Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences

The Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) is an association of episcopal conferences of Catholic Church in South, Southeast, East and Central Asia. The federation fosters solidarity and joint responsibility for the welfare of the Church and of society in the region.^[1]

Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences

Abbreviation	FABC
Formation	1970
Legal status	Civil nonprofit
Region served	Asia
Membership	Episcopal conferences of Asia
Main organ	Conference
Website	www.fabc.org

The conference includes sixteen (or nineteen) Bishops' Conferences from Bangladesh, East Timor, India (both the CBCI and the individual conferences of the Syro-Malabar, Syro-Malankara and Roman Rites), Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos–Cambodia, Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (RoC), Thailand and Vietnam and collective Bishops' Conference of Central Asia. Associate members are from Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, Nepal, Novosibirsk (Russia).^[2]

Founded in 1970, the FABC was due to mark its 50th anniversary in 2020, but the celebration was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the 50th anniversary of the FABC^[3] was celebrated at Baan Phu Wan Pastoral Center, Archdiocese of Bangkok, Thailand, on October 12, 2022.

Member Bishops' Conferences ^[4]

 

Map of Bishops' Conferences in FABC

Full members

• Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of India
  • Conference of Catholic Bishops of India
  • Syro-Malabar Bishops' Synod^[5]
  • Holy Episcopal Synod of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church^[6]
• Bishops' Conference of Indonesia
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan
• Bishops' Conference of Central Asia
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of Laos and Cambodia^[7]
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of Myanmar
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of Sri Lanka
• Chinese Regional Bishops' Conference of Taiwan
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand^[8]
• Episcopal Conference of Timor-Leste^[9]
• Catholic Bishops' Conference of Vietnam
• Episcopal Conference of China^[10]
• Episcopal Conference of Nepal^[11]
• Episcopal Conference of Mongolia^[12]

Associate members

• Diocese of Hong Kong
• Diocese of Macau
• Apostolic Prefecture of Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia)
• Apostolic Vicariate of Nepal

Former members

• Bishops' Conference of Kazakhstan (until 2022)

Presidents

• Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, Archbishop of Seoul, South Korea (1973 – 1977)
• Mariano Gaviola y Garcés, Archbishop of Lipa, Philippines (1977–1984)
• Henry Sebastian D'Souza, Archbishop of Calcutta, India (1984–1993)
• Oscar Cruz, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, Philippines (1993–2000)
• Oswald Gomis, Archbishop of Colombo, Sri Lanka (2000–2005)
• Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, Archbishop of Cotabato, Philippines (2005 – 2011)
• Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, India (2011 – 2018)^[13]
• Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar (2019^[13][14] - present)

Asian Youth Day

Asian Youth Day was started in 1999 under the auspices of the federation.^[15]
AYD 1 - 1999, Hua Hin, Thailand, “Asian Youth Journeying with Jesus Towards the Third Millenium”
AYD 2 - 2001, Taipei, Taiwan, “We are Called to Sanctity and Solidarity”
AYD 3 - 2003, Bangalore, India, “Asian Youth for Peace”
AYD 4 - 2006, Hong Kong, “Youth, Hope of Asian Families”
AYD 5 - 2009, Imus, Philippines, “YAsia Fiesta! Young Asians: Come Together, Share the Word, Live the Eucharist”
AYD 6 - 2014, Daejeon, Korea, “Asian Youth, Wake Up! The Glory of the Martyrs Shines on You”
AYD 7 - 2017, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, “Joyful Asian Youth! Living the Gospel in Multicultural Asia”

See also

• Catholic Church in Asia
• List of Catholic dioceses of Asia

References

1. "Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences'". Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences'. Retrieved 2012-03-08.
2. "members". Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences'. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
3. "FABC 50th Anniversary". Roman Catholic Mission of Bangkok (LiCAS News). Retrieved 2022-10-16.
4. Hanna, Alfred. "Union Between Christians".
5. Hanna, Alfred. "Union Between Christians".
6. Hanna, Alfred. "Union Between Christians".
7. Hanna, Alfred. "Union Between Christians".
8. Hanna, Alfred. "Union Between Christians".
9. Hanna, Alfred. "Union Between Christians".
10. Hanna, Alfred. "Union Between Christians".
11. Hanna, Alfred. "Union Between Christians".
12. Hanna, Alfred. "Union Between Christians".
13. Sainsbury, Michael (12 January 2019). "Myanmar cardinal to focus on peacebuilding as he takes over helm of FABC". Crux. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
14. Torres Jr., Jose (14 October 2022). "Cardinal Bo of Myanmar urges fellow Asian Church leaders to move from 'words to action'". LiCAS.news. LiCAS.news. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
15. "AYD Background & History".

Further reading

• Rosale, Gaudencio; Arevalo, C. G., eds. (1997). For All the Peoples of Asia, FABC Documents from 1970-1991. Vol. 1. Claretian Publications.
• Eilers, Franz-Josef, ed. (1997). For All the Peoples of Asia, FABC Documents from 1992-1996. Vol. 2. Claretian Publications.
• Eilers, Franz-Josef, ed. (2002). For All the Peoples of Asia, FABC Documents from 1997 to 2001. Vol. 3. Claretian Publications.
• Eilers, Franz-Josef, ed. (2007). For All the Peoples of Asia, FABC Documents from 2002 to 2006. Vol. 4. Claretian Publications.
• Vimal, Tirimanna, ed. (2014). For All the Peoples of Asia, FABC Documents from 2007 to 2012. Vol. 5. Claretian Publications.