The challenges he faces

Jan 20, 2016

JOHOR BAHRU (Herald Malaysia): On January 12, 2016, Msgr Bernard Paul became Bishop Bernard Paul.

He has been called to lead the Melaka-Johor flock under circumstances very different from that faced by his predecessors.

Bishop Bernard has to shepherd an educated and relatively affluent Catholic population in a world where spiritual and moral values are being challenged by powerful, materialistic and amoral forces.

New developments in the life sciences are also raising serious and difficult issues affecting life and morality.

There is also the phenomenon of Islamisation, a challenge so bewildering it has tested the Roman Catholic Church and the wider Christian community in Malaysia,  not to mention the rest of the non-Muslim community, for the better part of several decades.

As Bishop, he is going to take as broad a counsel on this phenomenon as possible and will be interested to forge interreligious dialogue. He intends to listen widely, take stock broadly, do justly, love mercifully, and walk humbly with God and with leaders and followers of other religions similarly challenged by Islamisation.

As Bishop, he sees a need in raising the profile of the Catholic Church in MelakaJohor. “We have to project ourselves as Catholics, living true to our faith, and this includes the promotion of justice, harmony, family and true human values.”

He believes that the good of Catholic life rebounds to the good of society, which is actually the elevation of the true, the good and the beautiful.

He is mindful that even though the Church does not belong to the world, it is in the world and has a responsibility to try to improve the quality of people’s lives. But improvements — material, cultural or scientific — must be permeated with the spirit of faith or people might become overly materialistic and neglect spiritual needs.

As a disciple of Jesus and a succssor of the apostles, the bishop, as a humble and good leader, “ought to know the way, show the way, and go the way.”  For Jesus said, I am the Way, the Turth and the Life.