Coming in October:

Fr Chalerm Kitmongkhol explained the logo selected for the AMC that depicts a map of Asia surmounted by a stylized cross and dove: “The map of Asia represents all of us; the cross symbolizes Jesus Christ; the dove the Holy Spirit. The overall meaning is that Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit, embraces the Asian continent and will be the real leader of the congress.”

The Thai Church, which is hosting the congress, has prepared itself well for this continental event, launching a “year of evangelization” from 2005 to 2006.

A typical, small Asian Church, it gathers 300,000 Catholics living among a population of around 63 million, of whom 95% are Buddhist. The history of evangelization dates back to the XVI century: the Dominicans arrived in 1567, the Franciscans in 1582 and the Jesuits in 1606. Faced with difficulties, hardship and persecution, evangelization activities stabilized with the arrival of Mgr La Motte of the ‘Missions Etrangeres de Paris’ (MEP) in Siam [the old name of the kingdom that modern Thailand used to belong to] on 22 August, 1662.

Mgr George Yod Phimphisan, Vice President of the Thai Catholic Bishops’ Conference, urged all believers to prepare for the Congress. “It will bring much benefit to evangelization and mission in Asia”, he told AsiaNews. He added a word of advice: read the Apostolic Exhortation, Ecclesia in Asia and make it as widely known as possible.