September is the National Bible Month for all Catholics across the dioceses in Indonesia. This is a tradition of the Catholic community here that has been developing since 1980.
Asia
On September 23rd the meeting of the CBF South-East Asia Sub-Regional Committee was held via Zoom.
During Pope Francis' apostolic visit to Jakarta, Indonesia, from September 3 to 6, 2024, the Indonesia Bible Society (Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia [LAI], an Ecumenical Bible organization) and the Indonesian Bible Association ( Lembaga Biblika Indonesia [LBI], full member of Catholic Biblical Federation), represented by Rev. Dr. Henreitte T.H. Lebang (Chairperson of LAI) and Rev. Dr. Sigit Triyono (General Secretary of LAI), both Protestants, had the opportunity to meet with Pope Francis before he left Indonesia on September 6, 2024.
Logos Workshop conducted by Catholic Biblical Association of Hong Kong and led by Aux Bishop of HK Joseph Ha Chi Shing, attracted over 200 participants, to reflect on “Who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16:15) and the CBF Plenary theme “Proclaiming the Word of Life for a Fragile World” (ref Rom 8:22).
Aid to the Church in Need spoke to Father Emmanuel Asi, executive director of the Catholic Bible Commission of Pakistan since it was founded in 2002, about the situation of Christians in his country, and his apostolate in Pakistan.
The extended meeting of the South East Asia Sub-Regional Committee of the Catholic Biblical Federation took place online on 5 September 2022.
Online Meeting of the Board Meeting of Directors in Thailand which includes their Bible Apostolate took place via Zoon on March 2, 2022.
The Bible Animators in the Philippines came together via Zoom Platform last January 23 to celebrate the Sunday of the Word of God. His Excellency Most Rev. Renato Mayugba, Chairman of the Episcopal Commission on the Biblical Apostolate (ECBA) presided the Holy Mass together with some Biblical Apostolate Directors and Bible Animators nationwide.
A three-day CBF South-East Asia convention started today, Wednesday 5 January. The event is being held in online mode.
The Asian Catholic Church mourns the death of Father Jacob Theckanath, a 79-year-old Indian priest, who played a significant role in evangelization. Father Jacob Theckanath, former CBF South Asia Regional Coordinator (1990-2002) and former executive secretary of Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC) Office of Evangelization (OE), died on November 28.
NBCLC, Bangalore conducted a “Four Week Course on the Bible” at their campus in Bangalore, from 30th August to 25th September 2021. The objective of the course was to go deeper into the ‘word of God’ and use it for prayer, meditation and to bear witness to Christian life in society.
On the way towards the CBF Plenary Assembly we've presented the reality and future perspectives of the South Asia Subregion in the interventions of some representatives of the institutions that compose it.
Last year, Catholic Biblical Association of the Archdiocese of Taipei held biblical arts and cultural exhibition competition. Due to Covid-19 pandemic, the award ceremony was postponed, and was only held in April 15, 2021. It also marked the end of the celebration of the year of the Word of God.
Online Prayer Meeting of the CBF Southeast Asia Subregion.
New directors of the Biblical Departments of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India CCBI and the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India CCBI were appointed in December and February respectively.
The New Christian Community Bible Catholic Edition App was released online by ST PAULUS in India.
The South-East Asia Subregion of the Catholic Biblical Federation organised a teleconference on the topic: "The Church, the Word of God and the World in a Pandemic Crisis: Coping with the Crisis in the Light of Scriptures and Envisioning a New Normal in the Aftermath". The conference took place on StreamYard platform on October 28, 2020 from 2:00 - 5:00 PM Philippine time and was streamed on Youtube and Facebook and had over 600 followers.
Logos Bible Quiz for Bible study was started by the Bible Commission of Kerala Catholic Bishops Council in the great Jubilee Year 2000 and it is conducted every year in different parts of India.
The Bible Commission of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council, India consists of three churches belonging to different liturgical traditions, Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara Rites. The southern state of Kerala in India is known for its vibrant Christian community whose origin goes back to St. Thomas Apostle who came here, as the tradition says, in AD 52. Along with this great tradition of Christianity here, the religious background of India has contributed to an openness and reverence to Holy Scripture. Since the formation of the Bible Commission of Kerala, it has ventured into many creative and imaginative initiatives to make the Bible part of the life of the faithful.
Twenty-seven participants of Catholic Biblical Federation (CBF) from four nations (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India) met at the ‘Serene Pastures’ Spirituality Centre, Bolowalana, Colombo, Sri Lanka from 07 to 10 January 2020 for its biennial Convocation. During the four-day meet, they deliberated on the theme: Word of God in the Light of Aperuit Illis.
On November 23, Bishop Hsu Yao Wen of Taichung Diocese, Taiwan solemnly opened the Year of the Word of God with a Eucharistic celebration.
Twenty-five years after the release of the document "Interpretation of the Bible in the Church” (1993) Research Seminar on Biblical Interpretation in India took place in Bangalore from 27th to 29th of September 2019.
Twenty-five years after the release of the document "Interpretation of the Bible in the Church” (1993) Research Seminar on Biblical Interpretation in India will take place in Bangalore from 27th to 29th of September 2019.
The Catholic Biblical Association of the Philippines (CBAP) held its 20th Annual Convention at Claret School, Quezon City, Philippines on August 31 and September 1, 2019.
The CBF-South East Asia held a Biblical-Pastoral Congress in Tagaytay City, Philippines on June 12-16, 2019. This Congress was inspired by the recently held CBF Congress in Rome in April, echoing the same theme. The participants were from Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand and the members of the Biblical Apostolate in the Philippines. There were around 110 participants. The event was hosted by CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Biblical Apostolate.
The Executive Committee of the Biblical Federation at it’s last meeting hold in Rome the days 23 and 26 of April 2019, has appointed as the Subregional Coordinator of the CBF South Asia Subregion Fr. Dr. Antony John Baptist from India, elected during the extraordinary Subregional Meeting of the CBF South Asia Subregion hold in Rome during the CBF International Biblical Congress.
Following a meaningful celebration of the 50th birth anniversary of the first Chinese Catholic Bible (Studium Biblicum version, 1968-2018), over 200 participants gathered at the Eleventh World Chinese Biblical Congress held in late November in Hong Kong commit to continue promotion of reading and living God’s Word to bring forth fruit in all ministries of the Church.
Forty participants join a symposium on Oct. 18, marking the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Studium Biblicum Version — the de facto Chinese Catholic Bible — organized by the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) and the Bishops’ Conference of the Catholic Church in China (BCCCC) at Beijing Friendship Hotel in the capital.
The annual meeting of the Catholic Biblical Association of Sri Lanka took place in Kandy from September 11 to 13, 2018.
The meeting of the zonal representatives of CBF-SEA took place in Bali, Indonesia, July 3-6, 2018. Participants included Fr. Johannes Subagyo, SDB, the zonal representative for Indonesia and Malaysia, Fr. Joseph Mary Tran, SDB, the zonal representative for Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar, Fr. Arlo Yap, SVD, the zonal representative for the Philippines, along with Dr. Natividad Pagadut, the sub-regional coordinator. Sr. Marianne Gorit, OSB, recording secretary of last year’s meeting in Nha Trang, Vietnam, joined the group and was eventually chosen to be the secretary of the sub-region and to assume responsibility for the website of the CBF-SEA sub-region.
The Executive Committee of the Biblical Federation at it’s last meeting hold in Warsaw the days 10-12 of November 2017, has appointed as the Subregional Coordinator of the CBF South-East Asia Subregion Ms. Dr. Natividad B. Pagadut from Philippines, elected during the last Subregional Meeting of the CBF South-East Asia Subregion hold in Nha Trang, Vietnam the days 17-23 of July 2017. ).
The Secretary General of FEBIC, Rev. Jan J. Stefanów, SVD, represented the Catholic Biblical Federation at the Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Episcopal Conferences of Asia ( FABC) to which he was invited as an observer.
The All India Biblical Consultation cum Seminar was organized by the Commission for Bible of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) at St Joseph Vaz Spiritual Renewal Centre, Old Goa with the theme, “Word of God, Source of life in the Family.”
The Executive Committee of the Biblical Federation has reappointed Sister Emmanuel Gunanto.
An International Bible Symposium under the theme"The Word of God, Source of Life in the Family"organized by the South Asia Subregion of the Catholic Biblical Federation took place in Bengaluru (India) 1-3 April 2016.
The New Living Translation Catholic Edition was released on March 6, 2016 by His Excellency, Most Rev. Salvatore Pennacchio, Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal during the one day Plenary Assembly held at the Paul VI auditorium, Bengaluru. The members of the CCBI Commission for Bible, Tyndale House Publishers, USA, ATC Publishers, Bengaluru and the twelve scholars were also present for this historical event in the history of the CCBI
The Catholic Church in Kerala(India) is planning to observe December as the ‘Bible Reading Month’ - coinciding with the Christmas fast. It is an initiative of the Bible Commission of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC).
From Monday 1st until Thursday 4th of December in the Jesuits’ Vinayalaya Retreat House took place the ‘Joy of the Gospel’ Convocation.
Seminar on Biblical Apostolate and New Evangelization of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conference (FABC) Office of Evangelization - December 5-7, 2013 at the Redemptorist Center, Pattaya City, Chonburi, Thailand
