Passionist International Bulletin

The Curia Informs8ty operate at a great depth, with littleobvious change on the surface. So it isin Asia at a number of levels.People remember the economic transformationof Japan which astonishedthe world in another generation. Latercame the "Little Tigers", as severalsmaller economies took off. Thesedevelopments even produced rippleson far-off western shores - "ripples".The world order was not disturbed.Perhaps today the keenest observers inthe west may already be looking out tosea as another motion of the watersbegins to take shape in the form of theeconomic transformation of China andto a lesser but still very significantdegree of India. Whenthis wave crashes on theshore one day in thefuture it will not besmall. The economicbalance of the worldwill be transformed.I turn now to someaspects of the spirituallandscape.The world's major religionsoriginated in Asia,Christianity included.Christianity came toIndia very early and toChina a little later.Though it did take rootin India it did not spread. Meanwhilethe Faith took root outside Asia, and inEurope it clothed itself fully in all thetextures of the western philosophicaland cultural inheritance. A hundredyears ago people in the west couldonly nod in agreement when HillaireBelloc said, "The Faith is Europe andEurope is the Faith". It was like a universeunto itself. This self confidentand self absorbed Europe, armed withwave after wave of scientific and technologicalinnovation, found newworlds to conquer and possess. Thecolonial period saw most of theworld's nations subjugated byEuropean powers. Some colonialistswere driven by faith and a desire tospread the Gospel, most were drivenby greed, pride and power.Thus Christianity irrupted upon thescene in Asia as a companion to colonialism.To this day the Church inmany parts of Asia remains an alienpresence in many ways. Even in communitieswith a long history, there is abig gap between the Church and theculture of society. Sometimes onesees signs of schizophrenia, as individualsstruggle with two identities,the Catholic self and (for instance) theIndian self. Often enough I have heardthe lament of those who strive to openthe Church to society as they are frustratedby entrenched tradition or bythe long arm of the Vatican. Peopleare naturally attached to their ownroots and history, and if that includesbeing a Church that is over againstThe effects of the Tsunamisociety and culture, they do not desireto change it. Indeed, why should they?Change will come, but in another way.It is in the spiritual domain that Isense the most important waveapproaching. Somewhere very deep inAsia a consciousness may be surfacingthat will indeed transform the situation.Since the time of Pope Paul VI's historicvisit to Manila in 1975 the AsianBishops' Conferences have had aseries of dialogues. One constanttheme in their deliberations on theAsia and the Church in Asia has beenpoverty, indeed poverty and suffering.I have already mentioned the largeeconomic developments taking place,and I do anticipate they will manifestthemselves powerfully, but I do notimagine for one moment that this willeliminate poverty and suffering inAsia. Quite the opposite, new wealthwill bring new inequalities and newforms suffering for masses of Asianpeople.The transformation I dream of willinvolve the convergence of all thegreat spiritual traditions, Taoism,Buddhism, Hinduism, etc, and thereligions of the book, Judaism,Christianity and Islam, not leavingaside the surviving traditional cosmicreligiousness of many Asian peoples.I do not speak of a kind of syncretism,but of a new awareness in which followersof distinct traditions will joyfullyacknowledge one another andhonour the riches of all.How will this comeabout?Religion will flourishwhen it discovers oncemore its own roots. Weare with the poor man ofNazareth, and when welay aside our riches andpower, however smallthey may be, and cast ourlot with the poor, we willfind our true voice. Onthat day a tsunami willarise in the depth of theocean that will move outin ever expanding circles with thepower to truly transform our lives andthe face of the Church.Such a transformation is desperatelyneeded in every corner of the globe. Itis in Asia that the lines of it arealready discernible. The human solidaritycalled forth by the IndianOcean Tsunami, is but a shadow of thepower of human solidarity wholeheartedlyembraced in the spirit ofJesus by those who live by the powerof the Cross. Passionists will alwayscome to the aid of their Passionistbrothers and sisters in need. But farmore important is that all of us let goof what lifts us above our brothers andsisters in the flesh, the blessed poor ofour own societies.