(ANS – Rome)– As we head towards the 27th General Chapter, we continue the publication of reflections by the Regional Coordinators of the Pre-Chapter Commission on the state of the Congregation. Today it is the turn of Fr Lanfranco Fedrigotti, Provincial of China and coordinator for the East Asia-Oceania Region.

What is the state of the Congregation in your region regarding the needs of young people, of society and of the Church?
The East Asia-Oceania region is multi-faceted.  There are four main areas, each with its own peculiarities and challenges. In Australia, religion, which is one of the three pillars of the preventive system, is considered something private. This is a challenge for us as evangelizers and educators, who want to live the Gospel fully, to rehabilitate young people and help them to discover the spirituality of Don Bosco.

In the Philippines, the only predominantly Catholic country in East Asia, the Salesian presence preserves the style of Valdocco, with works for young people most in need. There is the challenge not to get worn out with the amount of work and to offer young people a full witness.

In the area of ​​Theravada Buddhism - which includes Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos – as part of the local tradition religious communities have strong mystical roots. This is a gift to be cultivated. There is also the multi-ethnic character of the region, and this represents a value to be considered in relation to our fraternal life.

Then there is the Confucian area. This is an approximate term I use to identify the Provinces of Japan, China, Vietnam and South Korea.  There are two opposite trends: in China and Japan, the Salesians are few and often of an advanced age; in Vietnam and Korea, there are many more young Confreres and many brothers whose work brings them close to young people. But the mission is the same: to let young people witness communities that are united and attractive, through the example of our lives.

What is the specific contribution that this region will give to the 27th General Chapter?
As I said, the East Asia-Oceania region is multi-faceted. Therefore, it can contribute to the Chapter in many ways, because in it there are various trends that are present also in other parts of the world. Australia, with its secularization, is living in a situation the same as that of Europe and North America.  The Philippines, with a strong commitment on behalf of poor young people, resembles, I think, the situation in Latin America. With the models we have developed in a minority or multicultural context, we can help other missionary areas. But this is also true the other way round: the whole Salesian world, present in the Chapter, has something to give to East Asia-Oceania!

In what way do the Salesians of this region try to be witnesses to radical Gospel living?
We do not need anything new. It is enough to be more faithful to the Constitutions and Regulations on which we made our profession. It is back to basics.  Just as the Gospel is the basic text for the faith, the Constitutions and Regulations are the basic text for our charism.

Then, I think we need to be open to receive the grace of unity: with God, with the community and with young people.

Published 22/11/2013