NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      ROME, 9 (NE) The Church in the Asian continent is preparing the first Asian Youth Day. The event will take place in Thailand in August. A planning meeting recently held in Hong Kong finalized major points of the program for this first meeting of Asian Catholic youth.

      This meeting, carried out from February 26th to the 1st of March, was organized by the Youth Desk of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences Office of Laity. Delegates from Hong Kong, India, Japan, and Taiwan, among others, defined the fundamental points of the event under the theme Asian Youth Journeying with Jesus toward the New Millennium.

      The first Asian Youth Day will be carried out from the 7th to the 12th of August in the city of Hua Hin, 150 miles southwest of Bangkok. The event is expected to draw approximately 700 youth delegates of different Asian countries.