Asian bishops hold plenary

MANILA, Philippines - With only between 10 to 20 percent of the Catholics in the country hearing Sunday Masses regularly, Pope Benedict XVI gives a timely message for all Catholics in Asia to observe the Commandment of keeping the Sabbath Day holy.

This was one of the instructions given by the Pope to the estimated seven cardinals, almost 70 bishops and archbishops, clergymen and lay people from 22 countries who are attending the 9th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference with the theme “Living the Eucharist in Asia.”

In his homily, Papal Legate Francis Cardinal Arinze said that, “He (the Pope) requests the bishops in particular to teach Christ’s faithful the importance of participation at the Eucharistic Celebration especially on Sundays, and of receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation.” In return, he said the laity should support their priests and promote the vocations for the priesthood especially this time when they are observing the Year of the Priests. Arinze is the Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, who was at yesterday morning’s Mass at the Manila Cathedral that signifies the opening of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conference, said that he does not know the percentage of Roman Catholics in Asia who hear Mass on Sundays, but in the Philippines there are only about 10 percent of Filipinos who hear Mass regularly. Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal believes that about 20 percent of Filipino Catholics go to Church every Sunday.

Pabillo believes there is only a small percentage of Filipinos who hear Mass regularly because they have not yet been educated on the value of Eucharistic. “They do not know that it was God who invited them to listen to His word. Maybe they just go to Mass because they have something to ask from Him. That is not praising God.”

In related developments, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim has formally welcomed the 150 bishops from 22 Asian countries at the opening of the 9th Plenary Assembly of the FABC held at the Pius XII Center along UN Avenue, which was originally scheduled to be held last January in Bangalore, India.

This is the second time Manila is hosting the FABC with the first one held in 1995 when Pope John Paul II visited at the 25th anniversary of FABC during the World Youth Day celebration. Lim was also mayor that time.