HONG KONG (SE): The diocesan process for the Synod of Bishops 2023 on Synodality began in Hong Kong with a Mass celebrated by John Cardinal Tong Hon, apostolic administrator of Hong Kong on October 17.
Speaking about the opening of the synodal process, Cardinal Tong said that all dioceses around the world were starting “the synodal way” on the same day. At the beginning of the Mass, quoting Mario Cardinal Grech, the general secretary for the Synod of Bishops, the cardinal said the synod is held so that “every voice might be heard” including those of people in remote places and in great difficulty.
The theme chosen by Pope Francis for the synod is For a synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission. In his homily, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing said that the theme is in line with the pastoral concern of Pope Francis, which is to journey with the people and to encourage the participation of the people of God.
Bishop Ha further explained the three important elements of the synod. Communion refers to unity among people in the Church even though their beliefs are different. “From the pope to the laity, we all belong to one body,” the bishop said. Participation refers to the faithful complementing one another while serving the Church together.
Mission calls on us to live out our faith in the Church by bearing witness to Christ in the world. Bishop Ha cited the example of different parishes distributing masks and essential commodities to the needy in the Covid-19 pandemic as a way of living out our Christian vocation.
The bishop said the synod needs everyone’s participation “because we are a community in unity and a synodal Church.” In a video message posted on the website of the diocese, the bishop said that a task force has been set up to coordinate the consultation process and will soon hold meetings to explain the process. The laity will be invited to think about how they have started to work for a synodal Church. He invited people to find out more about the synod through the diocesan website.
After the homily, Cardinal Tong led the congregation reciting the Prayer for the Synod, Adsumus Sancte Spiritus, for unity in Christ. Deacon Edwin Ng Wing-hung of Visitation Church, Tung Chung, who attended the Mass together with other parish representatives, said the parish is prepared to listen to the comments of the parishioners.
As the leader of the parish renewal team in Tung Chung, Deacon Ng said the renewal plans have motivated more people to show greater concern for the needy and this spirit may help the consultation process for the synod.
As a prison chaplain, Deacon Ng hopes that people will not only be open to expressing their views in the consultation process, but also be able to address the plights of the marginalised people like former inmates.
“What the Church needs is to develop a long term relationship with the marginalised people instead of only a consultation,” he said.
Iris Leung Wing-ha, formation officer of the Hong Kong Central Council of Catholic Laity, said she was happy to see so many parishes coming together to pray for the synod. She believes the synod offers a chance for people to awaken their faith, help to share responsibilities in the parish and work for a synodal Church. She hopes the formation work prior to the synod will encourage community leaders to be more open to different views under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The synod will be conducted in three stages: the first the diocesan synodal process, consulting the people of God, which was launched on October 17. The general secretary of the Synod of Bishops will prepare documents and questionnaires to help dioceses worldwide to carry out the consultations. This stage will end in April 2022. The second stage runs from September 2022 to March 2023 and will summarise the results of the consultations. The third stage, the Synod of Bishops, is scheduled to be held in Rome in October 2023 [Sunday Examiner, October 17].
