Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose in Asia. He preached, taught, and witnessed the Father’s Will in Asia which made this continent a land of promise and hope for all mankind. (Cf EA 1) It is from this continent that the command of the Lord "go forth and make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28:19) has to be carried out.

Asian Martyrs: Gift to the Church

The birth of the Church in Asia is as old as the birth of the Church herself. The Christian religion spread rapidly from Jerusalem to Antioch then to the West, in Rome. Christianity reached the shores of India where St. Thomas the Apostle preached and was martyred. The faith entered Armenia and the Gospel was preached by Sts. Jude Thaddeus and Bartholomew. Through their martyrdom, Armenia became the first nation to embrace Christianity.

The apostolic evangelization in Syria, the Arab nations during the fifth century, to the Chinese in the thirteenth century and to the Pacific from the fifteenth century onwards had produced witnesses and martyrs of the Christian faith. These living Christian models had shown extraordinary witness of life and labor for the growth of the Church in Asia. The recent recognized saints of Asia had planted the Christian faith right in the womb of the world’s ancient religions and traditions. Their blood was a gift for the Church to grow; their martyrdom was a profound source of "spiritual richness and a great means of evangelization." (EA 9)

The examples of the Christian martyrs both proclaimed by the Church and only those known to God alone are an inspiration and an encouragement to the missionaries who tirelessly dedicate their lives for the Church’s evangelizing work in Asia. Missionaries should also draw their inspiration from those who have lived out the essence of the Christian message. John Paul II hopes that the "great host of Asian Martyrs, old and new, never cease to teach the Church in Asia what it means to bear witness to the Lamb… (EA 49) The call to be a "martyr" or "witness" is not only a gift of the person to God but a gift to the Church and to Asia. "The faith in Jesus is a gift and a gift to be shared; it is the greatest gift which the Church can offer to Asia." (EA10) This gift of faith implies hardships, trials, challenges, and the various difficulties of preaching the Gospel as the missionaries continuously encounter the richness of the cultures of Asia. The journey of faith in Asia is a journey towards the richness of the sacrifices done by the Asian martyrs. The blood of the martyrs poured out in this continent had manifested to the peoples of Asia the value of "holiness of life and the readiness to offer one’s life for the Gospel." (EA 9)

Asia is blessed with martyrs inspiring the renewal of mission today. The martyrs infused in the hearts of Asians the sense of mission and solidarity. In India, Gonsalo Garcia and John de Brito were canonized in 1629 and 1947 respectively. Joseph Vaz was beatified in 1995. Japan has Paul Miki and companions, Gracia Hosakawa, Ludivico Ibaragi, Michael Kozaki, and Takayama Ukon. Korea honors more than 10,000 martyrdoms and John Paul II canonized 103 martyrs in Seoul last 1984. It honored Andrew Kim Taegon, a native Korean priest with Chung Hasang and Kim Hyoim who were lay leaders. The Philippines has Lorenzo Ruiz and companions and Catechist Pedro Calungsod who was beatified in 2000. Vietnam has more than 130,000 martyrs including those 117 martyrs canonized in 1988: Andrew Dung Lac, Phanxico Xavier Can, Vincent Diem, Phaolo Le Bao Tinh, Phero Nguyen Khac Tu. And Agnes Le Thi Thanh who was beatified in 2000. China has 120 martyrs canonized by John Paul II in 2000. 33 were missionaries and 87 as native Chinese.

The witnessing of the Asian martyrs had taught the Church to be a genuine witness to the Gospel. This means that the Church shares with the sorrows and joys, hopes and sufferings, and in the prayers and work of the Asian peoples. The Church in Asia is close to the poor which includes the migrants, indigenous and tribal peoples, women and children and the worst forms of exploitation. (EA 34)