Asian bishops' chief urges Church leaders to let go of what prevents them from building a participatory church
Cardinal Charles Bo of Yangon, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) speaks at the closing Mass of the Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality at the Baan Phu Waan (The Sower’s House) Pastoral Training Centre of Bangkok archdiocese on Feb. 26. (Photo: bangkok.synod2023.org)
Asian Church leaders have concluded their continental-level preparations for making the Church more participatory by discussing key questions that have not been sufficiently discussed during lower-level gatherings.
The continental-level gathering that ended on Feb. 26 in Bangkok was the highest preparation level ahead of the Synod of Bishops, more commonly called the Synod on Synodality, which is scheduled to conclude at the Vatican in 2024.
“Synodality is a gift, and discernment is the heart of synodality,” Xavierian Sister Nathalie Becquart, under-secretary to the General Secretariat of the Synod, said in a Feb. 25 press statement.
More than 80 delegates from across Asia gathered for the continental-level preparations. They included representatives from 17 national conferences of bishops and two Synods of Bishops, representing 29 countries, covered by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.
The delegates split into groups and discussed the five most urgent priorities for the continent of Asia, which urgently need to be brought to the first session of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican in October, said a press statement.
The press statement did not specify the topics which the delegates discussed. However, they deliberated on key questions that have not been “sufficiently discussed” in lower-level gatherings — parish, diocesan and national— and on “gaps” in the draft paper. They also discussed any Asian realities, experiences, or concerns that can be included or improved upon, the press statement said.
The delegates used a three-step method of giving their opinions, ideas, and suggestions on the draft document.
The Synod of Bishops at the Vatican will finalize ways of making the Church more participatory, an initiative led by Pope Francis. The Vatican event will have two sessions and is set to conclude next year.
Cardinal Joseph Coutts, former archbishop of Karachi in Pakistan, during the Mass on Feb. 25, asked participants to see the “great parallel” between the synodal journey and the Lenten journey of the Church.
Both synodal and Lenten journeys “include a communitarian as well as personal dimension,” Coutts said.
The synod, like the Lenten journey “is a call to walk the path of God, to listen to his voice, and to recognize the God of love and tenderness, mercy and compassion,” he explained.
Coutts said Francis, who initiated the worldwide synod, is “a prophet of our times.”
“The synodal path we are called to take is an invitation not to reject or exclude anybody, but to take everyone along. We also need the humility to know that Jesus himself is leading us,” Coutts said.
Other Asian Church leaders such as Cardinal Charles Bo of Yangon, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, also spoke about the challenges offered by the synodal Church.
The synodal journey of the Church is like Jesus’ journey in the wilderness and is “challenging and necessary” for the Church to move forward, the leading Asian cardinal said.
Bo in his homily gave the example of Lent as an acronym for “Letting go, Encounter, Neighbor and Transformation.”
He urged the bishops and other delegates to learn how to “let go” of all that prevents them from moving toward a synodal Church — a more participatory Church, where the needs and opinions of all members will be respected.
Jesuit Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, Archbishop of Luxembourg and relator-general of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican, officially called the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, also addressed the conference.
Citing the example of musical instruments, Hollerich urged each delegate to play their role to “function in unison, to produce a symphony,” stressing the need for constant unity in actions.
Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, assured the delegates that their “journey at this synod will be fruitful and their contributions will not be forgotten by the Universal Church.”
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