Asian bishops discuss family life, consecrate families to the Holy Family
December 06, 2016
The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences gathered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, for a seven-day meeting devoted to “The Asian Catholic Family: Domestic Church of the Poor on a Mission of Mercy.”
The Pope’s envoy to the meeting—Cardinal Telesphore Toppo of Ranchi, India—said that “our Catholic families across Asia once [were] bound within traditional ties, cultural values, social norms, and enhanced by Catholic Faith,” but “today are faced with numerous problems of unfaithfulness, brokenness, loneliness, lukewarmness, poverty, unemployment.”
“The pastoral care of families presupposes the need of men and women with a missionary heart that can kindle other hearts with the fire of love,” he added. “Families fanned to flame, in turn, will be the torchbearers to the Gospel of love, compassion and peace in the Church and in their neighborhood.”
Over the course of the meeting, bishops discussed challenges facing the family in their nations. On the December 4, as the meeting concluded, they consecrated the Catholic families of Asia to the Holy Family.
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