PRESS NOTE – 28TH OCTOBER 2022
28th October, Friday, of the FABC General Conference began with the Holy Eucharist, celebrated by H.E. Giorgio Cardinal Marengo IMC, Apostolic Prefect of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The participants joined in the Song of Asia, and H.E. Oswald Cardinal Gracias led them in the Adsumus. The morning prayer, hosted by the country of Nepal, was led by the video prepared by Fr Stephen SDB and team.
Reverend Monsignor Michael James Nazir-Ali, priest of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in England and Wales, speaking on Christ and religion, and the Church in the world today, stressed ‘it is Christ who makes, renews and reforms the Church’. Talking about the process of Apostolic transmission, its traditions and how it engages with change, he emphasized how the Synod should work, and that ‘the first requirement of the Synod must be praying together’.
H.E. Joseph Cardinal Coutts presented the revised draft of the Final Message, which was followed by an in-depth plenary discussion.
Bishop Pablo Virgilio Siongco David presented the revised draft of the Schema of the Final Document, paying attention to the revisions suggested by the representatives. The participants then divided into groups, with each group examining a different section of the document in depth.
H.E Charles Cardinal Bo welcomed Papal Envoy H.E. Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle to the FABC General Conference. Greeting all, H.E. Cardinal Tagle conveyed to the gathered representatives the Holy Father’s reassurance of “my closeness to everyone”. Mentioning the Holy Father’s prayer to Mother Mary, that ‘the joys, sorrows and pain of the people of Asia may enter her heart’, H.E. Cardinal Tagle reminded his audience to persevere, and that, ‘very often, there are still surprises of God towards the end’.
The group reviews continued, with each group presenting their comments at the end. The day concluded with H.E. Cardinal Gracias leading the representatives in the angelus.