AMRSP Convention Statement 2013

Theme: “Faith and Inculturation: Celebrating the Year of Faith”

We, the members of the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines, gathered for our Biennial Convention, on July 1-5, 2013, at Rivier Retreat House, Davao City to reflect and share on the theme “Faith and Inculturation: Celebrating the Year of Faith”. In this “biggest city”, we were privileged to experience moments of awakening as we listened to the groaning of the Spirit shared through the inputs and testimonies of resource persons and indigenous peoples we interacted with. In the same depth and breath, our faith invited us to embrace Jesus’ words and deeds with a new spirit – the “new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.” (Mt 9:17)

ROOT OBSTACLES

We recognized roadblocks that hinder our appreciation of the local cultures and the lack of integration with our Christian faith. It disturbs us to recognize that even as we profess to be agents of change and guardians of our cultural heritage, we seem to be alienated from our culture. There is a split between faith and culture, gospel and life, spirituality and community. We forget that the web of life connects us all: what we destroy will destroy us in return.

INSIGHTS AND LEARNING

We realize that we need to develop our interconnectedness with our indigenous communities, the bearers of cultures that witness the care for the earth. We need as well to develop and strengthen a Christian faith and spirituality that approaches culture with reverence, listening, openness, and greater awareness of the impact of modern and postmodern culture on us and among the youth. Faced with the plurality of cultures, we reaffirm the call for vital connection with one’s identity, the need to engage the interplay of mysticism-prophecy in living the faith. We affirm the imperative of the dialogue among religions, the local cultures, the youth and the poor.

CHALLENGES

These are the reasons why on the one hand we have to be in solidarity always with the lives, dreams and aspirations of our indigenous peoples whose natural abode was taken away from them because of development aggression that benefits only the few and the powerful. On the other hand, we also need to be sensitive to the young whose culture is marked by technology that seem to enhance communications and social participation yet at the same time is driven by individualistic and consumeristic mentality and values.

POSSIBLE COURSES OF ACTION

In response to the challenges of inculturating faith today in a multi-cultural context, we intend to promote Inter-Congregational Partnerships in following areas:

Spirituality

Appreciation of Popular Religiosity and producing/providing indigenous liturgy, inculturated materials

Sharing of different spiritualities of congregations

Sharing IP Spirituality, appreciating, learning the language, symbols, songs and dances of IP’s and integrating them in our liturgies/prayers/recollections

Formation

Integrating faith and inculturation, indigenous spirituality in congregationals’ formation programs in all levels (Sojourn-Exodus modules)

Using the means of technology to enter into Youth Culture, Digital World, Post-modern culture of IP Culture.

Immersion in IP’s context in all levels of formation including that of superiors

Advocacy

Reviewing and implementing of 2012 Convention’s statements

Identifying Congregations’ NGO’s directly networking with IP’s Identity and exposure-immersion to formands and members who are still able

Common Orientation/Analysis of society and culture to address issues on Mining/Solidarity with the Poor

Structures

Maximizing the use of AMRSP Website in the sharing of:

- Best practices of different congregations in regard to inter-culturality, and inculturating the faith

- Information-speakers, seminars, request for prayers, relevant materials, updates from Mission Partners

Supporting Mission Partners’ ongoing advocacy works and network with our Mission Partners for conscientization and mutual help for a better understanding of IP Cultures

CONCLUSION

We are passionate to live our faith seeking symbols, rituals and language that capture the wisdom and imagination of who we are as a people and as a nation. In Jesus’ life and mission, we see and feel a person fully immersed in his own Jewish culture and whose heart reflects the dream of God for a reconciled humanity woven in diverse cultures and traditions. We humbly entrust all our resolve to live out the presence of God in a continuously evolving creation, “Magbabaya, Dios nga Magbubuhat,” the ultimate source of all life and being. May the Spirit inspire us to build a transformed world in partnership with the earth, the indigenous peoples, the poor and the youth.

Participants of the

AMRSP Joint Biennial Convention 2013

July 1-5, 2013

Rivier Retreat House

Seminary Road, Catalunan Grande, Davao City