Malaysian Cardinal and Australian Archbishop Echo the Cry of the Church: We Need Family, We Need Children

At a press conference during the Great Pilgrimage of Hope in Penang, Cardinal Sebastian Francis, Bishop of Penang and host of the event, was asked about his hopes for the upcoming World Youth Day in Seoul, South Korea, in 2027. To the surprise of many, the cardinal said the gathering will be an important moment for the Church in Asia to rediscover the value and urgency of welcoming children.

When Cardinal Sebastian Francis spoke, his words carried both warning and blessing. “We need children,” he said, “otherwise there is no future.”

Children, he affirmed, are never mere statistics; they are sacraments of presence. Every birth is a quiet annunciation, God choosing to arrive small, vulnerable, and carried in human arms. They are living signs that the Church remains young, resilient, and capable of renewal, even when the world seems to age faster than it learns.

The cardinal highlighted a demographic reality often overlooked: many East Asian countries, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and China, are experiencing drastic declines in birth rates.

“Korea and Japan are seeing birth rates go down, down, down,” he observed. Yet, paradoxically, these same countries are hosting or sending thousands of young pilgrims to international gatherings such as World Youth Day.

“To have millions of young people gathered in Korea will be a powerful witness,” he added, emphasising that the presence of youth, even if few in proportion to an aging population, is a sign of life, vitality, and hope.

In an age when nations “grow old before they grow wise,” where birth rates fall like autumn leaves, the cardinal spoke like a prophet at the edge of winter, calling for spring. His message was both spiritual and moral: a Church without children is a Church without tomorrow; a society that forgets to welcome life forgets how to welcome God.

Every child embodies continuity, courage, and hope. Families who pray, nurture, and pass on God’s story become the vessels through which the future of the Church flows. Across Asia, despite shrinking populations, the witness of families and young people is a prophetic sign to the world: life, faith, and the promise of God’s kingdom persist, even amid uncertainty.

Archbishop Prowse: Asia’s Value for Family and Children

On November 30, the final day of the Great Pilgrimage of Hope in Penang, Australian Archbishop Christopher Prowse of Canberra, Goulburn offered a heartfelt closing message on the theme “Go Forth.”

“As we talk about Asia,” he began, “I want to take a moment to thank you. From my perspective, as someone outside of Asia, you have already gone forth in Christ.” Over the past days, he said, he witnessed the Asian Church’s deep love for the Lord and its generosity in sharing the faith.

The archbishop then offered three heartfelt thanks, all of which echoed and reinforced Cardinal Sebastian’s call to protect and cherish the gift of family and children.

First, he praised Asia’s strong belief in marriage, family life, and the blessing of children.  “Thank you, Asia, for truly valuing family, for believing in marriage, and for valuing children,” he said. “Never let that go.”

In a world where many countries struggle with declining birth rates and weakening family ties, he affirmed that Asia’s witness is not only cultural but profoundly evangelical, a gift that keeps the Church young.

Second, he expressed gratitude for Asia’s deep and active faith in Jesus Christ, lived out within families and passed down from parents to children.  “Your stories and your witness continually strengthen my own faith,” he said, noting that such generational faith is increasingly rare in many parts of the West.

Third, he acknowledged Asia’s commitment to vibrant parish communities and new ecclesial movements, communities where children grow, families thrive, and evangelization finds new life.

He then shared a light moment from Canberra. While walking recently, he saw a couple pushing what looked like a baby pram. “I thought, ‘How wonderful, husband and wife with a baby!’” he recalled. But when he looked inside, “it was a dog, not a child!”

The humorous moment, he said, highlighted a deeper concern: societies where children are fewer, families are smaller, and the future feels uncertain.

Against this backdrop, he said, the courage of Asian families, moving to new lands, nurturing children, building communities, and bringing their faith with them, is a powerful sign of hope.

Their presence, Archbishop Prowse concluded, shows the world that life is still welcomed, that faith can still be handed on, and that the future of the Church is carried, quite literally, in the arms of families.