Bringing the Marginalized to the Table Will Lead to True Discernment and Conversion
Published by catholictimes.org on August 30, 2026 in both print and online formats
As global Christianity sheds its long-standing Western-centred framework, theological reflection rooted in Asia's own history, culture, and identity is emerging as a fresh source of renewal for the universal Church. Prof. Agnes M. Brazal, a leading Filipino lay Catholic theologian at De La Salle University, Manila, has built a liberation-postcolonial theology of Southeast Asia, grounded in the wounds of Western colonial rule, the trauma of dictatorship, and the lived experience of indigenous women. Serving as a research consultant to the Synod of Bishops and as coordinator for various Vatican projects, Brazal has given voice to non-Western women at the heart of the Roman Catholic Church, and insists that the marginalised — the poor, migrants, victims of violence — must become not mere objects of pastoral care, but subjects of theology in their own right. Her call for churches beyond the West to move past simply receiving Western theology and instead articulate theology in their own voice speaks powerfully to the Korean Church and Catholic media as well, called to discern truth through the eyes of those on the margins amid polarisation and social fragmentation. We spoke with Prof. Brazal about this shift toward theological « subjecthood » and the future direction of a synodal Church. (Read the Interview)
Ino Odulio, Quo Vadis, Synodality? The Jesuit Hour, 26 May 2026
Ino Odulio, Kuwentuhang Bayan, 2 Sept 26
