St. Michael Chapel at Baan Phu Wan

Cardinal David also stressed the difference between being looked at and being truly seen. The poor can be reduced to statistics, migrants to labor, young people to problems, women to expected functions and Indigenous peoples to minorities. People of other religions can likewise be viewed simply as those who do not share the Christian faith.

Bishop Joseph Do Manh Hung of Phan Thiet, Vietnam, offered that threefold invitation as he presided over the welcome Mass on August 31 at St. Michael Chapel at Baan Phu Wan, the Pastoral Training Center of the Archdiocese of Bangkok, Thailand, where Catholic representatives from across Asia have gathered for the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) Meeting of National Synod Teams.