SINGAPORE
President Couple:
Francis and Julia Mane
March 2008 Newsletter
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II. Continental Meetings
The CFM/CFSM of Asia holds a Continental Convention every three years. Since the 1998 World Assembly of Families in Thailand, there were two continental meetings:
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The Asian CFM/CFSM Continental Convention was held in November 2000, in the Philippines, on the theme, "The Christian Families' Participation in Jesus' Mission of Love and Service in Asia." This meeting was attended by ICCFM President Jose and Margarita Pich, who came all the way from Spain. A very important resolution at this meeting was for CFM Asia to work "for the creation of the Office of Family Life for Ásia under the auspices of the Federation of the Asian Bishops Conference of Asia (FABC) for coordinating and integrating Christian marriage and family-oriented movements."
- An Asian Coordinating Committee Meeting was convened in June 2001, also in the Philippines. At that meeting it was learned that there already is a desk in the FABC for the Office of Family for Asia, and Joe and Charito Hilario were selected to take the steps establishing and administering this desk.
III. Services
The CFM/CFSM services in Asia cover the same range as in all the other continents. Common problems are also the same, the most prominent ones being the lack of chaplains and the aging membership. Perhaps unique to Asia are the following family problems that differentiate some CFM/CFSM services from those of other continents:
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mixed marriages in Buddhist countries which often lead to the Catholic partner's losing the Catholic faith because Buddhism makes almost no demand on religious practices and "the line of least resistence" is easiest to follow
- overseas employment which separates families and leads to many other problems such as loneliness, adultery, lack of parenting, etc.
- the tourism industry which promotes child prostitution and other social problems
IV. Conclusion
The distinct mission of the Asian CFM/CFSM among countries with a negligible Catholic minority, as in Japan and Thailand, is to evangelize non-Christians through example, by leading good Christian lives. Conversion is not the goal as this would be difficult, though sometimes possible, to achieve. In Japan, for example, Church weddings are becoming very popular among non-Christians. Japanese bishops allow weddings in Catholic churches on condition that the couple participate in all the pre-Cana courses. In Thailand the Family Life Promotion Seminar, which had previously been open only to Catholic couples or couples in mixed marriages, are now open to Buddhist couples. In some weekend seminars, up to 50% of the participants are Buddhists. The CFM/CFSM mission in the Philippines and in other Asian countries with a larger Catholic minority corresponds with the traditional CFM mission throughout the world. The Asian CFM/CFSM identity is difficult to convey, but after every Continental Convention and after every World Assembly, when there is direct and extensive interaction with other CFM members throughout the world, a deeper and more accurate understanding of the Asian CFM/CFSM identity and mission always evolves.
