Churches across Asia need to develop new ways of sharing the Gospel that respond to the challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) while keeping human dignity and personal relationships at the centre of their mission, a Catholic bishop has said.
Bishop Stephen Lee Bun-sang of Macau made the remarks during the opening Mass of a meeting of Asian bishops and Church communicators on 28 October, according to Radio Veritas Asia.
The gathering, organised by the Office of Social Communication of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC-OSC), is being held at St Joseph Seminary Church in Macau from 28 to 31 October. It is themed “Magnifica Humanitas and the Synodal Ways of Evangelization in Asia: Communicating Christ in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”.
The meeting will conclude on 31 October with an address by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, pro-prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelization and dean of the College of Cardinals.
In his homily, Bishop Lee said Jesus calls people with different backgrounds, experiences and limitations to serve others. He urged Church leaders to adopt a missionary approach based on humility, personal closeness and a willingness to accompany people through their difficulties.
Reflecting on the Gospel account of Jesus praying before choosing the Twelve Apostles, the bishop highlighted the importance of prayer, discernment, personal encounter and healing in the Church’s mission.
“Jesus did not send perfect or extraordinary people detached from human experience, but real people with names, histories, and limitations, called to serve others rather than dominate them,” he said.
Bishop Lee stressed that proclaiming Christ involves more than sharing information or adopting new technology. It requires personal presence, genuine listening and openness to the suffering and experiences of others.
“Listening before speaking, accompanying before judging,” he said, describing an approach to communication that reflects the Church’s synodal journey, which emphasises listening, participation and walking together.
The opening Mass coincided with the feast of Saints Simon and Jude on 28 October. Concelebrants included Cardinal Francis Sebastian of Penang, Malaysia, and Bishop Marcelino Antonio Maralit Jr. of San Pablo, Philippines, who chairs the FABC-OSC. Other bishops, priests, assembly participants and members of the seminary faculty also attended.
Bishop Lee challenged those responsible for Church communications to consider whose stories are being shared and whose voices remain unheard. He encouraged greater cooperation across national and language boundaries so that Church communication reflects the lives of ordinary people, particularly those who suffer or face marginalisation.
As AI continues to transform communication, he said, technology must be used to serve the common good and protect human dignity. Emerging tools should help build genuine relationships and strengthen communion rather than reduce people to data or categories.
The meeting is taking place as the Diocese of Macau marks the 450th anniversary of its establishment. Pope Gregory XIII created the diocese on 23 January 1576, shortly after Macau became a Portuguese colony.
Macau subsequently became an important gateway for Catholic missionaries travelling to China, Japan and other parts of Asia. Its diocese once covered a vast territory, but around 100 dioceses have since become independent of it over the centuries.
Bishop Lee encouraged participants to draw inspiration from Macau’s missionary history while exploring new ways to share the Gospel in an increasingly digital world.
Based on reporting by UCA News.
