By Fr. John Mi Shen*
Macau – Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization and Dean of the College of Cardinals, will call the Catholic Church in Asia to connect its rich missionary heritage with new pathways for evangelization when he addresses Asian bishops and the Church in Macau on October 31.
His talk, titled “Magnifica Humanitas: Synodal Ways for Evangelization in Asia,” will culminate a four-day gathering organized by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences Office of Social Communication from October 27 to 31. Held under the theme “Magnifica Humanitas and the Synodal Ways of Evangelization in Asia: Communicating Christ in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” the meeting brings together Asian bishops and Church communicators to discern how the Church can proclaim Christ in a rapidly changing communication landscape.
Cardinal Tagle’s talk, scheduled at the Bishop’s Palace, will be attended by clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Macau, along with bishops and delegates participating in the continental meeting.
Cardinal Tagle’s address as part of the celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Diocese of Macau, offering an opportunity to reflect on how the region’s historic role in Asian evangelization can inspire the Church’s mission today.
Established by Pope Gregory XIII on January 23, 1576, the diocese became a major center of Catholic missionary activity in East Asia. For centuries, Macau served as a gateway for missionaries traveling to China, Japan, Korea, and other parts of Asia.
Four and a half centuries later, Macau’s history raises a compelling question: Can the city once again become a bridge for evangelization, helping the Church navigate the challenges and opportunities of the digital age?
The anniversary connects the missionary courage of the past with the Church’s present responsibility to proclaim Christ amid changing cultural, technological, and social realities. If earlier missionaries crossed geographical and linguistic boundaries, today’s evangelizers must also engage digital platforms and artificial intelligence while safeguarding human dignity and authentic relationships.
From Pastoral Communication to Evangelizing Presence
The FABC-OSC meeting places contemporary communication within the broader history of the Church’s mission in Asia.
Mr. Vitor Lam will deliver a bridging talk titled “From Pastoral to Evangelizing, from HK to Macau,” connecting the previous FABC-OSC meeting in Hong Kong with the present gathering in Macau and exploring the shift from pastoral communication toward a more outward-looking missionary presence.
Dr. Levi Mathonri Checketts will deliver a keynote speech on Magnifica Humanitas, while Mr. Keith Benedict Ip will speak on “450 Years of Evangelization and Communication in Asia,” examining the historical relationship between missionary activity and communication in the region.
Together, the presentations will link Macau’s missionary legacy with the questions confronting Asian Churches today, particularly how to communicate the Gospel across cultural, social, and digital boundaries.
Building a Synodal Digital Mission
The gathering also advances FABC-OSC’s efforts to strengthen collaboration among Catholic communicators and digital missionaries across Asia.
Discussions include artificial intelligence and evangelization, the responsible use of emerging technologies, national reports, and new forms of cooperation among Church communication offices.
Bishop Marcelino Antonio “Junie” Maralit Jr. of the Philippines, chairman of FABC-OSC, will address AI and evangelization in Asia. Prof. Leo R. Ocampo will discuss discerning the use of AI, while Cindy Gorospe-Añonuevo will present the next steps following the first Asian Catholic Digital Missionary Assembly, held at Radio Veritas Asia headquarters in Quezon City, Metro Manila, in September 2026.
The assembly brought together more than 100 Catholic digital communicators, content creators, and faith influencers under the theme “Influencers to Witnesses: A Synodal Way for Digital Mission in Asia.” The Macau meeting seeks to build on that initiative, seeking sustained collaboration across national and linguistic boundaries and a continental network where Catholic communicators can share experiences, discern the responsible use of technology, and strengthen their evangelizing mission.
The gathering will conclude on October 31, when Cardinal Tagle will also preside over the Mass marking the 450th anniversary of the Diocese of Macau at Forum de Macau.
The anniversary and the continental communication meeting together invite the Church in Asia to see its missionary history not merely as a record of past achievements but as a resource for discerning the future.
Macau’s historic role as a gateway for missionaries can inspire a new era of evangelization in which the Church crosses digital as well as geographical boundaries, embraces emerging technologies with discernment, and keeps the dignity of every human person at the heart of its mission.
* Executive Secretary, FABC-OSC
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