Jakarta (AsiaNews) – The closing Eucharistic celebration at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Jakarta today brought to a close the proceedings of the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), which this week brought together some 150 cardinals, bishops and delegates from the continent’s Catholic Churches. At the end of the service, as previously announced, the participants walked through the Tunnel of Friendship linking the cathedral to the mosque (which Pope Francis also visited during his historic trip in 2024) as a sign of the Asian Catholic Churches’ desire to act as a bridge between all peoples and religions living in their respective countries. During the celebration, the final message was promulgated; we publish it in full below.
In the closing session, the general contents of a Vademecum on pastoral priorities for the Churches of Asia were presented to the Assembly participants; this will be the main outcome of the proceedings and will guide the path of the local Churches in the coming years. In presenting these, Fr Clarence Devadass, Associate General Secretary of the FABC and Executive Secretary of the Office for Synodality, described it as a practical tool to help local Churches translate the vision that emerged from the Assembly into pastoral action, offering operational guidance to bishops, priests, religious and laypeople on how to live out synodality in their respective contexts. The text will continue to be developed following the Jakarta Assembly through further consultations, and the final version is due to be published next year.
“You will see greater things…” (Jn 1:50)
Dear sisters and brothers in Christ, and to all peoples of goodwill in Asia.
Grace and peace from the Lord Jesus.
Gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 20 to 26 July 2026, as bishops of Asia together with delegates, partners, and friends from many parts of the world, we give thanks to God for the gift of our communion and for the opportunity to journey together in this Twelfth Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences.
The Lord’s promise to Nathanael has accompanied us throughout these days: “You will see greater things.” Like Nathanael, we came carrying our own questions, concerns, and limitations, as well as our hopes and aspirations. Like him, we encountered the Lord who knows each of us personally and who gently invites us to lift our eyes beyond our fears, prejudices and unbelief toward the greater horizon of God’s Kingdom.
Throughout these days of prayer, listening, silence, and Conversations in the Spirit, we experienced anew that synodality is not merely a method of working together; it is, above all, a path of conversion that is directed towards mission. Before it transforms our structures, it transforms our hearts. Before it renews our institutions, it renews our relationships.
As we discerned together, a broad consensus emerged that, now more than ever, the Church in Asia is called to be a bridge and a bridge-builder through ongoing synodal conversion, embracing the rich diversity of our cultures and peoples.
The challenges we face - polarization, the collapse of global institutions, culture of power, rapid technological change, migration, ecological degradation, shrinking democratic spaces, and widening social and economic inequalities - are not viewed merely as obstacles to overcome. Rather, they are recognized as opportunities for renewed missionary witness, inviting the Church to embody the Gospel more authentically through education, interreligious dialogue, hospitality, care for our common home, and a deeper commitment to human dignity and solidarity.
Within the Church itself, we also acknowledge the persistent challenge of clericalism, which can hinder communion, participation, and co-responsibility among all the baptized. This calls us to ongoing pastoral and synodal conversion, fostering a culture of listening, shared discernment, and servant leadership.
We leave this Assembly with a renewed conviction that Christ himself is the living Bridge between heaven and earth, between God and humanity, among peoples, and between humanity and our common home. To follow Him is for us to become bridges and bridge-builders in His name, in our own time and place.
In Asia, a continent blessed with ancient civilizations, vibrant major religions, and youthful peoples, we are being called to be bridges and bridge-builders: bridges of trust and dialogue where others erect walls of suspicion; bridges of peace where violence and conflict divide communities; bridges of compassion where the poor, the vulnerable, and the excluded long for dignity; and bridges of hope for young people searching for meaning amid rapid social and technological change, global fragmentation, and the ecological crisis threatening our common home.
Our journey in Indonesia has given us a powerful symbol of our vocation. As we walked the Tunnel of Friendship, linking Jakarta’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and the Istiqlal Mosque, we are reminded once again that our faith calls us to build bridges, not barriers.
As told to us by Pope Leo XIV at this Assembly, stronger communion among the local Churches is essential for the Church in Asia to fulfill its mission as a bridge-builder in culturally and religiously diverse societies.
We now return home inspired to become a missionary synodal Church that listens deeply, opens doors, crosses boundaries, and accompanies all people with humility and hope.
We renew our commitment to walk together in an ecumenical way as a missionary synodal Church with our neighbor-religions and cultures, recognizing them as fellow pilgrims seeking truth, justice, peace, and the care of our common home.
We recommit ourselves to listen to the wisdom of Asia’s peoples and cultures, to walk with the poor and vulnerable as companions, and to embrace the urgent call to ecological conversion so that future generations may inherit a world that reflects the Creator’s goodness.
May Mary, Mother of Asia and Mother of the Church, accompany us on this pilgrimage. May the Holy Spirit continue to lead us in communion, participation, and mission. And may Christ, the living Bridge, make us instruments of connection and reconciliation so that all peoples may discover in Him the fullness of life.
Let us walk together with the sure hope of seeing greater things.
For the Members of the XII Plenary Assembly of the FABC:
card. Filipe Neri Ferrão
Archbishop of Goa and Daman
President of FABC
