Philippines Archbishop Orlando Quevedo has proposed that the Vatican convene a meeting of bishops from developed and developing countries to work on concrete faith-based responses to issues of reconciliation, justice and peace. Archbishop Quevedo, secretary general of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), made the proposal when he spoke for a second time at the Synod for Africa at the Vatican, UCA News reports.
“As in Asia, so in Africa many issues of reconciliation, justice and peace have global dimensions,” he said and proposed that a Vatican agency “convoke a gathering of bishops from North and South in 2010.”
The prelate suggested that bishops participating in this proposed meeting could be assisted by experts and Church-aid agencies to “plan and put flesh into a project of communion and solidarity among bishops.” The fruit of such joint action would be “charity in truth,” he said.
The problems facing the developing countries of the South include the arms trade, trafficking of women and children, the destruction of the environment, corruption, dictatorial regimes, population control, migration, poverty, economic globalization, global warming and climate change, he said.
His list echoed many of the issues raised by the 200 bishops from Africa’s 53 countries attending the synod.
These issues have “a global dimension” because “decisions impacting the peoples of the South are made by powers in the North,” Archbishop Quevedo told the synod. “Problems with global characteristics require a response with a global dimension.”
Archbishop Quevedo, along with Indian Cardinal Ivan Dias, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, is one of the two Asians at the synod.
The Filipino prelate reminded participants that bishops in Asia and Africa alike “believe that Jesus our Lord and Savior is the ultimate Reconciler, our Justice and our Peace.”
A number of participants told UCA News they liked Archbishop Quevedo’s proposal and hoped it would be included in the final propositions.
They will find out whether it is or not on Oct. 24, when the more than 50 propositions approved by the synod are expected to be made public.
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