Christian Conference of Asia congratulates new Pontiff Pope Leo XIV

Programme Review and Programme Direction

Two key deliberative sessions during the 15th CCA General Assembly are the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions.

The Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions will both be conducted in three groups relating to the CCA’s programme areas, namely, (i) General Secretariat (GS), (ii) Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF); and (iii) Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia (PD).

Assembly participants will have the option to join one of three groups for both the Programme Review and Programme Direction sessions. For the sake of coherence, the assigned group will remain the same for both sessions.

General Secretariat

The General Secretariat oversees the coordination of programmatic, administrative, and financial activities of the organization. The GS comprises various departments such as church and ecumenical relations, relations with ecumenical partners, finance, administration, and communications, which provide crucial support and services for the implementation of programs and contribute to the overall functioning of the CCA.

Programmes: Relations with member churches and councils, ecumenical partners; advocacy at the United Nations; ecumenical responses to emerging issues in solidarity; income development and finance; and communications.

Mission in Unity and Contextual Theology (MU) and Ecumenical Leadership Formation and Spirituality (EF)

Under the MU programme area, the CCA accompanies Asian churches to strengthen their mission and witness in multi-religious contexts, revitalise and nurture church unity and the Asian ecumenical movement, and develop contextual theological foundations.

Programmes: Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU); Congress of Asian Theologians (CATS); Asian women doing theology in the context of wider ecumenism; contextualisation of theology in Asia and ecumenical theological education.

The EF programme area focuses on nurturing and developing ecumenical leaders in Asia. The programme aims to enhance spiritual formation and theological understanding, enabling people to actively engage in ecumenical dialogue and collaboration.

Programmes: Ecumenical Enablers’ Training in Asia (EETA); Asian Ecumenical Institute (AEI); Youth and Women Leadership Development; Ecumenical Spirituality and Nurturing of Contextual Liturgical Traditions; Asia Sunday

Building Peace and Moving Beyond Conflicts (BP) and Prophetic Diakonia and Advocacy (PD)

The BP programme area is dedicated to promoting peace, justice, and reconciliation in Asia’s diverse contexts. Through training, advocacy, and dialogue, the programme addresses the root causes of conflicts, empowers communities, and fosters sustainable peacebuilding initiatives.

Programmes: Pastoral Solidarity Visits; Churches in Action for Moving Beyond Conflict and Resolution; Young Ambassadors of Peace in Asia (YAPA); Ecumenical Women’s Action Against Violence (EWAAV); Eco-Justice for Sustainable Peace in the Oikos.

The PD programme area focuses on promoting justice, human rights, and social transformation in Asia. Through advocacy, capacity-building, and raising awareness, the programme addresses systemic injustice, empowers marginalised communities, and advocates for prophetic actions and meaningful change.

Programmes: Human Rights advocacy; Migration, Statelessness, and Trafficking in Persons; Asian Ecumenical Disability Advocacy Network; Asian Advocacy Network on the Dignity and Rights of Children (AANDRoC); Ecumenical Solidarity Accompaniment and Diakonia in Asia (ESADA); Health and Healing; Good Governance; Action Together to Combat HIV and AIDS in Asia (ATCHAA).

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09 May 2025

Photo: Reuters

Chiang Mai, Thailand: The Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) joins with multitudes of faithful and others across the world in receiving the news of the election of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV with profound joy, and extends sincere congratulations to the Roman Catholic Church on this momentous occasion.

Pope Leo XIV brings a rich legacy of service and a deep commitment to social justice, pastoral care, and advocacy for the vulnerable. His chosen papal name, Pope Leo XIV, itself signals the historic tradition and continued concern for social justice and the care for the poor and the marginalised.

CCA General Secretary Dr Mathews George Chunakara stated, "As His Holiness Pope Leo XIV takes up this new responsibility, we offer our prayers for strength, wisdom, and grace in his leadership. May his pontificate be marked by courage and vision as he builds on the legacy of reform and continues to speak with moral clarity to the pressing issues facing our world.”

“The newly elected Pontiff’s ministry in Peru for more than two decades, his work with marginalised communities, and his passion for building bridges—as well as his commitment to the concerns shared by his predecessor, Pope Francis, on migrants, the poor, and the environment—will bring added value in the current global context,” added the CCA General Secretary.

Born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955 to parents of Spanish and Franco-Italian descent, Pope Leo XIV—formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost—was ordained a priest in 1982. He spent much of his early ministry in Peru as a missionary with the Augustinian order.

At the age of 69, Pope Leo XIV becomes the 267th occupant of the throne of St Peter.