In Malaysia, the number of newly baptized adults grows every year. According to the agency Fidesthere will be more than 1700 catechumens to receive baptism during the next Easter vigil.
Given the increasing number of requests from parishes, the Catholic Church in Malaysia has established a greater number of catechumenate courses, in order to be able to prepare all those who wish to receive this sacrament.
The catechumens thus experience the stages provided for by the Rite of Christian initiation of adults, which adopts an approach of welcome, accompaniment and discernment. This rite is “a spiritual journey undertaken in the company of priests, catechists and with the support of the ecclesial community. It accompanies the discovery of faith through teaching, sharing, prayers, community worship, communion and other forms of experiential exercises,” explains the Malaysian Church.
On the island of Borneo, for example, the diocese of Kota Kinabalu is supporting more than 900 catechumens this year. For its archbishop John Wong, “baptism is only the beginning of the walk in following Jesus. It’s a lifestyle choice, not a passing fad.” The archbishop asks catechumens to continue to unite with Jesus through prayer, reading and reflection on the Word of God, “by clinging to Jesus, leaning on him, letting ourselves be strengthened by him “. He recalls that the path to the catechumenate is not without obstacles and difficulties.
In this country made up of more than 60% Muslims, Christians represent less than 10% of the population, or around 1.3 million in total. They are largely Catholic and are spread across nine dioceses, between Peninsular Malaysia and the island of Borneo.