By Darren Ally
SYDNEY — Archbishop Simon Poh, of the vibrant region of Kuching in East Malaysia, is at the forefront of the burgeoning growth of Christianity in Asia.
And after visiting Australia in June and engaging with the Archdiocese of Sydney’s Go Make Disciples mission plan, Archbishop Poh believes the time is now for Australia and the Asian region to take its place as the powerhouse of the global church.
“We can say that the first thousand years is the story of evangelisation of Europe; the second millennium is Latin American and Africa. The third millennium belongs to Asia,” he said.
After immersing himself in the vision and practicalities of Sydney’s mission plan at the “Transforming Parishes” conference in Kuala Lumpur, the archbishop said it instilled in him a renewed sense of purpose to further nurture and expand the Catholic faith in Asia.
“Daniel shared the vision of the Sydney Archdiocese’s Go Make Disciples. I was deeply captivated with this vision for it is at the very heart of our mission,” he said.
“When I read the plan, I was affirmed and inspired with the well-articulated five areas of evangelisation, leadership, community, formation and worship.”
As Australia and the Asian region at large celebrates a resurgence in participation and adult conversions in recent years, the archbishop believes St John Paul II’s blueprint for the expansion of the Roman Catholic faith in Asia, Ecclesia in Asia, is driving a real renaissance of faith. This includes some 1,700 adult baptisms in Malaysia at the Easter Vigil.
It’s a confidence only strengthened by Archbishop Poh’s recent visit to Sydney and Melbourne in June, when he saw a growing number of young Australian priests from nations like Vietnam, India, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia.
“Together with the migrant Catholics and their descendants, I see the beginning of integration into the Catholic Church in Australia,” he said.
It was an inspiring sign of hope for the Catholic Church in Australia “as a communion of communities, that is multi-racial and multi-cultural, becoming a welcoming church that empowers its clergy and people to live the Gospel amidst a secular and at times a society that is hostile to the Catholic Church.”
The Asian migrant boom of the 1970’s and 80’s was a gift to the Australian church, bringing new life to our parishes.
“The early generations of persecuted Vietnamese Catholics who escaped on boats brought their Catholic Faith to the receiving land. Today these Asians and their subsequent generations have filled up the pews in many parishes in Australia,” he said.
“When the late Cardinal Sin [of Manila] spoke to Filipinos who were leaving to work in a different country, the cardinal entrusted the thousands of Filipino migrant workers to bring the faith to the families and places where they are working.
“Without them, many churches would probably be empty, or some even closed down. These Asian Catholics came from a challenging and disadvantaged past but have worked diligently, made numerous sacrifices, kept the family together, gave their children new education opportunities and passed on the Catholic faith down to subsequent generations, until today.”
Archbishop Poh also shared his experience two years ago, at the Federation of the Asian Bishops Conferences 50th anniversary conference in Bangkok. There he discovered a new way of evangelisation in Asia, beginning with what he calls “whispering the Gospel.”
“To whisper is like a conversation among good friends or neighbours. By calling other religions ‘neighbours,’ we begin to speak as friends who can share on life and faith without being considered as pushy or imposing. This is the Asian way of dialogue and evangelisation that can now be brought to the marketplace and the workplace,” he said.
It’s a whisper that has turned into a roar across the region, as Archbishop Poh reflects on the intercontinental bonds strengthened by our common faith.
“The time is now ready for this timely vision. A word of thanks to Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP for the vision, and the mission plan that was shared with me through Daniel. I am hopeful for the church in Australia as well as affirmed in my plan to focus on discipleship for mission in my Archdiocese of Kuching.”
