The Asian Continental Assembly’s final document on synodality, published on March 16, acknowledges that there is a divide within the Church that is sometimes fostered by “leadership styles that impede or even exclude others from living out their baptismal calling to be authentic disciples.”
The document begins by situating the Church in Asian realities. The Catholic population in Asia is estimated to be 150 million or 3.31 per cent of the total population of 4.6 billion people. Despite being a minority community, Christ’s disciples in this region live out their vocation to be the ‘salt of the earth’. The Catholic Church “contributes greatly to the fields of education, healthcare, social welfare and reaching out to the poor and marginalised groups in society”, the document says.
Reflecting the desires of the Asian Church, the final document identifies six priorities in the areas of formation, inclusivity and hospitality, missionary disciples, accountability and transparency, prayer and worship and the environment. The very concept of a synodal Church, although traced back to the time of the apostles and the early Church, is a new way of being the Church in the modern world – one that necessitates “an initial and ongoing formation at all levels, for all people, beginning with the families and Basic Ecclesial Communities”.
According to the document, initial and ongoing formation is imperative for seminarians, priests, bishops, and consecrated men and women to enlighten them to live synodal leadership styles and foster communal discernment in making decisions.
The Church’s mission generally includes a preferential option for the poor and care for the elderly, people with disabilities, and terminal illnesses. However, the document identifies a greater need to enlarge the spectrum by caring for the divorced, remarried, persons who identify as LGBTQIA+, those struggling with gender identity, substance dependents and commercial sex workers, and so on.
In a society where interfaith marriages and families are becoming common, the document calls on the Church in Asia for a mission “of bridge-building and embracing a culture of encounter.” The onus falls on every Catholic to become an ambassador of Christ and inclusivity and hospitality while “prophetically witnessing and whispering” the Gospel to one another.”
Dialogue, consultation and communal discernment are the ways forward for the Church in a pluralistic Asia.
As most of the nations in this region are home to dozens or even hundreds of different ethnic groups, each with their own distinct languages, cultures, and lifestyles, religious pluralism is an Asian reality. Integrating cultural elements into the life and worship of the Church would enhance the spirit of coexistence and collaboration between the various communities.
The document calls for accountability and transparency in decision-making processes and governance from those in leadership roles, even if it requires the revision of some provisions of Canon Law. The document also resonates with Pope Francis’ vision while discussing the Church’s social responsibility in caring for our common home.
“The Church must be at the forefront in protecting Mother Earth and healing her wounds”, the document says, It proposes a green Church that lives in solidarity and respect and protects, defends, and nurtures the oneness of all of God’s Creation. jose CMF
