Mumbai (AsiaNews) - "The Church in Asia and India rejoices at the good news of the canonisation of Joseph Vaz. It is with a deep sense of gratitude that one of ours intercedes now for our community," said Mgr Felix Machado, president of the Office of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC), as he commented the decision taken yesterday by Pope Francis to make the Blessed Joseph Vaz a saint.
"Our joy," said Mgr Machado, "stems from the fact that Fr Joseph Vaz, who was born in India, went on a mission to another Asian country promoting inculturation well before the Second Vatican Council talked about it."
For this reason, the archbishop noted, "at this historical moment, in which we see a lot of hostility towards Christians in many places, the use of inculturation by Joseph Vaz to get closer to others can serve as a model and example for evangelisation in Asia."
According to Mgr Machado, the canonisation of the Apostle of Sri Lanka "is a great gift also for the Synod on the family. In Asia, the family is the centre of culture and traditions. Fr Vaz focused his evangelisation on Asian culture, i.e. the family".
