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The
Gift of Faith
10. As
the Synod discussion of the complex realities of Asia unfolded, it became
increasingly obvious to all that the Church's unique contribution to the
peoples of the continent is the proclamation of Jesus Christ, true God and true
man, the one and only Saviour for all peoples. 35 What distinguishes
the Church from other religious communities is her faith in Jesus Christ; and
she cannot keep this precious light of faith under a bushel (cf. Mt 5:15),
for her mission is to share that light with everyone. "[The Church] wants
to offer the new life she has found in Jesus Christ to all the peoples of Asia
as they search for the fullness of life, so that they can have the same
fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ in the power of the
Spirit".36 This faith in Jesus Christ is what inspires the
Church's evangelizing work in Asia, often carried out in difficult and even
dangerous circumstances. The Synod Fathers noted that proclaiming Jesus as the
only Saviour can present particular difficulties in their cultures, given that
many Asian religions teach divine self-manifestations as mediating salvation.
Far from discouraging the Synod Fathers, the challenges facing their
evangelizing efforts were an even greater incentive in striving to transmit
"the faith that the Church in Asia has inherited from the Apostles and
holds with the Church of all generations and places".37 Indeed
they expressed the conviction that "the heart of the Church in Asia will
be restless until the whole of Asia finds its rest in the peace of Christ, the
Risen Lord".38
The
Church's faith in Jesus is a gift received and a gift to be shared; it is the
greatest gift which the Church can offer to Asia. Sharing the truth of Jesus
Christ with others is the solemn duty of all who have received the gift of
faith. In my Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Missio, I wrote that
"the Church, and every individual Christian within her, may not keep
hidden or monopolize this newness and richness which has been received from
God's bounty in order to be communicated to all mankind".39 In the
same Letter I wrote: "Those who are incorporated in the Catholic Church
ought to sense their privilege and for that very reason their greater
obligation of bearing witness to the faith and to the Christian life as
a service to their brothers and sisters and as a fitting response to God".40
Deeply
convinced of this, the Synod Fathers were equally conscious of their personal
responsibility to grasp through study, prayer and reflection the timeless truth
of Jesus in order to bring its power and vitality to bear on the present and future
challenges of evangelization in Asia.
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