By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, Feb 22, 2024: Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferro, archbishop of Goa-Daman, has been elected the president of the Federation of Asian Catholic Bishops’ Conferences (FABC).
He will succeed Salesian Cardinal Charles Muang Bo, the head of the Catholic Church in Myanmar, in January 2025, when he completes his three-year term as the head of the Asian Church.
The election took place February 22, the last day of FABC Central Committee’s three-day meeting at Bangkok, capital of Thailand.
The meeting also elected Bishop Pablo Virgilio Siongco David of Kalookan, Philippines, as the vice president. He will succeed Cardinal Malcolm Ranjit, archbishop of Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Salesian Archbishop Tarcisio Isao Kilkuchi of Tokyo, Japan, has been reelected for a second term as the federation secretary general.
Cardinal Ferrao is currently the president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), the national body of the Latin rite prelates in the country.
He has served as the chairman at the FABC Office of Education and Faith Formation.
After completing minor seminary at Our Lady, Saligao-Pilerne, Goa, he studied philosophy and theology at the Papal Seminary, Pune, Maharashtra. He was ordained a priest on October 28, 1979.
He began his priestly duties as parochial vicar at Salvador do Mundo in 1979 and in Chinchinim from 1981 to 1984. He was prefect of Discipline at the Goa Minor Seminary from 1984 to 1986. During the time, he also served as the director of the Vocation Commission for Diocesan Clergy.
He obtained a licentiate degree in Biblical Theology in 1988 from the Pontificia Universitas Urbaniana. He earned another licentiate degree in catechetics and pastoral theology in 1991 from the International Institute Lumen Vitae in Brussels, capital of Belgium.
Returning to Goa, he was the first director of the Diocesan Centre for Lay Apostolate from 1991 to 1994. There he launched the publication of booklets of daily scriptural reflections for the faithful: Daily Flash and Jivitacho Prokas.
His other assignments included convener of the Team for Transfers of Priests from 1992 to 1997; Ecclesiastical Advisor to St. Luke’s Medical Guild, Goa, from 1992 to 1994, and Episcopal Vicar for the North Zone of the Archdiocese, from 1993 to 1994.
Pope John Paul II appointed him auxiliary bishop of Goa and Daman on January 25, 1994.
On January 16, 2004, Pope John Paul named him Archbishop of Goa and Daman.
Pope Francis made him a cardinal on May 29, 2022.
Cardinal Ferrao was first elected as the CCBI president in 2019 and subsequently reelected in 2022.
Founded in 1970, the FABC comprises episcopal conferences in South, Southeast, East and Central Asia. The federation is a Vatican-approved voluntary association of episcopal conferences in Asia.
Its purpose is to foster solidarity and co-responsibility for the welfare of Church and society in Asia. The decisions of the Federation are without juridical binding force; their acceptance is an expression of collegial responsibility, according to the FABC website.
ML Satyan, your worry is genuine. But church politics is irrevocably tricky game of a few. I wonder how the Holy Spirit still tolerates this hierarchy and its political bureaucrats like VGs, procurator, forane vicars and bishop’s advisory gang with chancellor? 99% of the canon law support the bishop’s whims and fancies. They are humans with all dirty behavioural problems but they are beyond law in India and Asia. Infact, in india they are functioning not as Bishop as a fatherly figure in Catholic church for which we kiss their fingure ring ….supposed to be but they are corporate chairmen as with society act, trust act and corporation. They receive civil rights of high profile and religious with God man as unlimited range. See most of the dioceses. The bishop’s gang members will have multiple posts as impossible to be present as a human person. But they don’t share power because it is game, not ecclesiastical life.
The only one solution is transferring bishops for their good work to have promotion or de-promotion if they are inactive, every 15 years from their diocese to another.
In the political sector there is a policy and practice of “one person-one office”. Why is this not followed by the Catholic Church?
In the recently concluded CBCI meeting the same office-bearers were re-elected. Why? Are there no other capable persons who can handle these offices? Is there an utter scarcity of capable persons in the Catholic Church? OR does it point out to “caste-based and region-based politics” within the Catholic Church?
As usual, the simple and ignorant laity is in a “deep sleep-mode”. They are kept busy with the routine, meaningless rituals and religious activities. Sad indeed!