Abstract:

John Paul II’s iconic line, “The future of humanity passes by way of the family” (Familiaris Consortio #86), encapsulates both the Church’s and society’s interest in the family because the world’s future depends on it. The universal Church has made the family its topic of choice for both the 2014 and 2015 Synods of Bishops. Among the Catholic bishops in Asia, what is the role of the family?

This dissertation explores how the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) views the Asian family based on its documents, as well as the implications that come with this view. The research begins with a primer on the FABC. It discusses the family from the perspective of the social sciences and provides a Catholic theology on the family from Scripture and early Church tradition. Furthermore, it investigates FABC’s view of the family as evangelized evangelizers, as seen in its documents. Finally, it examines salient features on the family reflected in its lights and shadows, proposing four areas critical to the future of Asia and its families: globalization, the danger of lethargy, FABC’s ad intra abuses and the prophetic role of laity and the family in Asia.

Final Defense:

Board of Examiners: Fr. Eric Marcelo Genilo, S.J., S.T.D. (Principal Examiner), Fr. James Kroeger, M.M., D.Miss., Michael Demetrius Asis, Ph.D. and Ma. Lucia Natividad, Ph.D.

Proposal Defense:

Board of Examiners: Fr. Eric Marcelo Genilo, S.J.,S.T.D., Fr. Romeo J.Intengan, S.J.,M.D., S.T.L. and Fr. PeterPojol, S.J.,S.T.D. (Adviser).