We did so, conscious that the world advances towards ever new possibilities of development and that Christians have special responsibilities as we enter the Third Christian Millennium. Together, we sought to read the signs of the times with the eyes of faith and the hearts of Pastors. The Synod was not only a profound experience of brotherhood in the episcopal ministry, but above all a powerful encounter with Jesus Christ who takes to himself the joys and sorrows of the world. Most of the Churches of Asia are comparatively small in number, but they have shown themselves great in fidelity to Christ and to the Gospel, even in times of persecution. They are Churches that have known the shedding of blood, and the host of Asian martyrs is surely their greatest glory.
Te martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
From such unforgettable witness, the Churches of Asia learn the way of love and loving service, and they learn that an eminent fruit of love is justice. It is surely the work of the Holy Spirit that Asian Christians are turning more and more to the defence of human dignity and the pursuit of justice. In some cases, Asian Christians dwell in lands scarred by conflicts, which are at times presented as the effect of religion. How unfaithful not only to the Gospel but also to the great insights of the religions of Asia, which in their different ways teach tolerance and goodness. But let there also be peace for religion.