Japans bishops offer alternate plan for synod
By THOMAS C. FOX, NCR Staff
This is the first of a series of NCR articles on the
Synod for Asia, set for April 19 to May 14 in Rome. Pope John Paul II announced
his intention to convene the synod in his 1994 encyclical Tertio Millenio
Adveniente. The Vatican sent an initial outline of synod topics, called the
lineamenta, to the bishops of the 40 Asian conferences in September 1996. This
article deals with one response to the lineamenta, that of the Japanese
bishops, who raised questions about the process itself. Future NCR
articles will report the responses of other Asian bishops conferences
and the Vaticans answer to them, its instrumentum laboris, the
synods working document. Synods grow out of the Second Vatican
Council and have been envisioned as a consultative process by which the bishops
work with the pope in setting the churchs agenda.
The bishops of Japan have returned to the Vatican a stinging
rejection of its proposed agenda for next months Synod for Asia, saying
the gathering cannot succeed if non-Asian, Vatican directives determine the
content and process of the month-long proceedings.
Instead of answering questions asked by the Vaticans
lineamenta, or preparatory document, sent to Asian bishops in late 1996,
the Japanese bishops conference came up with a list of its own issues and
questions, proposing a synod more in tune with Asian realities.
The stark tone of the Japanese document reveals serious tensions
between the Japanese bishops and Rome. It underscores serious differences with
regard to issues of culture, theology and ecclesial mission.
The Asian synod, set to run from April 19 to May 14, will draw
bishops from close to 40 Asian nations, areas of the world where Catholics
remain a minority -- in some cases a growing minority. While many of the
responses from the national conferences in Asia question the lineamenta,
the Japanese response marks a radical repudiation of the Roman approach to
running synods.
Since the questions of the lineamenta were composed
in the context of Western Christianity, they are not suitable, the
Japanese bishops wrote. From the way the questions are proposed, one
feels that the holding of the synod is like an occasion for the central office
to evaluate the performance of the branch offices.
The bishops warned that a synod following such a path is certain
to fail.
To succeed, the issues addressed and the process by which they are
addressed must stem from the minds of Asians, not Vatican officials, the
Japanese bishops wrote.
The decision concerning the global direction of the synod
should not be made by the Roman secretariat, but should be left to the bishops
from Asia.
The Japanese bishops said the synod is further complicated by
language barriers. Just translating the lineamenta took three months,
they noted. They suggested to the Vatican in a 4,000-word document (Official
Response of the Japanese Church to the Lineamenta) that:
- all synod proceedings include Asian languages in addition to
the Italian, English, French, German and Spanish normally used in synods;
- extra time be given to translating the synods working
document, the instrumentum laboris, into Asian languages;
- provisions be made for simultaneous translation of synod
speakers from English and French into Asian languages;
- activities be included to work toward ... a new paradigm
to include the varying realities and cultures of Asia and its spiritual
traditions;
- the synods agenda not be determined until after it has
been convened and Asian bishops decide on it;
- committee chairpersons be chosen by the Asian bishops and not
by Vatican bureaucrats; and
- participating bishops be permitted to consult with experts
chosen by the local bishops.
The Japanese bishops document paid special attention to the
25-year-old Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences -- FABC -- saying its
deliberations were not adequately represented in the Vatican
lineamenta.
The Japanese bishops proposed that the practice of having a
succession of bishops give reports be replaced with greater reliance on the
conclusions of representatives of the two blocks of FABC and the Middle East
Asian bishops. This, they said, would focus the scope of the synod and assure a
better chance of developing a concrete plan.
The Japanese bishops further suggested that language groups be
dissolved and replaced with clusters of bishops who meet around themes or
religious cultures.
The Japanese bishops asked for the involvement of women, pointing
out that women are frequently objects of discrimination in Asia. They called
for inviting experts in dialogue from other religious
traditions.
Admitting that Catholicism in Asia faces formidable challenges,
the Japanese bishops said the synod must not be aimed at discovering how
the Asian church can be propped up by the Western church, but rather be a
meeting where the bishops of Asia have an honest exchange and learn how
they can support and encourage one another.
The Japanese bishops said they found a defensiveness
in the lineamenta, especially in its Christology.
If we stress too much that Jesus Christ is the one and
only savior, we can have no dialogue, common living or solidarity with
other religions, they wrote. The church, learning from the
kenosis of Jesus Christ, should be humble and open its heart
to other religions to deepen its understanding of the mystery of
Christ.
They deplored the image of the church in the lineamenta,
saying it is not as rich or deep as that of Vatican II, especially the
images of the church as people of God and the church as
servant which, they said, are not stressed.
These two images have special meaning for the church in
Asia, which in order to serve Gods kingdom lives in a minority position
with and for others.
The Japanese bishops said that the proclamation of
Christ, stressed over and over in the lineamenta, must give way to
dialogue with other religions.
In place of a spirit of triumphalism, they emphasized the need for
compassion with the suffering if evangelization is to be
successful.
The Japanese bishops reminded Rome that this association with the
poor has been the central evangelization theme to emerge from
repeated meetings of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences.
The Western mind thinks in terms of distinctions, and these are
found in the lineamenta, the Japanese bishops pointed out. In the
lineamenta a great deal is made, as in traditional scholastic theology,
of distinctions and differences. However, in the
tradition of the Far East, it is characteristic to search for creative harmony
rather than distinctions, the bishops wrote.
They went on to criticize the lineamentas evaluation
for success in missionary efforts, rejecting number-counting and stressing
instead fidelity to mission.
The Japanese bishops then proposed topics they would like to see
discussed at the synod:
- development of Asian theology based not on a Christ whom
we only grasp in our minds, but who speaks to us in our hearts through his
living presence and activity.
- a study of evangelization that includes a look at the
limits felt to the Western-type of missionary activity used up to
now;
- development of Asian celebrations and liturgies;
- new commitments to living in solidarity with the poor;
- efforts to form public sentiment toward respect for human life,
human rights, social justice, peace, freedom and solidarity; and
- inculturation of the gospel in dialogue with other
religions.
The Japanese bishops concluded their document with a plea to Rome
to reconsider its relationships with local churches, a relationship not
based on centralization but on collegiality.
National Catholic Reporter, March 27,
1998
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