Divine Word Missionaries

SVD Mission 2000

Province
Reports
for
the XV
General
Chapter

Contents

Presentation
Four Zones
AFRAM
ASPAC
AUS
ID-
IDE
IDJ
IDR
IDT
IN-
INC
INE
INS
JPN
KOR
PH-
PHC
PHN
PHS
PNG
SIN
VIE
EUROPA
PANAM
Statistics
Index

en Español

SVD Publications
Generalate
Rome
1999

ASPAC ZONE

1. Asia, the Missionary Challenge of the Second Millennium

As the second millennium dawns, we see that more than 60% of the world population is living in Asia and the Pacific. Because of this demographic reality, the center of the world is shifting towards the Asian-Pacific part of the globe. From the viewpoint of evangelization, the future of Christianity is conditioned by the fate of the peoples of Asia. Up to now, only 2.4% of the entire Asian population has come in contact with the Church.

• Asia is the fountainhead of the major religions of the world , Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam.
•  It is also a world made up of diverse cultures with histories going back thousands of years, but which, after having left behind the colonial influence of Europe, is now attempting to reaffirm indigenous values.
•  Asia is a sea of humanity, where most people are living in poverty.

2. The Society is Being Shaped by Asia

The first statutes of the Society of the Divine Word state that "the aim of our community is to spread God's Word throughout the world... in the first place we take into account the non-Christian countries, particularly in the Far East". By this description one meant China, Korea, Vietnam. From the very beginning, the SVD mission compass already pointed towards Asia. It could not have been otherwise for a congregation whose aim is to follow Christ's command to go to the ends of the earth. At present, the Society is experiencing its most notable development in Asia. The greatest numbers of vocations, and the greatest number of our missionaries, who receive their first mission assignments, come from our provinces in Asia.

3. ASPAC as a Trailblazer

The 16 provinces and regions now belonging to ASPAC are trying to find ways of working together within the structure of their Zone. By means of numerous meetings, assemblies and zonal seminars during the past few years, ASPAC has managed to formulate a common strategy of work and to focus on several shared concerns:

The General Chapter of 1994 said: "Diversity in culture and religion, ever increasing social change, trends towards religious fundamentalism and religious intolerance, and the movements of justice, peace and dialogue characterize the Asia-Pacific zone."

Within this frame of reference, the Society must carry out its missionary service.

This context provides the Society with some unique possibilities. We are called to attempt to integrate the riches of the spiritual traditions of Asia with the missionary outreach of the Church. This becomes possible thanks to the work of many Asian confreres who are being sent to the other continents to serve the Church in the various SVD provinces.