project 3 : Life application Project- Transforming the world around you

Project 3 categories: Life application Project- Transforming the world around you

1. Civic and political involvement 2. Youth 3. Environment- building green zones 4. Building Tomorrow’s Leaders in parishes (BTL) 5. Social entrepreneurship 6. Empowering the marginalized

Tools

Self Interactive improvement workshops

Application Case projects approach

Game Journaling based learning

Feedback Team work

Team work practice

- Liturgy - Classroom - Marketing - Events - Intercession - Library - Project work

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 54 Power To Lead- a Model of Formation and Empowerment of Lay Leaders

Key Takeaways

- Experience personal transformation and become a transformational change agent - Equip with knowledge and understanding – rights and power - Improve strategic and critical thinking skills- analyze issues - Develop competence to make decisions guided by values - Build influencing skills - Develop leadership competencies - Gain confidence to work in teams and lead - Develop an ability to speak up, take a stand and the courage to take risks - Personal mentoring for spiritual and professional growth - Create a support system to leverage change

Participants

- Are challenged - Are stretched out of comfort zone - Learn by experience - Build confidence - Learn skills - Brainstorm with thought leaders - Network with the Alumni - Are accountable to a mentor and a coach

The team

- Team of renowned industry professionals - Most sought after Thought Leaders - Proven experience and significant contribution to field - 30 facilitators - mostly lay people; few Priests. - All volunteers who hold full time jobs

Certification parameters

- Completion of all 3 projects satisfactorily - Attendance of sessions - Mentoring sessions - Assignments - Journaling - Team participation ↓ - Certification

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From a program to a movement

Post program/Alumni initiatives

- Networking - Support project implementation - Pursuit of servant leadership in society. - Meets for: o Leadership workshops o Fellowship day o Breakfast & networking o Launching training programs o New business initiatives Transformed lives – Testimonials

- Power To Lead has allowed me to find the true “Leader” in me. The personal touch of the Faculty and the mentoring approach to learning with an emphasis on implementation of the learning’s through projects ensured that I came back when I lost my way.” Kavin Olivera, Executive Claims, TATA AIG general Insurance - "Power to Lead has unleashed in me the dormant capabilities I never knew I pos- sessed. It has also challenged me to “Dare to Dream”. Annie and her husband Oliver are now running marriage encounter program for the archdiocese of Mumbai. Annie Andrade, Sales officer, HPCL - “Power to Lead led me to introspect deeply and enhance the power and talents, to stand by my values and principles at work” Charmaine Moraes, Executive assistant to MD, Sun and Sand Hotels - “The topics covered in PTL make you a complete individual, and provide you with the ability to manage any situation that you would encounter in this very pressurized environment.” Wilber D’Souza - It has reinforced that we don’t have to compromise on values and integrity to achieve success... Ingrid D’Souza, Senior Editor, Cactus Communications - Power to Lead helps to give a spiritual dimension to the decision making process and inspires me to confront injustice. Savio D’Souza, Senior manager, BG group - The inspiration to make a paradigm shift and do something different and meaning- ful… Frazier Martins, Corporate Training Consultant

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 56 Power To Lead- a Model of Formation and Empowerment of Lay Leaders

Impact on society – A few results …

Impact on society

Started a movement for Support to Caregivers of Parkinson’s patients - Francis Fernandes- Batch 005 … Now networked worldwide

Started HELM- an NGO to manage Waste & compost- Christopher Pereira Batch 004

Impact on society

Quit insurance, studied law and is now legal counsel especially to the marginalized - Cynthia Vaz- Batch 005

Quit Job, Started 2 new businesses, serves community - Vinay Fernandez- Batch 004

And many more……

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 57 Power To Lead- a Model of Formation and Empowerment of Lay Leaders

Certification

Challenges

- Recruitment and screening of candidates - Engagement of participants - Getting commitment to a 10 month period - Inspiring and motivating them to implement projects - Coping with challenges/changes of work, life and family - Keeping the syllabus evolving - Getting participants an internship with NGO’s - Improving breadth and impact of faculty- constant assessment - Running an entirely volunteer based program - Raising funds

Learnings – 10 years milestone

- Lay people want to contribute and live out their fath - They feel inadequate and need to be empowered - Need to have flexible formats : shorter duration courses, longer duration courses - Screening and checking motivation is critical - Building a network and post program engagement is key - Use of social media to bind alumni and having an annual event to connect

In sum …

- People are hungry… - Possible to train lay people for leadership - Key is to bring about a personal transformation and equip with skills, build courage and confidence - Each country can experiment

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 58 Theological Research Department Reader

4. The Year of Mercy

A HOLY YEAR OF MERCY - EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE YEAR S.M. Michael SVD

Introduction

Traditionally, every 25 years the popes proclaim a holy year, which features special celebrations and pilgrimages, strong calls for conversion and repentance, and the offer of special opportunities to experience God's grace through the sacraments, especially Confession.

The Pope has declared the Year 2016 (Dec. 8, 2015 until Nov. 20, 2016) as the Holy Year of Mercy to highlight the Catholic Church's "mission to be a witness of mercy”. This extraordinary announcement goes well with Pope Francis’ frequent theme "No one can be excluded from God's mercy.”

The Jubilee Year of Mercy

The logo and the motto together provide a fitting summary of what the Jubilee Year beginning on 8 December 2015 is all about. The motto Merciful Like the Father (taken from the Gospel of Luke, 6:36) serves as an invitation to follow the merciful example of God the Fa- ther who asks us not to judge or condemn but to forgive and to give love and forgiveness without measure (cfr. Lk 6:37-38). The logo represents an image of the Son having taken upon his shoulders the lost soul demonstrating that it is the love of Christ that brings to completion the mystery of his incarnation culminating in redemption. It expresses the profound way in which the Good Shepherd touches the flesh of humanity and does so with a love with the power to change one’s life. The scene is captured within the so called mandorla (the shape of an almond), a figure quite important in early and medieval iconography, for it calls to mind the two natures of Christ, divine and human. The call to all of us is "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Intention and Motivation of the Holy Year of Mercy

The Holy Father expressed his intention and Motivation of the Holy Year of Mercy in his letter to Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization: “With the approach of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy I would like to focus on several points which I believe require attention to enable the celebration of the Holy Year to be for all believers a true moment of encounter with the mercy of God. It is indeed my wish that the Jubilee be a living experience of the closeness of the Father, whose ten- derness is almost tangible, so that the faith of every believer may be strengthened and thus testimony to it be ever more effective”.

A Holy Year of Mercy - Extraordinary jubilee year

How can we celebrate the Jubilee Year of Mercy?

By believing in the Mercy of God:

“The Jubilee Indulgence may reach each one as a genuine experience of God’s mercy, which comes to meet each person in the Face of the Father who welcomes and forgives, forgetting completely the sin committed”.

By making Pilgrimage to the Holy Door:

“To experience and obtain the Indulgence, the faithful are called to make a brief pilgrimage to the Holy Door, open in every Cathedral or in the churches designated by the Diocesan Bishop, and in the four Papal Basilicas in Rome, as a sign of the deep desire for true conversion. Likewise, I dispose that the Indulgence may be obtained in the Shrines in which the Door of Mercy is open and in the churches which traditionally are identified as Jubilee Churches.”

By Participating in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Celebration of the Holy Eucharist

It is important that this moment be linked, first and foremost, to the Sacrament of Reconcilia- tion and to the celebration of the Holy Eucharist with a reflection on mercy. It will be necessary to accompany these celebrations with the profession of faith and with prayer for the Pope and for the intentions that he bears in his heart for the good of the Church and of the entire world.

By Living One’s Sickness and Suffering

Those who are for various reasons will not be possible to enter the Holy Door, particularly the sick and people who are elderly and alone, often confined to the home, for them it will be of great help to live their sickness and suffering as an experience of closeness to the Lord who in the mystery of his Passion, death and Resurrection indicates the royal road which gives meaning to pain and loneliness. Living with faith and joyful hope this moment of trial, receiving communion or attending Holy Mass and community prayer, even through the various means of communication, will be for them the means of obtaining the Jubilee Indul- gence.

The Prisoners - By sincerely wishing to re-enter society and make honest contribution

The Jubilee Year has always constituted an opportunity for great amnesty, which is intended to include the many people who, despite deserving punishment, have become conscious of the injustice they worked and sincerely wish to re-enter society and make their honest contribution to it. May they all be touched in a tangible way by the mercy of the Father who wants to be close to those who have the greatest need of his forgiveness. They may obtain the Indulgence in the chapels of the prisons. May the gesture of directing their thought and prayer to the Father each time they cross the threshold of their cell signify for them their passage through the Holy Door, because the mercy of God is able to transform hearts, and is also able to transform bars into an experience of freedom.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 61 A Holy Year of Mercy - Extraordinary jubilee year

By Rediscovering the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy

I have asked the Church in this Jubilee Year to rediscover the richness encompassed by the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The experience of mercy, indeed, becomes visible in the witness of concrete signs as Jesus himself taught us. Each time that one of the faithful personally performs one or more of these actions, he or she shall surely obtain the Jubilee Indulgence. Hence the commitment to live by mercy so as to obtain the grace of complete and exhaustive forgiveness by the power of the love of the Father who excludes no one. The Jubilee Indulgence is thus full, the fruit of the very event which is to be celebrated and experienced with faith, hope and charity.

Furthermore, the Jubilee Indulgence can also be obtained for the deceased. We are bound to them by the witness of faith and charity that they have left us. Thus, as we remember them in the Eucharistic celebration, thus we can, in the great mystery of the Communion of Saints, pray for them, that the merciful Face of the Father free them of every remnant of fault and strongly embrace them in the unending beatitude.

Forgiveness and Mercy for Women who have Resorted to Abortion

One of the serious problems of our time is clearly the changed relationship with respect to life. A widespread and insensitive mentality has led to the loss of the proper personal and social sensitivity to welcome new life. The tragedy of abortion is experienced by some with a superficial awareness, as if not realizing the extreme harm that such an act entails. Many others, on the other hand, although experiencing this moment as a defeat, believe that they have no other option. I think in particular of all the women who have resorted to abortion. I am well aware of the pressure that has led them to this decision. I know that it is an existential and moral ordeal. I have met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision. What has happened is profoundly unjust; yet only understanding the truth of it can enable one not to lose hope. The forgiveness of God cannot be denied to one who has repented, especially when that person approaches the Sacrament of Confession with a sincere heart in order to obtain reconciliation with the Father. For this reason too, I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to concede to all priests for the Jubilee Year the discretion to absolve of the sin of abortion those who have procured it and who, with contrite heart, seek forgiveness for it. May priests fulfil this great task by expressing words of genuine welcome combined with a reflection that explains the gravity of the sin committed, besides indicating a path of authentic conversion by which to obtain the true and generous forgiveness of the Father who renews all with his presence.

Mercy for those faithful who for various reasons choose to attend churches officiated by priests of the Fraternity of St Pius X.

A final consideration concerns those faithful who for various reasons choose to attend churches officiated by priests of the Fraternity of St Pius X. This Jubilee Year of Mercy excludes no one. From various quarters, several Brother Bishops have told me of their good faith and sacramental practice, combined however with an uneasy situation from the pastoral standpoint. I trust that in the near future solutions may be found to recover full communion

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 62 A Holy Year of Mercy - Extraordinary jubilee year

with the priests and superiors of the Fraternity. In the meantime, motivated by the need to respond to the good of these faithful, through my own disposition, I establish that those who during the Holy Year of Mercy approach these priests of the Fraternity of St Pius X to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation shall validly and licitly receive the absolution of their sins.

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5. Presentations of the Pastoral Institutes

India: Assam Don Bosco University

INDIA: ASSAM DON BOSCO UNIVERSITY Joy Thomas SVD

Forming Lay Leaders for North-East India

Christian Churches today are challenged to rethink their mission in the context of Network Pastoral in Asia. Challenges can be helpful only if we can turn the challenges into positive energy, transforming them into blessings or gifts.

[A short presentation of North-East India]

PURPOSE OF EVANGELII GAUDIUM

Pope Francis writes Evangelii Gaudium with the wish to exhort Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by joy (EG 1). “It is not by proselytizing that the Church grows, but by attraction” (EG 15).

Joy is lived out by the Pope in words and in all his actions.

Our Supreme Duty: “Proclaim Christ to all"

FUTURE VISION

All are called to transcend their present state in growing towards a fulfillment, which will be the work of the Spirit. He integrates all that is good and true, building up a new humanity, THE KINGDOM OF GOD!

People will come from East and West from North and South and will enjoy ‘SUPPER OF THE NATIONS’ (Lk 13:29)

Pope Francis calls us “to become a living Gospel in the world today.”

ROLE OF PASTORAL INSTITUTES

The Holy Father wants us “to bring the Gospel to the people we meet, in the middle of a conversation or visiting a home. Being a disciple means bring the love of Jesus to others in any place: on the street, during work, on a journey” (EG 127).

CAN WE DO IT IN OUR PASTORAL INSTITUTES EFFECTIVELY?

THE NEW ROLE DEFINED BY THE POPE

Message of Pope Francis in LAUDATO SI’

This second encyclical is much deeper and even more challenging. Pope’s radical message is that we are one family (LS 42).

HOW CAN WE RESPOND TO THIS RESPONSIBILITY AS NETWORK PASTORAL?

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 65 India: Assam Don Bosco University

MISSION OF THE ‘CHAIR’ IN ASSAM DON BOSCO UNIVERSITY

‘CHAIR IN RELIGIONS AND CULTURE’

The Need of the Hour: YOUTH MINISTRY – YOUTH NEEDS GUIDANCE

GENDER SENSITIVITY

Gender sensitivity, exploring the roots of patriarchy and the reasons for women’s inferior and oppressed situation are of importance in India. For effective pastoral leadership, we need to overcome the negative drives of patriarchy and become appreciative collaborators with women.

AIM OF THE CHAIR

The overall aim of the ‘Chair in Religions and Culture’ is to promote research, teaching and publications of religions and culture as a discipline. Assam Don Bosco University follows a liberal policy and maintains its secular character in its academic pursuit with the wider human society, world religions and indigenous cultures.

PRIORITIES OF THE CHAIR

One of the priorities of the ‘chair’ is to insert religions in the mainstream of secular thinking, bringing them to the interface of several ideologies and enable the university to participate in shaping and forming lay leaders. The academic and scientific study of religions removes prejudices and shows the rational basis of religious faith. What the future holds for us is awaited with optimism!

RELIGIONS ARE FOR SERVICE

Religions are at the service of the world. As Pope Francis suggests, “We have to discern signs of God’s presence and purpose in the world in a spirit of dialogue” (GS 11) and to ‘de- nounce’ all that is opposed to Gospel and the Kingdom of God.

RELIGIONS ARE FOR PEACE

FUNCTION OF THE CHAIR

The Chair in Cultures and Religions functions with a well planned programme, establishing a happy rapport with various departments and the academic community. The Chair is instru- mental in bringing together all professors of various departments for better inter-personal relationships & teamwork.

CHAIR ORGANISES

Orientation Programmes for Freshers in order to inculcate in them Indian pluralism and its diversity together with academic pursuits, and to form them into law abiding leaders with spiritual values. They are given techniques for studying effectively. Graduating students are given skills to handle interviews and face societal challenges of life.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 66 India: Assam Don Bosco University

Priority of the ‘CHAIR’ is

… a Ministry of Christian Presence

… of humble service and selfless love

… at the highest level of the temple of learning.

Conclusion

According to Vat. II and WCC, we must assure in a new form of Christian presence among all the peoples in the world. The Chair in Religions and Culture in this context is the ‘Chris- tian presence’ of humble service and selfless love at the highest level of the temple of learning, forming lay leaders for North-East India.

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INDIA: PALLOTINE ANIMATION CENTRE Thomas Vijay SAC

REPORT ON EFFORTS OF PALLOTTINE ANIMATION CENTRE (PAC) TO TRAIN AND EMPOWER LAY LEADERS

Lay empowerment is a central concern of the vision of PAC. From its inception in 1991 we have been involved in lay formation and empowerment. It is done at 3 levels.

1. Formation of SCC animators

This has been the main contribution of PAC in the last 25 years. We have trained thousands of lay animators for SCCs and keep in touch with many of them for regular support and continuous formation. I can say with some satisfaction that the vast majority of the SCCs animators in the 83380 SCCs in India have got training from PAC or our team members. I consider this a very successful endeavour because dioceses support this ministry and every SCC has lay animators. SCCs have brought into service a few hundreds of thousands of laity in India alone. While they serve SCCs in different roles, their lives are being transformed.

We continue to keep producing literature for SCC animation and leadership and support translation of these materials into other Indian languages. One of our recent success stories is that the National Service Team (NST) for SCCs (CBCI) has set up a National Resource Team for SCCs and this team produces texts for SCC animation and also our team offers training to teach animators how to use them effectively. Our Introductory workshop text titled “DIIPA Introductory Workshop” is translated into as many as 13 Indian languages and its new edition is now being translated into 3 languages. At the moment we are working on a training manual on “SCCs as agents of Family Evangelization”. There will be about 20 lessons in it and it will be released in February 2016 during the National Meeting of the Diocesan SCC Animators at PAC Nagpur. We have been working on this text for the last two years. It is our response to the synod theme on family. We intend to promote this book in a very intense way so that every SCC can avail of it to renew and support families as agents of evangelization.

Importance of Shared Leadership

We are not just promoting lay leadership, but a shared concept of leadership among the members of the Church, modeled on Holy Trinity. Like St. Paul who considered his collaborators “co-workers” (Rom. 16:3), all leaders in the church are called to exercise their leadership in a way to reflect their common dignity as children of God and common call to holiness (LG 32). Only then we can experience Church as ‘the People of God’, called to a shared mission. In all our workshops we have a priest, a Sister and lay person doing every lesson in a shared and co-responsible manner.

India: Pallotine Animation Centre

This has helped all of them to become and relate to one another as brothers and sisters in the Lord. In this way, we make sure that no one in the team - clergy, laity or religious - can dominate or make oneself super-eminent in exercising their role.

2. Promotion is the Union of Catholic Apostolate

Another way we promote lay animation is through the Pallottine charismatic foundation. Originally (1835) our founder St. Vincent Pallotti approached Holy Father for a foundation titled “The Union of the Catholic Apostolate” in which clergy, religious and laity could be co-responsible members without surrendering their status and auton- omy. It may be the only foundation, the application of which to the Holy See was signed by the founder himself, members of diocesan clergy and laity. At that time this concept was not acceptable and the foundation was asked to separate the clergy and religious and the laity disappeared. After the Vatican II directive to the religious foundations to review their original foundation to make it more relevant for modern times, we re-claimed our original charism and it was officially approved in 2003 and now efforts are being made to make laity part of our Foundation, from local level, to national and international levels. Our charism demands that lay people be part of all our pastoral endeavours in ways they can participate. We do not find it very easy to implement this charism for different reasons. All the same internationally there are over 50,000 laity who belong to this foundation in their own capacities. In India we produce new literature to promote this training also offer training to lay groups usually attached to our parishes or communities.

3. Lay Leadership Training

We attempted to offer special theological and leadership training to laity from all over the country. We did not succeed in this because dioceses do not show interest in it and offering it in English did not help people locally. One of our team members is offering the same course in Hindi successfully.

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INDIA: NATIONAL BIBLICAL CATECHETICAL AND LITURGICAL CENTRE Sagaya John

LAY FORMATION MINISTRY

Introduction

- Formation exclusively meant for the laity began in the year 1981 onwards by Fr. D. S. Amaloravadass, the founder-Director of NBCLC. - The formation still continues till today with so much growth at the same time with many challenges.

Exclusively for laity in different languages

Reasons:

1. For a better understanding 2. To make them that they are important

Vernacular Languages

- English usually in the month of May. - Tamil in January “The Role of the Laity in the Church and in society” in April /May – “Deepening & Widening seminar” (Training of Trainers) - Malayalam – in April - Kannada - in October - Marathi – in October / November - We have coordinators, animators and resource persons from different languages and various states to guide the groups during the seminars. - So far a total number of 22,950 lay persons (men & women) from various dioceses and states of India took part in these seminars. - For the Tamil lay leaders seminars, we have laity coming from Sri Lanka too.

II. 1. OBJECTIVES

Main Thrust: To share the vision, spirit and values of II Vatican Council; To be informed of its call to newness, Unique approach to work in the local Church, Introduction to theology and spirituality.

Breakdown of the main thrust:

- To get tools of analysis and with their help to know and evaluate the reality of our country and our life. - To acquire leadership skills and abilities by becoming aware of one’s talents and charisms, and developing themselves for relevant service.

India: National Biblical Catechetical and Liturgical Centre

- To discover the role of the laity in the Church and in the world. - To renew one’s spiritual life in one’s commitment to the world, in an atmosphere of prayer and silence, to be initiated to and live a lay spirituality (secular, Christian, Indi- an and contemporary). - To renew the community of the Church and to contribute to create a new and just society, for the full emergence of God’s Kingdom.

II.2. Topics covered

In the beginning, the main theme of these seminars was “Role of the Laity in the Church and in the World”.

Later we have also been organizing seminars on Bible, Catechetics & Liturgy for the lay people.

1. “SELF-Formation” concerns: - Leader as a Person of Vision – Christian World Vision - Vatican II Methodology for Pastoral Ministry - Leadership Skills (Listening Skills) - Holistic Interpretation of the Scriptures - Adult Use of the Bible - Vocation and Mission of the Laity - Laity Leadership – A Reflection - Spirituality of the Laity - Anger Management - Confrontation skills - Leadership of Jesus - Leadership of Prophets - Gender Sensitivity

2. “Ministry” concerns: - Inculturation as Mission - Renewal of Parish Life and the Mission of the Laity through Small Christian Commu- nities (SCCs) - Communication and the Life of the Church - The Challenge of change - Inter-Religious Dialogue - Leadership and Team Building - Christian Witness in a Pluralistic Society - Socio-Economic-Political Challenges of India and Christian Leadership - Effective Communication - Participatory Church - Areas of ministry - Organizing the community for social analysis and outreach - Animating Liturgical and Para-Liturgical Services

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 71 India: National Biblical Catechetical and Liturgical Centre

Special seminars

Bible and Theology for the Laity – (3-week course)

- This was started in 2002 to be conducted in 3 units. This course was mainly meant for the laity in 3 summers (2002, 2003, & 2004). This course gave adequate training to the laity in the basic knowledge of Bible and Catholic Theology.

November 2014: Seminar for Youth (120 delegates)

- NBCLC in collaboration with CCBI Commission for Youth organized a 3-day programme on “Creative accompaniment of youth for a greater leadership in the Church and in the society: Based on EVANGELII GAUDIUM & Pope’s message to the youth at Rio & South Korea” - The main focus of the programme was to conscientize, spell-out, discern and enable the youth as disciples of Jesus and live as true evangelizers in the world of change and technology.

April 2015: Special Programme Family People on the theme ‘Gospel of Family’

- (Participants 50) - Family programme was organized by NBCLC in collaboration with the CCBI Com- mission for Family and Holy Cross Family Ministries. - The participants were very happy since for the first time they came to know about the Synod and the matter discussed in the Synod. They were happy to be in NBCLC as special invitees for this special seminar. - Topics covered in this family seminar o Families in Indian Perception o Synod of Bishops on Family o The Vocation and Mission of the Family : A reflection on the role of the family within the teachings of the Church o The Domestic Church proclaims the Gospel (workshop) o Marriage as Covenant and Family proclaims the Gospel of Life o Presentation of CCBI survey on Family o Present situation of family in our social context o Family catechesis / spirituality o Family rituals that strengthen relationships o Take home reflections : Group sharing and interventions Common courses in which laity participated: (Along with religious & Priests)

Reasons:

- To get connected with religious and priests - Oneness in ministry with consecrated not to feel they are separated

On Catechesis

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- “The new way of communicating faith” in May - “Orientation for Teachers” in May - “Faith & Liturgical Formation” in October

These are all 10 days programmes each

Bible

One month Bible course in every September … a few lay people are able to attend the course due to the time factor

Retreat Programmes:

- Workshop-cum-Retreat on Eco Spirituality, - Contemplative Retreat, - Training in 20 Prayer Methods (T20PM).

Women formation seminar in 2013

Interreligious programmes

- Based on the feed-back of the Bishops of the CBCI, we encourage and insist on the need of the laity to collaborate with the local Church (regions and dioceses). We also want the leaders who are trained at the NBCLC to go back and train others at the grass-root levels.

In Future

- Lay formation in Hindi - we are planning to have it in month of October - In Bible & Evangelization in collaboration with the commissions - Youth in collaboration with youth commission - Looking for the certificate courses for the lay people - Ref. 2016 Brochure on its Golden Jubilee

Challenges

- Though the interest is found among lay people, Availability in this busy world - New faces??? - Continuity of the service of the lay people in the parishes or even in dioceses - Long term courses could be done but the time and resources becomes the question

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FONDACIO ASIA Charles Bertille fondacio. Christians for the world: International Movement, based on a Christian community, founded in France in 1974, with Pontifical recognition.

EUROPE

ASIA AFRICA LATIN AMERICA

SPIRITUALITY The friendship of Jésus-Christ shared among us is a force which radically transforms our life and the world.

What does Fondacio serve? : The transformation of men and women, and of the world so that they become more human, truly human.

« Thanks solely to this encounter – or renewed encounter – with God’s love, which blossoms into an enriching friendship, we are liberated from our narrowness and self- absorption. We become fully human when we become more than human, when we let God bring us byond ourselves in order to attain the fullest truth of our being. Here we find the source and inspiration of all our efforts at evangelisation. For if we have received the love which restores meaning to our lives, how can we fail to share that love with others?» Pope Francis, The joy of the gospel, 8.

Fondacio Asia

Points of Covenant

Take the means for Accept to be sent personal conversion in Mission for the and Transformation Gospel by Fondacio Being True Being for LhVE hC GhD

CwIEbDSHIt WITH 12 “This is my commandment, that you love JESUS-CHwIST one another as H have loved you. 13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what H command you. 1D No longer do H call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but Journey with others Being H have called you friends, for all that H have heard from my Father H have made known in Community with to you.” John 1D:12-1D

To propose the Good News to men and women of today: Apostolic Projects

To contribute to the construction of a more humane society

To call and form Workers for the Kingdom

To contribute to the growth of the Church

INSTITUTES OF FORMATION

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Collaboration with Dioceses & Organizations

COMMUNITIES

School for young Brunei 2 Mongolia 5 ‘Missionary-Disciples’ Cambodia 4 Myanmar 31 China 15 Philippines 17 150+ trained young adults Laos 16 Thailand 3 for the Local church from Japan 1 Vietnam 17 11 countries Malaysia 22

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Program Overview A holistic and integral approach to formation with emphasis on Christian discipleship, community and mission

The live-in 11-month program integrates four main axis of formation

2 year built in Internship (Post Formation)

Partnership with Jesuit University, Xavier in Philippines

Formative Personal Processes Development Plan

Accompaniment

Sponsorship, Fundraising

Prayer Life

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Formative Community Life Processes

Covenant Group Exposure/Immersion

Household

Student Services

Involvement of IFF Asia Alumni Youth, Campus, Children, At least 90% of IFF Asia graduates stayed on Formation, BEC, Catechetics, to serve fullInvolvement-time for of IFFat leastAsia Alumni two years Evangelisation, Community Organising, Social Development, 25% Active service Counselling & Relief efforts, HIV/AIDS, 60% NGOs 15% Migrants & Refugees, Other economic sectors Communications & Media, Persons with Special Needs, School Drop-outs, Social Services in Poor Urban, At the end of 2013, 75% of alumni are still in active service in ministry and NGOs Politics, Education, etc.

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Youth Leadership & Development Center

YLDC YLDC Network LAOS

YLDC MALAYSIA YLDC Alumni, VIETNAM locMl IFFASIA FOurcOes, HFFA sePPing up YLDCS YLDC YIDFs PHILIPPINES OTHER Mcross AsiM PLACES YLDC MYANMAR

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2006 1982 1996 2000 2006 2015

Synergy – YLDC – IFFA – Projects

• Reach more young adults and prepare them for life, work, IFFA • On-the-job training/ internships • Build up local networks to mentor the young • Respond to local needs e.g. agriculture, catechists, inter faith clubs … Laos, Myanmar, Ppines • Support them in social-pastoral projects

Challenges: . Staff, esp. the young . Facilities, resources, capacity … . Local Church – space, care, support, spirituality, community

• Foundation program

YLDC SUPPORT COMMUNITY 3 month foundation: Continuing Program - 1 Year English 144h Computer Skills 60h yldc (Excel, Word, Ppt) Professional Development 48h BASIC FORMATION – Human / Spiritual Work Ethics 36h formation, Interfaith-Intercultural, Social Values Formation 36h awareness, Mentoring, etc Social Responsibility 36h VOCATIONAL TRAINING – Next 3 month: Skills training, Job placements, Basic Formation Program Social Entrepreneurship AND / OR Short Skills Courses: (Duration and topics according to local needs) Service industry (waiter, catering, sales) Office admin NETWORK of local partners, Micro Enterprises & Small projects support mentors, alumni, resource Construction, Electrical, etc persons – assisting in training and project Merit based Scholarships (1 year or more): mentoring For further formation / studies / training

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12 weeks 1 year Basic Program Continuing Program

OJT /Job Competent opportunity Worker

TESDA Skills Training Journeying Ethically together Motivated (Phase 1) (Phase 2) Youth Fondacio (Phase 3) Scholarship Internship

Community Youth Contributor Support Community

Module 1 Human Growth & Cycle of FormMPion Development - IMiPy in MinisPry Pedagogy & Spirituality Asian Church Communication Skills Readings Managing Conflicts Joy of the Gospel Mission/Vision/Values Becoming An Adult Empowering Asia’s Laity Acts of the Apostles Module 3 Module 2 Defense mechanisms & Psycho Sexual Articles Leadership Integration Learning groups Planning Open Space Spirituality & Business Model for Communication Projects Discerning our call Pastoral Leadership Taking charge of a Exposure – poor, HIV, mission social entrepreneurship

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BANGLADESH: NATIONAL SOCIAL CATECHETICAL TRAINING CENTRE Bablu Sarker

The National Social Catechetical Training Centre (NSCTC) on Leadership

1. History and Rationale

The NSCTC is a national organism of the Catholic Church in Bangladesh. It depends on the episcopal conference of the country. Since its inception in 1937, the NSCTC has been the spearhead of formation within the Catholic Church. The Salesian Fathers, who took over from the PIME fathers in modern day Khulna division in 1928, felt right away the need of a school which could form and prepare the local leaders of the Christian Communities. The School started its life as a formation centre for new catechists. The first residential courses used to last one year and were conceived as to give a general preparation, religious in particular, to future community leaders. Because of the scarcity of priests, these community leaders were also often in charge of the community prayer liturgy, particularly on Sundays. With the events of partition in 1947 and the subsequent decision to create a new diocese with the parts of the archdiocese of Calcutta, Satkhira and Borodol, now in Pakistan, the School for Catechists in Jessore fell in disregard. With the arrival of the Xaverian Fathers and the departure of the Salesian for the new India, the school, at least in the beginning (1952), was no longer structured as such even though the then Bishop of the new diocese of Jessore, Dante Battaglierin, kept gathering catechists there for retreats and refresher courses. In 1964, Fr. Marino Rigon sx became the new director of a revived school for catechists which now was called The Diocesan Training Centre (from 1956 the diocese of Jessore was renamed as the Diocese of Khulna). Significantly, the new centre while maintaining its former character of being a training centre for catechists, with Fr. Marino Rigon it became also a distinctive centre for social advancement and development. Fr. Rigon in fact had obtained from the University of Antigonish (India) a diploma in Social Leadership. From the first half of the sixties the new diocesan centre together with the by now traditional role of forming new catechists, increasingly assumed the role of preparing leaders in all spheres of social life. The importance of this new social role was recognised by Misereor that from 1967 funded a seven year programme (including salaries of teachers and personnel in general, construc- tions, general running etc.) to support the centre’s recognised role in social development. To cut a long story short, in 1974, the centre eventually became a national institution of the Catholic Church of Bangladesh assuming the present name (i.e. NSCTC) when Fr. Orlando Ghirardi sx was appointed its director. Indeed, the National Social Catechetical Training Centre was born and still lives to train leaders of both church and society.

2. Yearly Training Programme

The NSCTC every year in December prepares a programme of Trainings which is then cir- culated by post to all parishes and institutions of the country. The centre tries to read the signs of time and be thus ready to offer programmes and training apt to the present needs of

Bangladesh: National Social Catechetical Training Centre

both country and church. Inputs coming from disparate sources and events are considered. Of late, the Year of Consecrated Life, the Year of Mercy, the synod on the family, the pope’s letter Laudato Si` on the safeguard of creation have been and still are reasons behind courses and trainings at the centre. These usually involve courses of full 5 days and some- time of 3 days only. The Old and New Testament, the Liturgy, the Ten Commandments, Canon Law, Social Teaching of the Church, the II Vatican Council’s Documents, etc., Cate- chism and related methodology of teaching etc. are the specific subjects taught during one or the other of the courses. The NSCTC has its own resident teachers (two fathers and two sisters) nevertheless most of the teaching is done by external teachers invited for the occasion from different institutions, for instance, the Major Seminary in Dhaka. The most important of these periodic trainings is the three-month course which is usually held from July to September included. This is the catechists’ training course. During the span of three months the would be catechists or community leaders that they may be, are offered an intensive course spanning from religious and theological subjects to socio-cultural ones. With- out repeating what already said on religious teaching, the socio-cultural subjects involve modern questions like caste and Dalits, women and domestic violence, tribal people’s rights and situation, Human Rights in Bangladesh, problems of urbanisation and industrialisation. Worthy of mention is the attention given during the three-month course but also outside its framework, to interreligious dialogue and consequently to Islam and Hinduism. These last two religions are the object of formal courses in order to promote knowledge and thus recip- rocal understanding among the believers of major religious traditions. Notably, some of these courses are the repeated for other, specific audiences during the year. To be mentioned for instance, the two-day workshop held, in June 2015 last, only for women, mainly attended by both Hindu and Christian ones, on domestic violence. In that occasion a renowned Human Rights Bangladeshi activist and former Dhaka University professor, Megna Guhothakurto, was called in to lead the workshop.

3. Training Outside the NSCTC Premises

While there is an on-going programme at the centre itself, the teaching staff of the NSCTC often is called outside of Jessore to provide classes or lectures on particular themes and for different audiences. To this respect worth mentioning is the course on Psalms (8 days) the teaching staff of the NSCTC offers to the centre for Religious people formation in Savar (Dhaka). Similarly, of not little importance, is the training on Human Rights, self-awareness etc. regularly given to the Dalit Kisori Ghoton Prokolpo, a Dalit organisation with the intent to form young Dalit girls to leadership roles in their own communities. Parishes themselves call us to offer particular inputs on particular moments. For instance, the renovation of parish councils has been often the occasion for us to go out and give training to would-be community leaders.

4. Availability for other’s Trainings

The NSCTC not only offers its own programme of yearly trainings, but it is also available for trainings organised by others, offering its premises to NGOs and organisations alike. The Salvation Army, Caritas Bangladesh, the Diocesan Pastoral Council, The Khulna Catechist

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 83 Bangladesh: National Social Catechetical Training Centre

Sangha etc. are some of the organisations and groupings normally availing themselves of our premises.

5. Printing Books

The NSCTC among its aims and purposes has also that of providing and thus producing printed material to enlarge the reach of the centre formative aims. In recent years, the Ben- gali Bible has been produced and reprinted a number of times. Books on catechesis, liturgy, the sacraments, the social teaching of the Church etc. have year after year enriched our own library which now numbers hundreds of publications on different subjects, mainly religious. Beyond our own production, the centre is proud to be a source of books published by others, both within and without Bangladesh. A link with Kolkata helps us to provide new publications in Bengali produced in India. Last but not least, the NSCTC is proud to publish also a bi- monthly magazine, Mongolbarta, which is the only pastoral magazine in Bengali of the Cath- olic Church in the country. The magazine is targeted to pastoral leaders and agents; it is monographic and each issue tries to present an argument in all its facets, so that it may be a help to pastoral agents in their everyday practice.

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INDIA: ISHVANI KENDRA S.M. Michael SVD

REPORT ON LAY LEADERSHIP ANIMATION PROGRAMME AT ISHVANI KEN- DRA, PUNE, INDIA

Lay Leadership Animation Programme for the Parish Councillors of Poona Diocese was organized by Ishvani Kendra, Pune on 27th September 2014. About 70 participants actively took part in the programme. We had three Resource persons animating the group, namely Mr. Adrian Rosario from the Office For Lay Collaboration in Ministry (OLCM), Mahim, Mumbai; Fr. Rupak Lokhande from Pontifical Mission Insti- tute (PMI) and Fr. S.M. Michael SVD, Ishvani Kendra, Pune.

While Fr. S.M. Michael dealt on the importance of Leadership in organization in general; Mr. Adrian Rosario highlighted the significance and implications of Parish Pas- toral Council in the animation of the parishes which is a local Church in a Diocese.

Fr. Rupak Lokhande emphasized the Role and Functions of the Parish Pastoral Council as leaders in a Parish. The input sessions were dispersed with many group discussions. The role and functions of the parish pastoral council; the leadership of the parish pastoral

The Emerging Challenges to Christian Mission Today

Being aware of “The Emerging Challenges to Christian Mission Today,” Ishvani Ken- dra, a National Institute of Missiology and organized a conference to discover new paths in mission. Sixty participants consisting of Bishops, Directors of Pastoral Cen- tres, Congregational leaders, priests, religious and laity gathered together to deliber- ate upon important themes and challenges facing the Church today.

In order to find new paths in Christian Mission, experienced, academically sound scholars across disciplines presented their papers on “The Emerging Post-Modern Culture and its challenges to Christian Mission”; “The Changing Political Scenario in India and its Implications for Christian Mission”; “Religious and Cultural Pluralism”; “The Role of Women in the Mission of the Church”; “The Shift of Christian Centre of Gravity from Global North to Global South and its Implications for Mission in Asia”; “Changing Family and Christian Mission”; “Emerging Biological and Medical Issues Confronting the Mission of the Church”; “The Emergence of Political Islam and the Persecution of Christians in the Middle East”; “Ecological Concerns and the Mission of the Church”; “Digital World and the Youth Culture” ; “Renewal of Religious Life in the Context of Increasing Secularization”. These papers equipped us to come to grips with the present challenges confronting the Christian Mission Today.

India: Ishvani Kendra

Theological Reflection to face the Challenges

In order to face these challenges and find new paths, eminent theologians and pastors presented their research papers on “Why Jesus Matters for Facing the Chal- lenges of the World Today”; “Dynamics of Conversion Call of St. Paul and Its Impli- cations for the Indian Society”; “The Universal Inclusiveness of Christian Koinonia”; “The Vision of Pope Francis and His Efforts to Renew the Church”; “Understanding Krist Bhakta Movement in North India”; “The Role of Pastoral Centres in New Evan- gelization”.

Based on these reflective presentations, we, the participants of the conference went into groups to discuss further and to internalize the various points which emerged at different sessions.

The following points emerged as a response to the emerging challenges to Christian Mission Today:

We realize that the timid, discouraged and disillusioned apostles began to proclaim and share their New Life in the Risen Christ to people of all cultures and nations by crossing the seas, crossing the mountains and facing all persecutions. As followers of Christ, we have the same mission to bring fullness of life in Jesus to the whole of creation in the present world. But, today, this mission is challenged by ethnocen- trism, narrow religious and cultural nationalism, religious pluralism, relativism and postmodern liberalism. To face these challenges, we came up with a few proactive Action Plans for our engagement with the present world.

• There is a need for introspection and to become conscious of the realities of our times so as to respond to the emerging challenges.

• We need to understand the importance of culture and how it is changing and affecting our Christian Mission Today.

• Need to be rooted in Christ and be open to the changing world.

• The importance of Laity is still not yet fully understood by the Church. It is the Laity who are directly encountering the challenges faced by the Church, in politics, economic, cultural and changes in medical and other fields. Hence, there is an urgent need to concentrate on the Laity Formation to face the challenges. There are so many training centres for priests and religious. But the Laity Formation is neglected. The experience and wisdom of the Laity need to be tapped to strengthen the Church today.

• Lack of powerful journalists and media persons are affecting the Church. Hence, there is a need to train committed Christian journalists to face the challenges today.

• Youth is drifting away from families, schools, Church and society etc. Youth animation is very vital for the Church today.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 86 India: Ishvani Kendra

• Taking up new ventures (apostolates) like human trafficking, domestic workers and sex workers etc. are important.

• Reduce or stop building infrastructures for comfort and safety of consecrated people; the religious must immerse themselves into lives of the struggling masses and focus on needs of people rather than their own comforts to proclaim the Gospel.

• There is lack of consistency and credibility as missionaries; commitment is weak with a temptation towards comfort living and career oriented rather than service to the marginalized. Hence missionary formation should be built on the solid foundation of Christ; not on the sand of relativizing and shifting values.

• Shifting from being service providers to being `person of God` immersed among the people.

• There is a strong need to network and collaborate with social movements which promote human dignity and fullness of life.

• Inter-religious cooperation is required to promote human dignity and fundamental rights, to promote ecological concerns of the present world so as to save the planet.

• Dignity of life is central in the context of emerging biological and medical technology. Awareness and promotion of ethical concerns are vital in the present world.

• The Church must be rooted in local language; creative inculturation rooted in Christ is central in Christian mission today.

• Religious and priests must visit families, understand their situation and be connected with the lives of people.

• Laity needs to be trained and conscientized on the socio-political and religious situation of our country in order to respond to the emerging political situation in India.

• Active role of women in the Church can be a source of revitalizing the Church to face the challenges of the present world.

• We must develop the traditional apostolate to be creative in responding to the present world challenges and hopes appropriately.

• The Church must be a voice not only for the protection of Christian concerns but on all issues connected to injustice and human welfare by moving towards Basic Human Communities which take up human issues of all – not just Cath- olic causes.

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• The pastoral approach of Pope Francis is people- centric; it is to be adopted giving due importance to a) families b) SCCs c) youth – guiding them to use properly social media.

• Incarnation / immersion - Incarnating Christ in different ways to different sec- tions of people, meeting them in their own contexts, yet with a common vision for India.

Trusting in God’s providence in history and with the intercession of Mother Mary in our Missionary endeavors, we are glad to share these reflections of the conference with all people of good will for their collaboration and engaged action in the transformation of the present world.

Ishvani Day Celebrations

Ishvani Kendra collaborates with many lay leaders. People from other religions are our partners in our Video and Audio productions. There are also many lay collaborators in our research work. In order to thank them and strengthen the existing bond with them, Ishvani Kendra organizes Ishvani Day.

This year, this function was celebrated on Sunday 18th October 2015. It was the wish of Rev. Fr. Engelbert Zeitler SVD, the Founder Director of Ishvani Kendra that the Mission Sunday is celebrated as the Ishvani Day. Most Rev. Dr. Thomas Dabre, the Bishop of Pune was the Chief Guest for the function. The celebration began with a Prayer Service. Through reflective scriptural passages and with video clippings, the prayer service brought awareness of the need for “Peace with Creation”.

Future Events

Ishvani is planning to organize two days seminar on “Importance of Lay Leadership in Parish Pastoral Council” during the next academic year.

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PHILIPPINES: CACERES LAY INSTITUTE FOR MISSION Andrew Recepcion

Walking Together in Building up the Local Church

Philippines: Caceres Lay Institute for Mission

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VIETNAM: SAIGON PASTORAL INSTITUTE Peter Nguyen-Van Hien

Established to train lay faithful, Saigon Pastoral Institute (SPI) provides them with the scriptural, theological, spiritual and pastoral training programs designed to enable them:

- to promote their spiritual life through union with Christ in the Church, - to deepen their knowledge of faith by studying and working together, - to develop their ministerial and missonary spirit as well as their pastoral skills through communal life and full participation in the pastoral activities.

Called to change

- In 2004, SPI were built up with the purpose of training lay faithful to support parish priests in their pastoral works because of the shortage of priests caused by the government’s hard policy in religion. - Actually, the situation changes. So, we need to verify our vision-mission.

We maintain the vision …

We are a community of disciples following Jesus Christ as good shepherd in his way to love and serve people who witness in being “salt and light” in their societies.

… and then change our mission

We commit ourselves to foster and promote a profound realization of the vocation and mission of the adult lay faithful, and to prepare them for full participation in the Church’s life and mission as ministers in their parishes and dioceses → as witnesses in the middle of their societies.

Process of changing

- First of all, we put the Word of God into the heart of catechesis and change the way of teaching catechesis as well as of training catechists. - Secondly, we focus on social teaching and lay leadership for mission. Besides lay leaders in various Apostolic movements, we pay more attention to those who work in business, education and health care areas.

SPI looks like “baby” in comparison with its “elder brothers and sisters”. So, it would like to be friend with many well-organized and developed institutes /international organizations such as East Asian Pastoral Institute, Fondacio in Asia, Human Life International in Asia- Oceanic etc. in order to encourage and empower lay leaders.

Vietnam: Saigon Pastoral Institute

Collaboration with East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI)

Objectives

- To encourage the formation of laity for mission and to build capacity for their role in Church and society, especially as lay apostles in the social context of Vietnam; - To foster international partnership between SPI and EAPI, towards strengthening the mission of the Church in Asia Pacific

Areas of collaboration

- To complement SPI’s existing range of courses in theology, scripture, spirituality and pastoral ministry, EAPI can offer training in pastoral leadership and management at SPI. This will help to develop leadership capacity among the laity as well as enable them to acquire faith-based management skills for their roles in Church and society. - EAPI can be adapted for the context and needs in the local church of Vietnam. SPI has an interest in topics such as leadership and management skills, pastoral discernment, pastoral planning, supervision and evaluation, social analysis and the pastoral cycle, discernment for life direction, and ethics and morality for lay professionals. - These courses will be primarily targeted at the laity but will also be open to religious and clergy if they are interested, as well as to non-Catholics. A suitable duration would be Friday evening to Sunday afternoon, over one or two weekends. For a start, perhaps 2-3 such courses can be offered per year. Translators will be needed since most of the resource persons from EAPI are not able to speak Vietnamese. - Through the NPA and the partnership with EAPI, SPI have been inspired and empowered so much to journey with lay people in Vietnam to the Kingdom of God. So we would like to say THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 93 Indonesia: STKIP Katekis St. Paulus

INDONESIA: STKIP KATEKIS ST. PAULUS Yohanes Servatius Lon

The Role of St. Paul College in Fostering and Forming Lay Leaders in Indonesia

One of 14 colleges and pastoral Schools in Indonesia; it is the biggest one.

Located in Ruteng diocese with more than 750 680 catholics in 84 parishes; (4 dioceses in Flores)

Each priest serves 9 000 parishioners in average; the largest is about 16 000 people; the smallest is 4 000 people

The structure of the parish consist of three levels: parish level, station level (part of parish) and basic community level

The parish council includes the executive members (pastor and several laypeople), the commissions, and the leaders of station and of basic communities.

The Parish council is mainly a pastoral body which is responsible for the planning, implementation and the evaluation of pastoral programs/activity in the parish. All programs of the parish and the discretions of the pastor are discussed and decided together in plenary meeting of the parish council. The recommendations of the Pastoral Council are to be taken seriously when grounded in prayer, discernment and communal wisdom.

The pastor presides over the Parish Pastoral Council and is responsible for the final approv- al of Council recommendations concerning pastoral planning, programs, and services for the parish, as well as for their implementation.

The leaders of station and basic community are chosen by its members and have power to govern its people such as setting the program, control the money and give recommendation to the pastor for sacramental service. The pastor basically deals with sacramental service.

The existence of St Paul College could not be separated from the ambitious idea of Mgr. Wilhelmus van Bekkum, SVD to promote the lay leadership in the Church before the Second Vatican Council. In 1959, together with several bishops he initiated to open a theological lay institute in the form of catechetic course in Ruteng Diocese. His idea was considered as extra-ordinary in Catholic Church because clericalism was very strong. In 1968 the institute was changed into a formal education (college).

This college has graduated many catechists who are working in the whole part of Indone- sia, especially in Flores, Timor, Borneo, and West Papua. As catechist, they are active members of their own parishes and be lay ministers who can help to distribute the Holy Eucharist during Mass and bring Holy Communion.

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Most of them become the acting leader of parish Council, the leader of the station, and of the catholic basic communities; they also become the leader of the commissions in the parish council and in the diocesan pastoral Center such as Catechetical Commis- sion, Lay Apostolate Commission, Justice and Peace commission, Liturgy Commis- sion, etc.

Besides, most of our alumnae become teachers at School, and even the headmasters of school, from kindergarten to university; Education has been the main means for evangelization and for improving the quality of people's life (since the beginning of catholicism in Flores); here the alumnae become everyday ministers of the faith, bringing the principles of Christianity and Catholicism to work, school, and home.

Some of the alumnae become member of political parties, member of parliament, goverment officer, travel agents, NGOs, members of catholic organization such as Wanita Katolik Re- publik Indonesia (WKRI), Pemuda Katolik, Ikatan Sarjana Katolik Indonesia (ISKA), Perhim- punan Mahasiswa Katolik Republik Indonesia (PMKRI) etc.

For the first 30 years, the focus of the institution was on the catechist or theology program; by the end of 1990s and mainly in 2000s, the scope of lay formation was extended to the important role of lay leadership in the wider world rather than within the Church itself. There- fore St Paul College opened the English Teacher program, Elementary Teacher Program, Mathematics Teacher Program, Indonesian Language Teacher Program, and Kindergarten Teacher Program. At the moment there are more than 4000 students including the Muslim (Islam) students.

The focus of Theology program (360 students) aims at preparing students to be catechists at any level of the church (from basic community to diocese level) and Catholic Religious Teachers at any school; so the focus of the program is for service within the Church itself.

While the other programs aim at preparing students to be good catholic and professional teachers who are committed to exercising together their distinctive role in secular affairs and certain Pastoral functions that build the family of God into responsive witnesses of Christ’s universal mission of service in charity to all humanity.

To achieve these goals, we have developed curriculum which considers their human, spiritual, academic, and pastoral dimensions. The curriculum for theology programs is generally based on the curriculum developed by the Theology Consortium in the country. While the curriculums for other programs generally follow the national curriculum and added by institutional content, which includes Catholic Religious Subject, Spirituality, Christian Eth- ics, Music in Liturgy, Environment Education, Human Rights Education. The curriculum gives more rooms for several subjects that develop Christian values and spirituality to all the students.

In the future the college plans to open some courses (informal education) for empowering lay leadership in any level of the parish and the diocese. The course will be of a week. It will focus on bringing quality faith formation resources to the faithful for the enrichment of cate-

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 95 Indonesia: STKIP Katekis St. Paulus

chists, teachers, catechetical leaders, youth ministers, diocesan administrators, and parishioners.

In Indonesia the role of the laity has become more crucial in accomplishing the mission of the Church. First, historically, most of laypeople have strived to embody the teachings of the Church and to share the gift of the Catholic faith to all people. Since the beginning of the Church’s existence in Indonesia, there has been lack of priests; so lay minister is crucial for bringing Church’s mission. In fact, lay men and women have been active members of their own parishes and in the greater world. They have acted as everyday ministers of the faith, bringing the principles of Christianity and Catholicism to work, school, and home.

Second, Indonesia is the most populous Muslim nation in the world and the catholic is the minority in the country. Moreover, the issue of religious pluralism has been challenged. Recently, there were attacks or episodes of intolerance against minorities, whether they are Christians, Ahmadi Muslims or belong to other faiths. Just several months ago, hundreds of Muslim men attacked several churches including three Roman Catholic churches in Aceh Singkil district, setting it on fire. Tension has been rising amid increasing Islamic conservatism in Indonesia. Aceh is the only Indonesian province where Sharia (Islamic law) is enforced, following a peace agreement between the central government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Yet, in many other areas of the country (such as Bekasi and Bogor in West Java), a more radical and extreme vision of Islam is spreading among ordinary Indonesians.

Third, the corruption has been characterized any field of life in Indonesia. It has been considered as an extraordinary crime because it occurs at any levels of government and people’s life. Corruption is a serious impediment to Indonesia's development and combating corruption has been a major priority of the reform era. Yet, corruption remains a serious problem and overall, progress has been slow. One reason for the moderate pace of reform on corruption issues is the deeply embedded institutional culture of patron- age. Often, acts of bribery or corruption are not viewed by Indonesian authorities as corrupt practices. Increasing the training and knowledge of the types of activities that consti- tute corruption is therefore key in changing these attitudes.

In this kind of situation, the clergy have limited opportunity to bring Christ’s message; hence, the laypeople have more chance to live Christian values in dialogue with other people by a. being exemplary husbands and wives, fathers and mothers; b. being model doctors, lawyers, architects, etc.; c. being model politicians and statesmen and women; d. being model pilots, business people, actors, actresses, trade unionists, taxi men, bankers, etc.

In order to increase the lay participation in Church’s mission in the Country, the Catholic Bishops in Indonesia have established the Commission for lay Apostolate at the General secretariat; the commission functions to animate, motivate and stimulate laity’s spirituality and their participation in any field of human’s life. The vision is that more laity are involved in social political activities. It is expected to have many laities in political parties, parliament, goverment, judges, catholic organization, NGOs etc.

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6. Statement

INSTEAD OF A STATEMENT: RETROSPECTION ON THE FOURTH MEETING OF NETWORK PASTORAL ASIA Cleophas Fernandes

Manila 2012, Bangalore 2013, Ho Chi Minh 2014 and now ‘Ayubowan’, welcome to Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 for our fourth meeting of Network Pastoral Asia. Eighteen participants, some of whom were resource persons and coordinators assembled for this fourth meeting of NPA. The participants came from ten different countries to join the heart- warming and stimulating encounter on the theme: Lay Leadership and also consider how the Encyclical “Laudato Si” and the Jubilee Year of Mercy can inspire and guide our pastoral animation. The initiative of MISSIO, we sense, to call for such Asian meetings is now becoming a good tradition which the Pastoral Institutes of Asia gladly welcome.

As we meet for this fourth meeting of NPA we observe the emergence of certain consistent elements which are inter-woven into the structure of our meetings:

- We meet in an atmosphere that is friendly, free and very stimulating. - Our meetings envisage an encounter with the local Church and the cultural context of the venue. We have fruitful exposures to the local pastoral situation, especially those relevant to our theme. - Our meetings welcome competent resource persons to guide our reflections. - We also take into consideration recent Church documents that throw up new challenges and inspire our proceedings. - We are enriched by the presentations of the pastoral institutes that participate in the meeting. - We enjoy our time of prayer, especially the liturgical celebrations that often bring in elements of the varied cultural backgrounds of the participants. - We have a brief statement which incorporates the main lines of thinking at the meeting.

Vision – Mission for NPA

While we have already begun to function within a vision-mission for NPA, we needed to sharpen and make more explicit the direction of NPA. Our meeting began with a time of guided reflection on articulating a vision-mission. We looked at a rationale for a shared vision, the components for the same and the ground already covered in earlier meetings. Tracing the trajectory we have covered, we have witnessed a progressive development from one meeting to the next. Within this vision-mission, we also looked at the core shared values that inspire our processes. This articulation began at this meeting, we commit ourselves to a further articulation of a shared vision-mission.

Instead of a statement: Retrospection on the Fourth Meeting of Network Pastoral Asia

Lay Leadership

Situating our reflection on lay leadership in the experience of the Local Church of Sri Lanka, we listened and responded to in-puts by a priest and a lay person. We noted that the Catholic population is just 6.1 % and other Christians 1.3% of the population. However the Christian presence as a whole is very evident in spite of being a small minority. Lay leadership is especially evident through the Small Christian Communities, Family Ministry and the Charismatic Movement in Sri Lanka.

Michael Amaladoss S.J. led our reflection through theological insights that nourished our deliberations on lay leadership. It is best to refer to them as the People of God because the term ‘laity’ could have some negative connotations. The lay person is seen in relationship to the clergy who is often placed on the top of the hierarchy. It would be more in keeping with the spirit of Vatican II to turn towards a synodal model of the Church, where the laity and clergy are seen in a co-responsible partnership for both the mission of the Church and the witness of the laity in the secular sphere. The dignity of the People of God comes from our common Baptism making every Christian a child of the Father, members of the Body of Christ and temples of the Holy Spirit. “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into this marvelous light.” (1 Pet 2:9) All of God’s People are called to share in the triple function of Christ as Priest, Prophet and King. The Clergy then are the servants of the People of God called to a ministry of service through sacramental and other ministries (PO 2).

We also looked at some of the difficulties and challenges faced for an effective Lay Leadership. Clericalism is a deep malaise faced by the Church and now seriously called into question by Pope Francis. In the Church we still function within a system where formation is lopsided. The religious and clergy have been given a long drawn out systematic formation. There is an urgency to focus more resources and attention on empowering lay leaders through a better system of formation. Our numerous pastoral institutes are well placed to offer lay formation.

A very effective model of formation was offered to us as a point of reference for our deliberations and possible emulation by a lay woman, Dr Ruth D’Souza. This unique formation programme for lay leaders is within the context of the Church but animated mainly by competent lay persons. This model responds to the context of the Church and the world by training and motivating lay leaders to become a transformative presence in the secular milieu.

Professor Anton Meemana, a lay theologian from Sri Lanka took us through an in-depth reflection of our attitudes towards religion and social systems. He called to work towards liberating ourselves from certain enslaving elements prevalent in our personal and social life. He invited us to look at situations from the perspective of Christ who was non-rivalistic. Like Jesus we are called to work without biases and with great personal integrity.

Network Pastoral Asia – Meeting Colombo, Sri Lanka 2015 99 Instead of a statement: Retrospection on the Fourth Meeting of Network Pastoral Asia

‘Laudato Si’

This recent document (24 May 2015) that has caught the attention of the world was also included in our reflection. In our reflection on ecological issues, we see that the poor are particularly affected by climate change. A certain number of practical steps were proposed:

- Take a look at our consumption. We are born, we buy and we die! - We are subjected to a subliminal seduction, adults can objectify people and create a desire to consume. - Ecological solidarity demands that we radically change our lifestyles. - We need to set limits in life that are enabling. - Be aware: advertising says: ‘You can have whatever you want’. This is a lie.

Jubilee Year of Mercy

We took time to reflect on the Church’s urgent and pressing call to celebrate a Jubilee Year of Mercy. Pope Francis discerning our challenging times and the need for the Church to respond to situations with mercy and compassion, calls the Church to show the ‘face of a merciful Father’ to a wounded world. Our pastoral institutes are inspired to initiate programmes that will bring about greater awareness and implement the Year of Mercy.

Exposures

Our intense times of reflections were punctuated with two valuable opportunities to encounter the local context through a cultural exposure where we were treated to a time of dance, music and drama. We also had two pastoral exposures, one was a visit to the Centre of Aloysius Pieris, S.J. and the other to a very vibrant Charismatic Centre, ‘Kithu Dana Pubuduwa’. The Centre run by Aloysius Pieris gave us some bold theological insights in the context of Buddhism expressed powerfully through his words but much more through the art and architecture of the Centre. The highly energized Charismatic Centre pointed the way for greater lay involvement in the mission of the Church.

Concluding Remarks

The one powerful image that came to our mind was that of the Emmaus walk. The image of a Church that is on a pilgrim journey, with a past but always rejuvenated as she is called to respond to new challenges in the diverse and changing context of Asia. This walk is in partnership and in co-responsibility between the laity and the clergy, all called to a servant leadership in a ‘synodal model’ of the Church. In this Year of Mercy, we all need to accept our sins of the past and work for personal and community repentance and renewal. In this model of the Church, the laity need to be given a formation that empowers and finds a participation in the life of the Church that focuses on the building up of God’s kingdom in the world.

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I would particularly like to thank all participants of the meeting, especially Fr. Piyal Yesnaka Fernando and Fr. Cleophas Fernandes for their help and warm welcome.

Stefan Voges, 25/02/2016