Author Archives: Ken Wong

YOGYAKARTA – Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, governor of Yogyakarta, played the othok-othok – a Javanese traditional musical instrument – to officially open the 7th Asian Youth Day on 2 Aug 2017.

This image was embedded with all the meaning of the Asian Youth Day, an event organised by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences which, for a week [30 July-6 Aug 2017] brought together young Catholics from twenty-two Asian nations on the streets of Yogyakarta, a town on the Indonesian island of Java.

The Sultan, the civil and religious leader of the Yogyakarta Province, offered his support to the Catholic gathering by granting the use of a large conference centre hosting the various events of the week free of charge: meetings, seminars, catechesis, theatre and music performances, prayer and reflection experiences, all of them centred on the subject of multiculturalism and harmony between different cultures and religions.

The focus of what is known as the “Asian WYD” – World Youth Day is the source of inspiration – is “Living the Gospel together in a multicultural Asia,” and no better country than Indonesia to host an event where the Catholic Church promotes the paradigm for coexistence among the faithful of different religions starting from the younger generations while this most populous Islamic country in the world is shaken by the turmoil of radical Islam which challenges tolerance and social harmony.

The Archbishop of Jakarta and President of the Indonesian bishops, Ignazio Suharyo, clearly spelt this out to Vatican Insider.

“Indonesia is a pluralist and multicultural country by nature, with over three thousand ethnic groups and eleven thousand local languages. Through its young people, the country can teach pluralistic and peaceful coexistence among men and religions to other Asian countries. Our young people provide an example of unity, embodying the “unity in diversity” which is the nation’s motto. But it is an approach that can and should be exported to all Asian contexts and beyond,” he said.

Yogyakarta, in particular, is considered a “micro-Indonesia” for its innate religious and cultural pluralism; it hosts over sixty state and private universities, colleges and academies; it welcomes young people from all over the nation who populate streets, bars, libraries, squares, temples and markets, which make “Yogya” (as it is widely known) a multicoloured oasis.

The city is in itself a special one; Yogyakarta is, in fact, the only Indonesian province still governed by a pre-colonial sultan who has led a sort of mini-theocracy since his father, a half-century ago, contributed to the struggle for independence from the Dutch and then agreed to be part of the Indonesian Republic.

Today, the sultan is the illuminated leader of a cheerful, pluralistic, open, fertile city of ideas and transcultural initiatives where citizens of all religions appreciate his work and never question the institutional exception of a hereditary ruler. The city, strong in a collective consciousness and open to the most diverse contributions, hosted the Asian Youth Day, which brought over two thousand young people from 22 countries, 52 bishops (including six cardinals) and 158 priests to Yogya.

In this particular context, the Asian WYD is characterised by a deep interreligious meaning: in the most populous Muslim country in the world, young Muslims take part in the scheduled events and are even involved in the organising committee. The Indonesian Government also provided financial and political support through the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

President Joko Widodo also counts on Christians (about 10% of the 250 million inhabitants, including 7.5 million Catholics compared to 85% Muslim inhabitants) to counter, in the name of the concept of civic duty, the return of Islamic extremism that is creating widespread concern.

The basis of civic coexistence, strongly reiterated by Widodo, is the “Pancasila,” a charter with five principles governing the social life of such a multifaceted nation which strengthen the national identity to help prevent balkanisation of the country.

The Pancasila, by outlining a democratic state where religion has a weight but is not the basis of a theocracy, provides shelter from the sirens of the Islamic State.

The caliphate set in motion a massive propaganda operation in southeast Asia, finding fertile ground in some Indonesian radical groups such as the Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, which, thanks to a recent measure approved by the executive, could be banned without going through the courts. – vaticaninsider

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

The 7th Asian Youth Day (AYD7) kicked off with a colourful concelebrated Mass on 2 Aug 2017 ‎in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in a colourful and festive show of unity around Christ and his Gospel ‎amidst the continent’s diverse cultures and peoples.

After four days of the preliminary ‘Days in the Dioceses’ (DID) live-in programme in 11 Indonesian ‎dioceses, July 30- August 2, the over 2000 young Catholics from 21 countries converged in Yogyakarta, the cultural ‎and intellectual heartland of Indonesia.  The 7th Asian Youth Day on the theme “Joyful Asian Youth! ‎Living the Gospel in Multicultural Asia,” will conclude on Aug 6. ‎

Youth participants had begun pouring in at Yogyakarta’s government facility, Jogja Expo Centre (JEC), ‎since early morning, August 2.  After lunch, the various national contingents began celebrating with ‎songs and performances and shared their DID experiences of living with local families in dioceses, in ‎preparation for the Eucharistic celebration.

The inaugural AYD7 Mass, that was streamed live by organisers, was presided over by Bangladeshi ‎Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario of Dhaka, chairman of the Office of Laity and Family of the Federation of ‎Asian Bishops’ Conferences, under which comes the Youth Desk that organises the AYD in ‎collaboration with the country’s bishops’ conference body and its youth commission.  Joining Card ‎D’Rozario at the altar were 52 bishops, including 6 cardinals and 158 priests.  Among the concelebrants ‎were AYD host Archbishop Robertus Rubiyatmoko of Semarang, Indonesian bishops’ president, ‎Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo of Jakarta and President of Indonesian bishops’ Youth Commission, ‎Bishop Pius Riana Prapdi of Ketapang. ‎

Card D’Rozario began his homily singing a few lines from the hymn, “Rejoice in the Lord always….” ‎setting the mood of his reflection on the theme of the AYD7– “Joyful Asian Youth! Living the Gospel ‎in Multicultural Asia.”  The young people, many in traditional dress and country t-shirts and holding their ‎country flags, joined in with rhythmic clapping accompanied by the piano.  The cardinal explained that ‎the reason for their joy was that Jesus loves them, despite their unworthiness and sinfulness.   He said ‎when they feel sad or without joy, it is then that Jesus loves them most.  Jesus loves them by calling ‎them, choosing them and sending them out to mission, to proclaim His love,  mercy, compassion and ‎healing to others.

Card D’Rozario compared the AYD gathering to the Pentecost where people of diverse cultures, ‎languages, ethnic groups and nations of Asia were one in the Holy Spirit who manifests Himself in a ‎variety of gifts.   The Holy Spirit was inviting them all to celebrate  their oneness of faith, life and ‎mission at the WYD.  ‎

After dinner, the AYD7 was officially launched with a variety programme in which the participating countries showcased their cultural richness. – vatican radio

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

VATICAN CITY – At 12 noon on 1 Aug 2017 the Holy See press office announced that Msgr Michael Yeung Ming-cheung  is now the ordinary bishop of Hong Kong, following the retirement of Cardinal John Tong from leadership of the diocese.

Bishop Yeung, 72, was appointed coadjutor bishop on 13 November 2016. Card Tong, 79, had resigned four years ago, but Pope Francis extended his responsibility until 2017.

Bishop Yeung was born in Shanghai on 1 December 1945 into a Catholic family and arrived in Hong Kong when he was four years old. He worked in an import-export firm before entering the Hong Kong Seminary at age 26. He was ordained a priest on 10 June 1978. He completed studies in communications (Syracuse, USA) and in philosophy and education (Harvard, USA). Since August 2003 he has been Head of Caritas in the Territory and General Vicar since 2009. He was ordained auxiliary bishop in August 2014.

The news was also announced in Hong Kong at 6 o’clock in the afternoon.

Several observers wonder whether Msgr Yeung will follow  Cardinal Tong’s line of dialogue and kindness towards China, or whether he will take up the more irreverent positions of Cardinal Joseph Zen, a great advocate of religious freedom and very much a friend of the democratic movement of the area.

After his appointment as coadjutor bishop during the closing Mass of the Holy Year of Mercy, Msgr Yeung knelt before Card Tong and then in front of Card Zen. He considers them both “as two great trees under which he can enjoy some shade.”

While not supporting the extremist and independent positions of some youth fringes, he has often expressed his support for Hong Kong’s demands for democracy, warning China of being too heavy handed and hasty regarding the Territory’s affairs, to safeguard the principle of “One nation, two systems.”

In a press conference, after his appointment as coadjutor, he also explained his position on the China-Holy See dialogue: he is happy with the Vatican’s optimism in seeking dialogue with China. “China is a huge country with many issues,” he said, “results cannot be reached quickly, including human rights, which is a matter of concern. Relationships must be developed step by step, bearing in mind human rights, which are a topic of concern. ”

In a brief interview with the South China Morning Post Aug 1, Card Tong first said that he was “grateful” for everything he had experienced. He added, he has “full confidence” in Msgr Yeung. “He is better than me in every way … I am sure he will do better and better.”

Bishop Yeung is also a fierce defender of the family based on the relationship between man and woman. For this reason, he has been criticised by Hong Kong gay lobbies. – asianews.it

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican’s new dicastery for Integral Human Development has issued a statement for World Tourism Day, emphasising the need for tourism that is compatible with sustainable development.

World Tourism Day will be observed on September 27. The UN has proclaimed that this year’s theme for the observance will be sustainable tourism. The Vatican statement was released on 1 August 2017, and signed by Cardinal Peter Kodwo Turkson, the prefect of the new Vatican dicastery.

“Tourism can be an important tool for growth and the fight against poverty,” the Vatican statement says. However the statement notes that from a Christian perspective, development cannot be limited to economic growth; “to be authentic, it must be well rounded.”

The statement goes on to say that tourism “must be responsible, and not destructive to the environment nor to the socio-cultural context of the locality. Moreover, it must be particularly respectful of the population and their heritage.” – CWN

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

KUALA LUMPUR – Ten leaders from different religions in Malaysia have signed an Inter-Faith Joint Declaration against Human Trafficking, in an event hosted by the Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese on 30 July 2017.

The faith leaders jointly declared that, “every girl, boy, woman and man is a free person, and all exist for the good of all in equality and fraternity. That people are trafficked and exploited physically, economically, sexually and psychologically for the profit, benefit and pleasure of others goes against the fundamental conviction that all people are equal and have the same freedom and dignity.”

Signatories included Venerable Sing Kan of the Malaysian Buddhist Association, Rev Dr Eu Hong Seng of the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, CM Kopalan of the Malaysia Hindu Sangam and Archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim of Kuala Lumpur.

The faith leaders were also the first to light up the virtual Tree of Hope, treesofhope.info, a website created to encourage people to take concrete action against human trafficking.

Also present to witness the signing of the declaration were Cardinal Soter Fernandez, Retired Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam and Datin Paduka Mother A Mangalam.

The joint declaration, held on the United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons, was an initiative spearheaded by Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese in collaboration with the Conference of Religious Major Superiors Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei.

“This joint declaration is just our first step,” said Archbishop Leow.

“People of faith must play their part in the fight against human trafficking, and I ask everyone to consider what each of us can do. It may be something as simple as talking about the issue with our friends, or learning how to spot a possible victim,” he said.

“On a broader level, the various religious groups can share resources on anti-human trafficking activities,” he added. – ucanews.com

Article reproduced from Catholic Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu

SOLEMNITY OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED

VIRGIN MARY falls on Tuesday, 15 August 2017. This is a

Holy Day of Obligation. The Parish Office, Library and

History Gallery will be closed on that day.

Holy Mass will be celebrated as follows:-

Monday, 14 August (Sunset Mass)

Cathedral:                                      7:30 pm in English

Note: The 5:30 pm daily mass at the Day Chapel will be cancelled.

St. Mark’s Church, Batu Kawa:     8:00 pm in Mandarin

Tuesday, 15 August

Carmelite Chapel:                         5:55 am in English

Cathedral:                                     6:00 am in Mandarin

7:30 am in English

5:30 pm in English

8:00 pm in English

St. Mark’s Church, Batu Kawa:    8:00 pm in BM

Article reproduced from St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Kuching