Card. Filoni urges Thai Catholics
to be “missionary disciples”
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| Cardinal Fernando Filoni (ANSA) |
Cardinal Fernando Filoni, the Prefect of the Vatican
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, marked 350 years of the Church
in Thailand with a Mass in Sampran on May 18.
A top Vatican official has urged the Catholic Church
of Thailand to embrace the Lord’s invitation of remaining in His love
so they can bear much fruit.
Cardinal Fernando Filoni, the Prefect of the
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, made the remark on Saturday as
he led a concelebrated Mass in Sampran, 30km west of the Thai capital
Bangkok, to mark 350 years of the Catholic Church in the
country.
“This event is a moment of grace. This celebration bears
witness to the positive results of the three hundred and fifty years of work of
evangelization in this Nation. This solemn and joyful celebration is,
therefore, a moment of commitment to be ‘missionary disciples’”, he said in his
homily.
The establishment of the Apostolic Vicariate of Siam in
1669, formally marked the beginning of the local Church in the country.
Through the past 350 years it has grown into 11 dioceses today with about
300,000 Catholics.
Pope’s message
During the Mass, Card. Filoni also read out a message from
Pope Francis to Thailand’s Catholics expressing his closeness with them as they
thank “God for the many graces received over these 350 years”.
“I pray that you may grow in holiness and continue to work
in the spread of Christ’s kingdom by fostering solidarity, fraternity and the
desire for goodness, truth and justice in your beloved country,” the pope
wrote.
Remain in me
In his homily, Card. Filoni commented on the day’s readings,
saying the risen Lord invites them to remain in Him so as to bear much
fruit. He explained that the celebration of the 350thanniversary
of the Gospel in Thailand “is a call for all of us to remain in Jesus just as
the Apostles did”.
He acknowledged the pioneering work by members of the
Foreign Mission Society of Paris (MEP). They were followed by other
missionaries and religious men and women of various congregations whose
apostolic zeal and dedication helped the Church take roots in the nation.
The cardinal noted that there is a great need for the work
of evangelization in Thailand. “To carry out the task of the proclamation
of the Gospel one must be close to Jesus”, must grow in familiarity with Jesus
and be a friend and disciple of Christ.
Every baptized person, he pointed out, has a responsibility
in this regard, just as martyred priest Father Nicholas Bunkerd Nitbamrung,
beatified in the year 2000.
The Thai priest, who died of tuberculosis in 1944 in prison
accused of espionage, had dedicated his entire life to Christ and the
proclamation of the Gospel.
Evangelization in Asia
The head of the Vatican’s missionary dicastery noted that
the most striking feature of Asia was the variety of its people who are
inheritors to ancient cultures, religions and spiritual traditions.
However, he pointed out that Christianity is the least widespread religion on
the continent.
He invited Catholics to live the 350th anniversary
event in thanksgiving to God and in the renewed commitment to evangelization
begun by the pioneers. He noted that “work of bringing the Gospel and
salvation to all peoples started by Jesus and entrusted to the Church, is still
very far from completion.”
“An overall view shows that this mission is still in the
beginning and therefore all of us should commit whole-heartedly to the mission
of evangelizing," Card. Filoni said.
The cardinal visited Thailand, May 16-28, on the occasion of
the 350th anniversary of the Thai Church. On the last day, Tuesday, he
visited Ayutthaya, the then capital of the Kingdom of Siam, considered
the birthplace of the Vicariate of Siam.
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