CHRIST CENTERED, CONTEXTUAL AND TRANSFORMATIVE BIBLICAL APSSOTOLATE IN SOUTH ASIA

CHRIST CENTERED, CONTEXTUAL AND TRANSFORMATIVE 

BIBLICAL APOSTOLATE IN SOUTH ASIA

EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGES

Fr. Emmanuel Asi

INTRODUCTION

Let me begin by blessing  and praising God for being here at the threshold of the new year. I would like to congratulate the organizers you and the participants. We thank Fr. John Baptist, Coordinator of CBF South Asia Sub-Region and Fr. Alvin Fernando, our host for having planned and organized  this convocation. We thank Fr. Jan Stefanow, General Secretary CBF for being here. His presence is certainly giving a universal and global outlook to this Convocation, especially when we are celebrating Golden Jubilee of Catholic Biblical Federation. On this occasion of this Golden Jubilee we are remembering, revisiting and celebrating ministry of CBF.

This Convocation of South Asia sub region coincides with the celebration of 1600 years of death anniversary of St. Jerome (420-2020), a great name for the ministry of the Word of God especially inspiration from his per excellence saying “ignorance of scripture is ignorance of Christ”.

There has been, since the promulgation of Dei Verbum, Dogmatic Constitution on the Divine Revelation in 1965 and later on Verbum Domini in 2008 and also the final 55 proposition of the synod of Bishops of Bible 2008 and now with Aperitui Illis on 30^th September 2019 by Pope Francis, a great inspiration and impetus from the papal documents and teachings of the church. These all provide guidelines and propose to make use of variety of opportunity of every context.

We have just celebrated the Incarnation of God’s Word. Hence standing at the beginning of the year of 1600 death anniversary of St. Jerome we continue this journey of Word becoming flesh, a journey from Crib of Bethlehem to this Convocation in Sri Lanka.

This paper will have three main parts. The first part will be focusing on context of South Asia while part two on Biblical Apostolate in South Asia  and part three will consist of some challenges  and perspective of biblical apostolate and biblical animation in South Asia. In all this I will focus more on the nature and spirituality of Biblical apostolate rather than limiting myself to activities of Biblical apostolate. One could also call this perspective as pastoral spirituality of Biblical Apostolate. 

PART ONE : CONTEXT

1.Realities of South Asia

There are seven countries in South Asia. Despite their geographical neighborhood, these countries compare to each other only slightly but all the same commonalities and contrasts could be sought.

Asia and in particular South Asia is mother and Cradle of Religions. This makes this region spiritually soaked oasis. It has given birth and produced many great social and religious leaders. There are three great religions Hinduism the majority in India and Nepal, India 80% and Nepal 81% Buddhist majority in Sri Lanka 69% and Muslims majority is found in Pakistan in 97% and Bangladesh 90%. Pakistan presence a cultural and political bridge function between Islamic and respectively Asia and South East Asia.

Among all major religion of South Asia the Holy Book, divinely inspired and revealed Scriptures is very important. It is devotionally venerated joyfully read and heard, zealously  proclaimed and enthroned with great respect and devotion. South Asia is filled with divine Word from the range of contemplation to preaching, emphasizing and stressing Biblical apostolate and biblical animation. Thus biblical Apostolate and biblical animation is very contextual and meaningful and relevant ministry in South Asia.

South Asia has also inherit ancient cultures. There are ancient cultures in south Asia. Each of these culture is closer to their religion. People are interested in knowing truth and teaching of Holy Book. In such a context biblical apostolate can play a vital role in animating and inspiring people and transforming human cultures.

Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka share at least in parts of common history the British colonial rule which has left its marks on the cultural of these countries. Nevertheless these countries developed very differently after the retreat of the colonial rule ended and each religion and ethnic minority in different way.

In countries of South Asia though they are constitutionally granted religious freedom where rights religious minorities are protected. But practically speaking in all these countries the religious rights are limited and there are many forms of an extreme discrimination.

There is immense and constantly fast growing population especially women and youth. There is also a bitter and lamenting remittable vast expanding reality of poverty.

2.Christian Presence in South Asia

a.Land of Divine Word

South Asia is land of divine word. The land of South Asia is blessed and holy because St. Thomas the Apostle came here, preached the word of God and shed his blood for this land. Thus the presence of Word of God has been spoken, heard and shared during this last two millennium as expressed in Ecclesia in Asia by Pope John Paul ll.

South Asia is the land of the Word of God. We bless and praise God for all missionaries and local leadership for having sown the seeds of the word of God in South Asia. It is our responsibility now to incarnate and thus to provide flesh to the Word of God in our life and through biblical Apostolate and biblical animation.

b.Christians as Religious Minority

Christian are as a religious minority in South Asia. This is in allover in South Asia and belong to a small minority and  whose number lies nearly exclusively in the one figure in percentage in Nepal and Bangladesh is less than 0.5%. It is 1.7% in Pakistan, 2.3% in India. 2.8% in Sri Lanka.

The number of person in South Asia because of different reasons and various factors and is however stagnating or decreasing. Christians in South Asia are partially subject to discrimination which leads to people trying to leave their countries. Or there are hardly new members to be found. There is altogether decrease in births in Christian families.

Catholics in south Asia distinct majority followed by the protestants. But ironically it is the opposite reality in the field of Biblical apostolate. Protestants are far ahead than Catholics in the field of biblical apostolate.

c.Discrimination and Persecution

Christians in all over South Asia are being attacked violently time and again. Such persecutions are mainly conducted by nationalist and religious extremists, less from the State itself. There are terrorist and extremist groups whose task is, at least partially, to suppress Christian minority.

Some international groups have pointed out that Christians have become the most persecuted religious group in the world. In many context Christians have become escape goats. In some places flourishing Christian communities have disappeared. There is need to build up ho[e that gives courage to believers. We cannot allow Christians to be gripped by fear.

In Budapest report, on Christian persecution 2017, it mentions 30 countries of the world where Christians are suffering persecution because of being Christians. Of these 30 countries North Korea stands as number one, Pakistan is on number four and India on number fifteen while number thirty is of Bhutan. The source of persecution in 24 countries out of 30 is Islamic persecution and extremism.

d.Dialogue and Harmony

But in spite of persecution or because of persecution the church is active alive full with vigor and zeal and joyful in faith. Because of these persecutions more understanding and respect among different religions is growing. As these religious persecutions are not from the government there are, together and with support from the government, multiple efforts in practice for interfaith dialog and harmony among different religions.

PART TWO: BIBLICAL APSOTOLATE

1.Primary Purpose

With this context and background we can now shift to speaking about the Biblical apostolate in south Asia. The primary purpose and culmination point and fullness of Biblical apostolate is to lead believers to Christ and in Christ. God’s Word inspires people to follow Christ. It unites the people and it sanctifies consecrate believers for Christ.

The fundamental vision of Biblical apostolate to bring Word of God closer to the people  and people closer to the Word of God. In other words the Biblical apostolate is making people on the one hand Bible friendly and lovers and on the other hand animated believers and the missionaries of the Word of God.

2.Multiple Efforts

There have been multiple efforts in the field of biblical Apostolate in South Asia. In many countries national Bible commissions and some organizations promoting and supporting Biblical Apostolate have conducted variety of programs. There have been efforts like  Bible courses, Bible correspondents courses, Bible exhibitions, museums, vocational Bible schools, Bible study summer courses, ongoing Bible formation of lay leaders, Bible days, Bible Sundays, Bible weeks, Bible months, year of the Bible, audio video cassettes, Bible acts, Bible seminars, Bible conventions, Bible congresses, Bible quizzes, Bible paintings and online courses.

But still we look ahead and go for a more pastoral and spiritual perspective in Biblical  apostolate and Biblical Animation.

3.Essential characteristics of Biblical Apostolate

In this section I will describe some essential Biblical characteristics of Biblical apostolate. The first characteristic is that the Biblical apostle should be Christ centered. Biblical apostolate will be Biblical animated only when it is Christ centered. It is not knowledge alone but faith in Christ. According to Verbum Domini, the Biblical apostolate is the grace and vocation. All the baptized ought to be animators of the Biblical leaders and Biblical apostles as expressed in Evanegliuum Gaudium (no.120).

St. Victor says, all scriptures are one book and that book is Christ. Thus Bible ought to inspire all our works. It is not peripherical to our works. It evangelizes our works. This is the central and dominating theme of  Verbum Domini.

Another element is that Biblical apostolate should be Gospel values based. The aim of Biblical apostolate and Biblical animation is not passing on and transmitting information but growth in Christian character building. In one of his talk H.E. Charles Cardinal Bo, Archbishop of Yangon and President of FABC spoke about four threats and challenges for the vocation, ministry and dignity of Christina believers in Asia viz. Nationalism, Terrorism, Religious Extremism and Market Economy.

In this context, threats and challenges Biblical apostolate is on the one hand to strengthen people in faith in Christ and on the other hand educate Christian believers in Gospel values. It is Gospel values based and animated Biblical apostolate that is relevant. Famous Brazilian Bible Teacher Fr. Carlos Mestros calls this movement from Word of God to Life and from Life to the Word of God.

Thus in the context like that of South Asia what is important is to preach peace and promote reconciliation and not vengeance. In the midst of Religious Extremism and Terrorism where violence is the rule of life the Christians are to be instrument of peace.

Preferential option for the poor, the majority of South Asia is another Gospel based pastoral and human value. They are the primary recipient and object of the Gospel. Biblical apostolate in this sense means the word of God for the poor. Fr. Albert Nolan in his famous book, “Jesus Before Christianity” describes the first audience and addressee of Sermon on the Mount. He mentions all sorts of poor. They were the first object and became the center, focus and locus of the Gospel.

New evangelization will emerge from this perspective. And poor will teach us Biblical animation. They will totally re-shape our Biblical apostolate.

The Biblical apostolate is to be focused on community transformation. It not book based  Biblical apostolate but life based. It is not an individual based but community based. It must aim to liberate people from within who are living in fear. Biblical apostolate should liberate them from this fear. So it is also not for a diploma and certificate, it is  for community. Fr. Leonardo Boff in his book Eccleseologenies writes that it is Word of God that gives birth to the Community of believers, the church. When there is Word of God there will be Community of believers. Likewise in final proposition of Synod of Bishops on Bible, 2008, it was emphasized that the community of believers is born, nourished and strengthen by the Word of God.

Another important characteristic of the Biblical apostolate is that it should be laity oriented. I am emphasizing this element because present Church is over dominated by Clericalism. Dei Verbum speaks of two tables from where Church receives nourishment. One is Eucharist and the other is the Word of God. Eucharist is the alter reserved for and served by the Priest. Whereas  the alter of the Word of God ought to be opened and served by laity. The Word of God is the alter of and for the laity.

The Church and the priest must ensure that the alter of the Word of God be given to the laity. The vocation mission and formation and role of the Church has been particularly made clear when in 1982 FABC decided to establish the office of laity (OL) and in 2004 following the 8^th Assembly General of  FABC on family, the  office of the laity was interested with the question of family and it became office of laity and family (OLF). But it was Synod of Bishops on laity in 1987 that gave an impetus to the reflections on Laity.

Laity forms the majority of the Church. According to the one statistics 99%  in the Church is  laity and 1% is clergy. Laity fill our Churches. They financially support the Church. All what Church has been able to accomplish has been accomplished through the active participation, productive co-operation and sustainable support  of the laity. But though there are in majority in the Church, they are given status of the minority. Though they are the strength of the Church, they are made to feel powerless and voiceless in the church. Authority of the Clergy in the Church has almost pushed laity towards the periphery.

The objective of the Biblical apostolate is to rediscover and emphasize the vocation and mission and power of the laity in the Church and to empower the laity in the society with the word of God.

Still another element and characteristic of the Biblical apostolate is that it should be contextual in vision. We often speak  of  three fold challenges or triple dialogue in Asia. The challenge of dialogue with culture, the challenges of dialogue with religions and the challenge of dialogue with poor. Pope Francis has declared war against economic injustice in Evangelium Gaudium and environment injustice and Laudato Si.  

According to the Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Asia the spirit who moved upon Asia in the time of Patriarchs and prophets, and still moved powerfully in the time of Jesus Christ and in the early Church moves now among Asian Christians, strengthening the witness of their faith among peoples, cultures, Religions of the Continent. Just as a great dialogue of love between God and humanity (and cosmos) was prepared for by the spirit and accomplished on Asian soil in the mystery of Christ, so the dialogue between the Savior and peoples of the continent Asia continues today by the power of the same Holy Spirit at work in the Church (Ecclesia in Asia No 18).

Next element and characteristic in the Biblical apostolate and Biblical animation is South Asia is that it should be missionary in perspective. Biblical Apostolate is essentially being missionary. According to Ad Gentes “the pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature” (AG 2). Ad Gentes continues thus “as member of the church living Church is incorporated into Him  and made like unto Him through Baptism and through Confirmation and the Eucharist, all the faithful are duty-bound to co-operate in the expansion and spreading out of His body, to bring it to fullness as soon may be (Eph. 4:13).

Therefore all sons and daughters of the Church should have a lively awareness of their responsibility to the world… They should spend their forces in the work of evangelization (Ad Gentes 36).

Thus every missionary effort has to be soaked in Biblical apostolate and every biblical apostolate activity should be missionary in perspective and orientation. One has to understand and practice biblical apostolate in this missionary mandate interested to the Church.

The Biblical Apostolate leads believers to Christ through being Bible friendly. The famous phrase of St. Jerome, Ignorance of Scriptures is Ignorance of Christ, could very well be paraphrased as, being friendly with Scriptures is being friendly with Christ. In Pakistan Catholic Bible Commission Pakistan (CBCP) has launched a program of Biblical Apostolate entitled “Hundred Thousands Friends of the Bible”. This has seven stages or blessings in it viz. to own the Bible, to read the Bible, to share the message of the Bible, to share Bible as gift, to bless and praise God for being Bible friendly…etc.

4.Re-Reading and Re-Interpreting of the Word of God

Biblical apostolate is by its very nature contextually re-reading and re-interpreted the text of the Word of God. This is an effort of incarnated the Word of God in one’s life and context of society.  

The whole Bible is a beautiful example of re-reading itself. New Testament is a re-reading of the Old Testament with perspective of Christ. Where it is written is secondary and less important. Important and primary purpose is that the whole of Old Testament should be re-read and related to Christ. Old Testament find its fulfillment, fullness and completion in Christ.

Within the Old Testament also there is re-reading of the previous text of the Bible. For example after creation story Sabbath is connected with Creation i.e. God rested on seventh day. But after Exodus experiences Sabbath is often connected with Exodus. Whenever there is rereading there is shift and newness in the text.

Often scholars speak two texts viz. Text then and Text now or primary text and secondary text. Text then is the text when it was being preached to its first addressee and audience. Text now is when it is being read now in our context. There is shift of time, place, language, culture, addressee…etc. And this shift makes this Text alive and effective and gives it its relevancy.

Finally there has been a progressive growth and shift from Biblical movement to Biblical Apostolate. And now the emphases has shifted from Biblical apostolate to biblical animation. While addressing to Latin American Bishops Conference (SELAM) at Puebla in January 1979, Pope St. John Paul II described the new evangelization as one that is new in its ardor, new in its methods and new in its expressions.

PART THREE: CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES

Though my efforts have been done and are being done and activities and programs are in practice and in progress but we still need to go ahead in a structurally more organized and consistent in a serial manners. We ought to increase and multiply our efforts to build bridges between opportunities and hopes. Here I will mention three areas in which we have to work more in South Asia. These areas are training and formation, the media and Network and exchange.

1.Training and Formation of Laity

In the context of multiple reality of cultures, religions, social systems, history, life standards and languages in South Asia, Biblical apostolate is not easy and simple ministry. Based on Dei Verbum and Verbum Domini and taking inspiration from Redemptoris Missio, Christi Fideles Laici and Ecclesia in Asia, formation of laity (vocation of discipleship and missionary) is of  vital importance.

The Churches is in Asia are very active and animated with numerous initiatives for the formation of laity. In Asia, the synod of Bishops was prepared with lV FABC Plenary Assembly in 1986 on the theme of “The Vocation and Mission of the Laity in the Church and in the World of Asia”.

Laity is very down to earth and in touch with the earthly realities of the context. They have vast and deeper experience of life. They are 99% of the total population of the Church. They have the quality of giving true animation to Biblical Apostolate. One wise lay person made me understand the wisdom and importance of laity with an example of the fisherman. When fisherman through the fishing net into the water, fishing net sees more fish than the fisherman. Likewise lay people are closer to the realities and experiences of life than the ministers of the Church.

There are various group which are to be taken into consideration in the Biblical Apostolate. They are men and women, Children, youth and senior citizens. There are variety of groups according to the field of life. There are mothers, midwives, managers, doctors, nurses, teachers, drivers. Each of these can play an important role in Biblical animation. In the first Congress on Biblical Apostolate in Asia held in Hong Kong in October 1985, one of the participants from South Korea shared about a special Bible course conducted for taxi drivers. There were 70 participants. At the beginning the wives of these taxi drivers were angry as they sacrificed two hours on Bible study and brought less income. But at the end the taxi drivers were very happy to be better Christian taxi driver.

 In his document on “The Dignity of the Elderly Persons” (issued in 1998), Pope John Paul II emphasized that senior citizen have more time to give to the Word of God.  In Pakistan in Biblical Apostolate a special focus is laid on Nurses, Teachers and Catechists. Certainly laity in all fields of life has lot of zeal, vigor and devotion for the Word of God.  

2.Media

Today Media is talk of the day. It is everyone’s hand. We talk about E. evangelization and E. Biblical apostolate. Certainly the media is the most powerful and vast spreading, media in the world today. In India there has been a great use of Media for Biblical Apostolate.

It was confessed that protestant churches are gone far ahead of Catholics. Many times Catholic envy and lament over their progress. They have invested many efforts and have gone ahead. There is great need to share more and more online Bible courses, Audio visual recording of the Bible and other documentaries.

3. Network and Exchange

In South Asia there may be obstacles like political adversary situation, visa problem, poor economic circumstances. But new and better ways and means to come closer and help each other are to be discovered. We need more sharing of programs, reports, exchange of experiences, exchange of resource persons and material (written, audio, video)  and possibility of participating in live-in training programs and if possible co sponsorship of some programs.

There is need of dialogue of working together or diocesan level, national level with other commissions. We can also discover working together FABC. There is need of possible dialogue between cultures and religions.

CONCLUSION

South Asia is land of opportunity but also of challenges. It is also a region of poor of Yahweh, the Anaveem. There is a great harvest of faith to be gathered as envisioned by Pope John Paul II.

The massage of the First Asian Mission Congress concludes thus: Jesus comes personally to his followers. He calls them by name. He speaks words of peace and reconciliation. The disbelieving disciples are transformed. Yet, Jesus, the Crucified-Risen one, expands the dimensions of their faith. He challenges them further. He sends them on mission.

Go for the every part of the world, to proclaims the Good News to the whole of creation (Mk 16:15),Go forth and make all nations to my disciples (Mt.28:19), You are witness to all this (Lk 24:48), as the Father has sent me, so I send you (Jn 20:21).

And so the disciples set out to tell Jesus story. They go to places, near and far: James to Jerusalem, Peter and Paul to Rome, Thomas to South Asia. Indeed the Biblical Apostolate in South Asia is to be sent on mission of Christ. 

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