Loyola Papers Vol. 3 No. 2 (2022)

Last November 2020, the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC) celebrated the golden anniversary of its quiet beginnings when some 180 bishops from all over Asia gathered in Manila on the occasion of Paul VI’s visit to various Asian countries in 1970. Since then, like the proverbial seed in the Gospel, it has been growing quietly as well, “first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear” (cf. Mk 4: 26-29), to gather the bishops’ conferences in this vast and diverse continent under its shade. Like Paul we can only say: “God has been making it grow” (1 Cor 3: 6).

Due to the pandemic, however, the celebrations had to be deferred until global situations have already improved. Hence, it was only in August 20 of this year that the festivities were opened with the theme “FABC 50: Journeying together as peoples of Asia,” taking its inspiration from the passage on the visit of the wise men – from the East: “...and they went a different way” (Mt 2:12). The highlight of the commemoration will be the much-anticipated FABC 50 General Conference to be held on October 12-30, 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand.