CATS-X and Nicaea-1700th Anniversary Commemoration set to commence in Kuala Lumpur
Chiang Mai, Thailand: Preparations are nearing completion for two significant ecumenical events organised by the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA): The Tenth Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS-X) and the 1700th Anniversary Commemoration of the First Council of Nicaea, which will be held next week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
More than 100 theologians from across Asia and the Asian diaspora will attend the week-long CATS-X.
The Nicaea-1700 Anniversary Commemoration will take place in conjunction with the inaugural session of CATS-X at Zion Cathedral of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malaysia on 24 October 2024 from 4:00 PM.
The inauguration of CATS-X and the Nicaea-1700 Anniversary Commemoration will start with a special ecumenical worship service, followed by a public meeting addressed by prominent Asian and global church and ecumenical leaders.
The subsequent CATS-X sessions from 25 to 29 October 2024 will be held at WP Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
The theme for CATS-X is 'Echoes of Nicaea: Enduring Faith and Embracing Unity'.
CCA General Secretary, Dr Mathews George Chunakara, said, “The chosen theme for the Tenth Congress of Asian Theologians is timely as Christians worldwide mark the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea in 2025. When CATS-X takes place from 24 to 29 October 2024, we will be at the threshold of this historic anniversary, and probably Asian Christians will be setting the tone for the first time as a prelude to the 1700th anniversary, which will be celebrated in many parts of the world in the coming months.”
The CCA General Secretary added that the three sub-themes: “Ecclesial Synchrony: Oneness in Faith, Witness, and Witnessing”; “Biocentric Solidarity: Covenantal Bond for Cosmic Wholeness”; and “Cybergenic Synergy: Envisioning Humanity and Digital Wellness” will address contemporary issues related to the main theme and link them with the emerging Asian realities and theology in contexts.
Confessions and creeds have been pivotal throughout several centuries of church history in affirming and articulating the core beliefs of the Christian faith. The theme of CATS-X serves as a rallying call for Asian theologians to engage in an ecumenical exploration of contemporary challenges and aspirations for unity amidst the rich diversity of Asian Christianity, fostering meaningful dialogue and theological reflection on unity.
The Congress of Asian Theologians, initiated by the Christian Conference of Asia in 1997, is the largest pan-Asian theological summit organised consistenly. The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), Asian Evangelical Alliance (AEA), Association for Theological Education in Southeast Asia (ATESEA), and the Board of Theological Education of the Senate of Serampore College (BTESSC) have been partners with CCA in organising the CATS, which gathers Asian and Asian diaspora theologians every three years to explore innovative approaches to theology in the dynamic and rapidly changing context of Asia.
The preparations for CATS-X and the Nicaea-1700 commemorative events are being arranged in collaboration with CCA member churches in Malaysia and its member council, the Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM).