Asia regional coordinators from the Youth Offices/Commissions meet virtually on January 14.
Feb 11 2022
KUCHING – For the first time, this year’s Asian Youth Day (AYD) will be held virtually on Christ the King Sunday.
This was decided during the online meeting organised by the Office of Laity and Family (OLF) of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) with coordinators from various Youth Offices/ Commissions within the Asian region on January 14.
Malaysia was represented by Archbishop Simon Poh (Bishop in charge of the Episcopal Commission for Youth & Campus Ministry), Fr Ramon Borja SDB, head of the National Coordinating Office and Julian Sim, Youth minister from the National Coordinating Office.
The meeting followed up on the proposals made during a FABC meeting held in Oct 2021 for each country and was held to finalise the regional plans for young people in 2022.
Archbishop Gilbert A. Garcera, chairman of the OLF, initiated the meeting with a moment of sharing about the highs and lows of youth ministry in their respective countries over the past two years. Participation included representatives from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Timur Leste.
A majority felt it appropriate and timely to organise the first ever virtual Asian Youth Day on Christ the King Sunday, in November, as His Holiness Pope Francis invites all around the world to hold diocesan celebrations of World Youth Day that weekend.
Archbishop Simon Poh said, “During this pandemic, where many young people in Asia are suffering from poverty and are disadvantaged due to limited digital access, it is even more important that our youth ministry in Asia places the concerns of these young people, who are in the rural areas and at the margins of society, as our pastoral priority.”
He added, “While seeking to minister and reach out to the young people using new technology, the youth ministries must be the first to reach out in social commitment to serve the needs of the people, especially those young people who have become unemployed, those who have to return to the villages and to help out where there have been disasters caused by floods, typhoons or other natural disasters. Let our programmes and formation not be limited to the youth who are in the parishes. May we learn from the Lord Jesus who would always include everyone, especially those at the peripheries of society.
“The youth in Asia look forward in hope towards organising an online/virtual Asian Youth Day during World Youth Day on Christ the King’s feast in November 2022, as part of the faith journey leading towards the World Youth Day in Portugal with Pope Francis in 2023.” – Herald Malaysia
