Edmund Chia, F.S.C. - FABC'S Authority in Asia

Edmund Chia, F.S.C.
FABC'S Authority in Asia

Thirty Years of FABC

The Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) has been in existence for exactly thirty years now. More and more scholars from all over the world have taken an interest in its work, as evidenced by the increase in the number of inquiries on statements which the FABC produces. There is the perception that what FABC is doing in Asia is not only novel but critical for the future of the Church universal.

In this regard, Thomas Fox, the publisher of the United States' weekly, National Catholic Reporter, recently used FABC as starting point to publish a book, entitled, Pentecost in Asia: A New Way of Being Church. It's aim, according to Fox, is to introduce a new kind of Catholicism, written by a Westerner, especially to the peoples of the West. Fox continues: "I am of the opinion that Asian Catholics today have something very important to share with the wider church. If we open our minds, if we challenge the way we think about church, we could begin to see Catholicism from a whole new perspective, a non-Western perspective and an Asian perspective".

The present paper looks at this Asian Catholicism, in view of exploring its impact upon the continent of Asia. Asian Catholicism is represented by the FABC as it is perhaps the only pan-Asian institution which can rightly claim to represent the Catholic Church in Asia. The paper begins by studying the origins and foundations of the FABC, paying attention to its structures, mandate and programs. The various documents which issue from FABC will also be looked at, especially with reference to its ecclesia authority.

Origins and History

The institution of the FABC can actually be traced back to the Second Vatican Council. It was during this period, while in Rome, that many Asian bishops were meeting one another for the very first time. Arising from the months of stay together, friendships were formed as was a sense of common identity. The Asian bishops realized that hitherto they have had little to do with one another and in fact had more relationships with bishops from Europe, in particular Rome. Thus, they began to talk about the need for a structure which would enable them to have more interactions amongst bishops across Asia.

The papal visit of Pope Paul VI to Asia in November 1970 then provided the occasion for the bishops of Asia to come together in Manila, the Philippines. A gathering which brought together 180 bishops from all across Asia, the Asian Bishops' Meeting (as the event was called) was also a time when the notion of a Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences was conceived and conceptualized. Citing Yves Congar, Filipino Jesuit priest C.G. Arevalo — who was present at that meeting and subsequently served as a periti to the FABC for many years B suggests that the Asian Bishops' Meeting (ABM) can be regarded as the beginnings of the truly Asian Church: and now the heirs have found their own voice; they can now speak for themselves.... It is now the time of the heirs.

Indian theologian Felix Wilfred B who has also served as theological consultant to the FABC for many years, albeit in the second generation had this to say about the Asian Bishops' Meeting: "Never before had Asian bishops come together to exchange experiences and to deliberate jointly on common questions and problems facing the continent. The meeting marked the beginning of a new consciousness of the many traditional links that united the various peoples of this part of the globe". To be sure, the Message of the Conference issued by the bishops at the ABM acknowledged that as part of the Aawakening [to the new consciousness], we see the face of an Asia at long last coming to birth as a true community of peoples. For barriers which have so long isolated our nations from one another are falling one by one, and the desire grows among us to know each other and to find each other as Asian, sister-nations among whom relationships of friendship and trust, of collaboration, sharing and genuine solidarity may be firmly lastingly wrought (ABM, art. 12).

The rest of the ABM's Message of the Conference addressed the context of Asia in which the Asian Church is situated. It analyzed the context and spoke about the "changing faces of Asia" in view of looking at how the "Church's response of service ought to be so that the Church, along with the other peoples of Asia, can move "towards the New World of Asia". The bishops also issued a Resolutions of the Meeting, in which they urged the setting up of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences: "The Episcopal Conferences here represented are urged to authorize and support a permanent structure for the effective implementation of the decisions of this meeting". With that mandate, a group of bishops began working on the appropriate structures and called for their first meeting to be held in Hong Kong four months later, in March 1971. This meeting, which brought together the presidents of eleven Bishops' Conferences, was to discuss the nature, objectives, and scope of the proposed Federation.

The bishops, however, encountered their first obstacle when Bishop Edward Cassidy, the then Taipei-based nuncio, informed that the Roman Curia had expressed reservations about the proposed Federation and advised against the meeting. In an interview with South Korean Cardinal Stephen Kim, who was among the bishops who attended that ground-breaking meeting in Hong Kong, Thomas Fox records the cardinal saying: "Cassidy told us that there was nothing that could be done. The only thing left [for us] to do was to go shopping or leave Hong Kong right away. We were shocked". Undoubtedly, the fear that the proposed Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences might turn out the way the Conference of Latin American Bishops (Consejo Episcopal Latino-Americano — CELAM, established 1956) turned out seems at the base of the fear reactions from Rome. The propositions of the 1968 Medellin conference, which endorsed a fundamental option for the poor, was perhaps still fresh in the minds of the curial bishops. They certainly did not wish to see yet another irruption from the Church's periphery, especially after the Asian Bishops' Meeting had more or less also endorsed the fundamental option for the poor. In fact, the curial bishops had actually criticised the ABM statement as "a work of sociologists than churchmen".

With Cassidy's implicit blessings, the Hong Kong meeting continued anyway, and came up with the proposed structures and draft Statutes, which was eventually approved in November 1972. Thus, FABC was officially constituted, two years after the ABM, an event often regarded as the product of "prophetic inspiration" and a "grace of collegiality".

Structures and Functions

The Statutes of the FABC states that it is a "voluntary association of episcopal conferences in South, Southeast, East and Central Asia" (art. 5).¹³ At present, there are 14 full member conferences: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos-Cambodia, Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The following, which are not full episcopal conferences, enjoy associate membership status: Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Krygystan, Macau, Mongolia, Nepal, Siberia, Tadjikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.¹⁴

Article 6 of the Statutes goes on to state that "FABC functions through a hierarchy of structures consisting of the Plenary Assembly, the Central Committee, the Standing Committee and the Central Secretariat, and its Offices and Commissions".¹⁵Effectively this means that the Plenary Assembly, which meets in "ordinary session every four years", is the "supreme body of FABC".¹⁶ The members of the Plenary Assembly are the presidents of the member conferences (who comprise the Central Committee), bishop-delegates (elected by member conferences, the number of which is proportional to the number of bishops in the conference), bishops representing countries holding associate membership, and the members of the Standing Committee (five bishops elected from different parts of Asia).

In between the Plenary Assemblies, the Central Committee (which meets at least once every two years) directs the FABC. In between the Central Committee meetings, the Standing Committee (which meets at least once every year) implements the directives of the Central Committee. The Standing Committee, in turn, is assisted by the Central Secretariat, which is the "principal service agency of the FABC".¹⁷ Under the charge of the Secretary General, who is also a bishop-member of the Central Committee, the Central Secretariat's day-to-day running is the task of the Associate Secretary General. The various Offices which have been established are "specialised agencies of FABC functioning through the Central Secretariat".⁶

There are at present seven Offices, viz., the Office of Human Development (OHD), the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (OEIA), the Office of Evangelization (OEB, previously called the Office of Mission), the Office of Education and Student Chaplaincy (OESC), the Office of Social Communications (OSC), the Office of the Laity (OL), and the Office of Theological Concerns (OTC previously called the Theological Advisory Commission [TAC]). A commission of 3-5 bishops, appointed by the Central Committee, is responsible for each office, with one of them serving as Executive Chair. The bishops may be assisted by an Executive Secretary, who, in turn, may have the assistance of a staff.

As a voluntary association, the FABC's primary purpose is "to foster among its members solidarity and co-responsibility for the welfare of Church and society in Asia".⁷ It does this through the promotion of communication, study, and cooperative projects, both within and among the various episcopal conferences, as well as with other Christian churches, religious communities and all peoples of goodwill. All of these are done "in the light of Vatican II and post-conciliar official documents, and according to the needs of Asia".⁸

As a "voluntary association", the FABC is by no means a supra-Episcopal Conference and so its decisions and recommendations are "without juridical binding force".⁹ Instead, the FABC respects "the autonomy of each bishop, of each member episcopal conference, and of each FABC regional assembly".¹⁰

Plenary Assemblies

As the supreme body of FABC, the Plenary Assemblies naturally are given special importance. They are normally attended by about 200 participants, of whom half are bishop-delegates and the rest made up of officials of the various Offices, their partners and consultants, members of the clergy, religious congregations and laity involved in grassroots ministries. Usually a ten-day event, the Plenary Assemblies are occasions where the bishops can study a particular issue together, not only among themselves but with input and interactions from the various sectors of the Church as well. There are usually several lectures by experts in the field, followed by workshop group discussions, and other related activities such as eucharistic liturgies, meditative prayers, table-fellowship and recreation. In a sense, the Plenary Assemblies, far from being stoic academic sessions, are really occasions for living as "Church" together and with Church peoples from different ministerial sectors and from different geographical regions. At times, invitations are extended to significant persons of other Christian churches as well as of other religions.

All the participants at the Plenary Assemblies are either appointed by their episcopal conferences or are recommended by the various FABC Offices. As such, they attend with the blessings of the bishops. Likewise, the resource persons and periti, especially those who deliver lectures and others who lead the workshops, attend with the approval of the Central Committee. From among these periti are usually appointed a drafting committee, charged with the task of producing a Statement for the assembly. These are usually theologians, some of whom will necessarily be bishops from Asia.

The Statements which issue from the Plenary Assemblies are not only reflective of the experience of FABC but also very much accepted and co-owned by each and every episcopal conference. This is because the participants, coming from the various episcopal conferences, have every opportunity to bring their experience and perceptions into the discussions, either at plenary sessions or in workshop groups. Their reflections, together with the reflections offered by the resource persons and messages offered by other key persons (for e.g., the Pope or a Vatican official), constitute the raw data for the drafting of the Statement. Working under the pressure of time, the drafting committee brings out the Statement towards the end of the assembly and subjects it to a vote. Only the official delegates, viz., bishop-members, are allowed to vote. It is therefore not too far-fetched to suggest that the Statements which issue from FABC Plenary Assemblies are not only the voice of the bishops but that of the entire Church in Asia as well (i.e., in as far as the participants are representative of the Church). FABC Statements can therefore be regarded as at once the Asian bishops' voice as well as the Asian Church's voice. Moreover, since many of the Statements are drafted under the influence of some of Asia's best theologians, one can even suggest that the voice of the Asian bishops are often times very similar to the voice of Asian theologians.¹¹ By extension, FABC theology is very similar to what is often regarded as Asian theology.

Thus far, there have been seven Plenary Assemblies. The first, often regarded as FABC I, was held in Taipei, Taiwan, in April 1974. FABC II was held in Calcutta, India, in November 1978. FABC III was held in Bangkok, Thailand, in October 1982. FABC IV was held in Tokyo, Japan, in September 1986. FABC V was held in Bandung, Indonesia, in July 1990. FABC VI was held in Manila, Philippines, in January 1995. FABC VII was held in Bangkok, Thailand, in January 2000.

Bishops' Institutes

Aside from the Plenary Assemblies, the next most important events of the FABC are the numerous seminars and formation programs generally called Bishops' Institutes, but which have also taken on other names to better express the programs. These are programs organized and run by the various FABC Offices, primarily for the education and formation of the bishops. However, with time, many bishops also brought along with them key members in Church leadership position, among whom are the clergy, Religious and the laity. The nature, scope, thrust, and content of these Bishops' Institutes vary significantly and are generally organized in response to a felt pastoral need. They are thus pastoral in focus, aimed at helping bishops address particular issues. Each Office has its own series of such pastoral programs, which are generally given names associated with the concerns of the office.

Thus, the programmes of the Office of Human Development (OHD) are social action programmes, appropriately named Bishops' Institute for Social Action (BISA) or Asian Institute for Social Action (AISA) or Faith Encounters in Social Action (FEISA). The programmes of the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (OEIA) have to do with interreligious affairs and so are named Bishops' Institute for Inter-Religious Affairs (BIRA) or Seminar for Inter-Religious Affairs (SIRA) or Formation Institute for Inter-Religious Affairs (FIRA). The OEIA also runs programmes on ecumenism, called Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU) and Joint Ecumenical Formation (JEF). The programmes of the Office of Evangelization (OE) have to do with mission and so are named Bishops' Institute for Missionary Apostolate (BIMA). The OE also organizes programmes on the Bible, called Bishops' Institute for Biblical Apostolate (BIBA). The programmes of the Office of the Laity (OL) have to do with the laity and so are named Bishops' Institute for Lay Apostolate (BILA). The Laity Office also runs the Asian Integral Pastoral Approach (AsIPA) programmes. The programmes of the Office of Social Communications (OSC) have to do with communications and so are named Bishops' Institute for Social Communications (BISCOM). The programmes of the Office of Education and Student Chaplaincy (OESC) have no specific names as such, but take on topics pertaining to seminary-formation, student or chaplain ministries. The programmes of the Office of Theological Concerns (OTC) are named Bishops' Institute for Theological Affairs (BITA), but more significantly, the OTC has been charged with studying particular theological issues of Asian interest and their publications are not so much named after the OTC as are in the name of whatever theological issue under investigation. Aside from the above-mentioned programmes, the various Offices also organize consultations, colloquiums and/or other seminars which do not necessarily have particular names. Like in the Plenary Assemblies, most, not all of the FABC Office's programmes culminate with a Statement, which is duly approved or, at least, met with no objection by the bishop-participants or bishops responsible for the Office. As such, these Statements can also be regarded as the voice of the bishops as of the voice of the Church in Asia (as most of the programs draw participation from across Asia).

As is to be expected, the various programs organized by the different FABC Offices differ significantly as they cater to different ministries as well as to a different clientele. It follows that each FABC Office might have its own set of bishops and pastoral leaders who participate in their programs. Of course there are some bishops who would participate in the programs across Offices. But, by and large, only those who are open to the ministry of "social action" will participate in the OHD activities and those open to the ministry of "dialogue" will participate in the OEIA activities. This, of course, is in keeping with the FABC policy of voluntary participation. On the other hand it simply means that not all the bishops of FABC have the same orientations or are equally open to particular ministries such as social action or interreligious dialogue. Moreover, it also means that the different FABC Offices, because of their differing thrusts, would also have different theological orientations. All of this testify to the catholicity, diversity and plurality which FABC not only entertains but nurtures.

FABC Statements

The proceedings and Statements from the FABC Plenary Assemblies and the programs of the various FABC Offices, especially the Bishops' Institutes, are published by the FABC Central Secretariat and disseminated as FABC Papers. It is through these Statements that the theological positions adopted by the bishops of Asia are revealed. They are the principal source by which one discerns the bishops' thinking, much like what the Acta Apostolicae Sedis is to the Vatican. Most of these official Statements have also been collated and published in the three volume book For All the Peoples of Asia.

The FABC Papers is also an organ to publish theological reflections of Asian experts deemed useful for the formation and education of the bishops. However, the disclaimer found in the FABC Papers is useful to note: "The opinions expressed are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily represent the official policies of the FABC or its member Episcopal Conferences." Likewise, even the publications of the Office of Theological Concerns (Theological Advisory Commission) have a note of caution: "The document is offered solely as a basis of a continuing discussion with the wider community of pastors and professional scholars" [emphasis added]. Again, these words of caution are reminders of the voluntary and non-juridical nature of the FABC.

In view of the preceding discussion on the plurality of FABC programs and, by extension, of the FABC Statements, how then would one be able to discern the theological orientations of the FABC. How, one might ask, can anyone be able to identify which theological position is FABC's and which belongs to traditional classical theology? Put another way, is there anything which can be said to be specifically FABC's? The hermeneutical principles to be employed, I posit, are those which can be borrowed from modern Biblical scholarship, especially those used in the quest for the historical Jesus. Firstly, by the principle of "multiple attestation", one can discern certain themes in the many FABC Statements which seem to occur more frequently than they do in traditional theology. Secondly, by the principle of "dissimilarity", themes which have little or no parallels in traditional theologies can be surmised as authentically or innovatively FABC/Asian material. Invoking these two principles, one can discern that themes such as "triple dialogue", "dialogue of life", "commitment to life", "harmony", "witness of life", "communion of communities", and "new way of being Church" are probably specific to FABC and/or Asian theology.

Authority of FABC Statements

This brings us to the discussion on the ecclesia authority and/or theological status of these FABC Statements. Do the FABC Statements have any authority? Going by the preceding discussions it would seem that they don't, since, from the outset, it is unambiguously stated that FABC itself has no juridical binding force. Its Statements are merely to nurture and to support. In the end it is the local bishop of each diocese who wields authority, including the authority over whether FABC positions ought to be accepted or adopted. Moreover, the debate over the theological status and doctrinal authority of the very institution of Episcopal Conferences itself is still far from being resolved.¹² Do Episcopal Conferences (national or regionals) exist by divine right or merely by positive ecclesiatical law? To be sure, differing interpretations adhere. In this regard the FABC's Theological Advisory Commission's position is that the Episcopal Conferences (EC). "Are historically and theologically rooted in developments of ecclesial structures in the early Church" (TAC-Local Church, thesis 15).¹³ It further comments:

"Regarding the authority and role of ECs as instances of collegiality, we must keep in mind that Vatican Council II has both a stricter and a broader understanding of the term and reality of collegiality. Collegiality in its more strict sense entails the activity of the entire College of Bishops throughout the world in communion with the Roman Pontiff. However, in the discussion on the topic (LG, 22-23), the Council enumerates many instances of episcopal collegiality understood in a wider sense, and thus in practice sees it as an analogous and in some measure a fluid concept, under which the institution which is the contemporary EC may rightfully be included" (TAC-Local Church, 15.06).¹⁴

Leaving aside the issue of the ecclesial authority of the Episcopal Conferences, there is still no denying that the FABC and its Statements have greatly influenced the thinking and praxis of Christianity in Asia especially through the Catholic Church. In particular, the "overall thrust of [FABC's] activities in recent years has been to motivate the Churches in Asia towards a new way of being Church, a Church that is committed to becoming a community of communities and a credible sign of salvation and liberation" (FABC VI, art. 3).¹⁵ In a word, the FABC texts are a potent force for change and transformation not only of the Church but of the Asian society as well. C.G. Arevalo even suggests that "these pastoral texts become a locus theologicus in our time".¹⁶

This is precisely what FABC is all about. Its focus is primarily pastoral, never theological nor doctrinal. Thus, questions about its authority and theological status are not questions FABC would ask, nor be concerned about. Its concerns are with whether the Churches in Asia are living up to the Gospel message in the context of the realities of Asia. Its authority resides in its message and orientations, not in its position. Thus, while it may have no position power, it certainly has value or inspirational power.¹⁷ Such authority comes from below, never bestowed from above. It is authority earned and respected, not because of its ecclesial status but because of the authenticity of its directives and message. By itself the message attracts and so need not be enforced. There is never any mention that a teaching has to be "firmly believed" or that one must submit in "obedience of faith". On the contrary, episcopal member-conferences are constantly reminded that there is never any binding authority in the FABC Statements. That notwithstanding, most episcopal conferences throughout Asia have embraced the teachings and positions taken by the FABC over the years. Reflecting on the 25 years of FABC's existence, Archbishop Michael Rozario, the convenor of the 1995 FABC VI Plenary Assembly, testifies to this: "Our Federation has been for us a very concrete and effective forum for sharing our Asian way of thinking about the implications of the Gospel of Jesus for all the peoples of Asia.¹⁸

Notes

¹ Thomas Fox, Pentecost in Asia: A New Way of Being Church (Maryknoll: Orbis, 2002), xi.

² C.G. Arevalo A..."The Time of the Heirs" in For All the Peoples of Asia: Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, Documents from 1970 to 1991 Vol. I, eds. Gaudencio Rosales & C.G. Arevalo (Quezon City: Claretian, 1997) xviii. [Hereafter called FAPA Vol I]

³ Ibid.

⁴ Ibid., xv.

⁵ Felix Wilfred, "The Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC): Orientations, Challenges and Impact", in FAPA Vol. I, xxiii.

⁶ FAPA Vol. I, 4.

⁷ FAPA Vol. I, 3-7.

⁸ FAPA Vol. I, 8.

⁹ Miguel Marcelo Quantra, At the Side of the Multitudes: The Kingdom of God and the Mission of the Church in the FABC Documents (Quezon City: Claretian, 2000) 9.

¹⁰ Thomas Fox, 24.

¹¹ Bishop Julio Xaview Labayen, "A Historical Background of the Office of Human Development and the BISAs" in The Bishops' Institutes for Social Action of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, FABC Papers No. 6 (Hong Kong, FABC, 1977) 7.

¹² C.G. Arevalo, xvii.

¹³ Statutes of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) (Hong Kong: FABC Central Secretariat, 1999) 2.

¹⁴ Ibid., 12.

¹⁵ Ibid., 1.

¹⁶ Ibid.

¹⁷ Ibid.

¹⁸ Ibid., 2.

¹⁹ Most of the renowned theologians of Asia have, one time or another, been resource person at FABC Assemblies or Seminars. These include Tissa Balasuriya, Aloysius Pieris, Jacques Dupuis, Michael Amaladoss, Samuel Rayan, D.S. Amalorpavadass, S. Arokiasamy, J.B. Banawiratma, etc.

²⁰ See Felix Wilfred, AEpiscopal Conferences, Their Theological Status in Sunset in the East? Felix Wilfred (Madras: University of Madras, 1991) 310-334.

²¹ Theological Advisory Commission of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC), Theses on the Local Church: A Theological Reflection in the Asian Context, FABC Papers No. 60 (Hong Kong: FABC, 1991) 47.

²² Ibid., 49.

²³ FAPA, Vol. II, 3.

²⁴ C.G. Arevalo, xxii.

²⁵ FABC commentators suggest that perhaps it is because of this lack of authority that FABC Statements seem more bold and progressive. Without the burden of binding authority the bishops seem more free to endorse theological positions which may be regarded as controversial from Rome's perspectives. Perhaps this is how the Spirit works: freedom from authority allows for greater faithfulness to the Spirit's promptings and, hence, the Gospel imperatives. See also Thomas Fox, 26.

²⁶ Michael Rozario, "A Words of Greetings: Reflections on Twenty-Five Years" in Christian Discipleship in Asia Today: Service to Life — A Summary Report, The Sixth Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (Hong Kong: FABC, 1995) 8.

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