HONG KONG (SE): “To carry the spirit of the World Synod of Bishops forward, we should care for and listen to the disadvantaged and the minorities who are all around us and in our parishes. As a society, we need to show more concern for those going through difficult marriages, ageing parents left behind, and small businesses struggling to survive. We can make changes in our parishes, which can gradually lead to changes in the community,” Bishop Stephen Chow, SJ, said as he encouraged local Catholics to continue the spirit of synodality of the Synod of Bishops in their parishes and to promote it with an open and ecumenical outlook in society.
Bishop Chow and Vanessa Cheng Siu-wai, a member of the Diocesan Ad Hoc Committee for the 16th Synod of Bishops, attended the Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality from February 23 to 27, organised in Bangkok, Thailand, by the General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops and Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences [FABC]. In order to listen to one another through spiritual conversation and respond to the challenges confronting the Church, they met with religious, lay people and Church leaders from all over Asia.
Upon his return to Hong Kong, Bishop Chow noted that Asian delegates expressed their hope that the Church would further promote women’s participation and care for sexual minorities so that the Church could become more inclusive and cautioned against ‘clericalism’. The bishop affirmed that the spirit of synodality is the way to respond to these demands. He hopes to start with the formation of local clergy to lead the laity to walk with those in need.
“There is no need to be trapped by the problems within the Church itself or to worry about the lack of a way out. Let’s look beyond the needs of parishes and lead the Church to respond positively,” he said.
There is no need to be trapped by the problems within the Church itself or to worry about the lack of a way out. Let’s look beyond the needs of parishes and lead the Church to respond positively
Bishop Chow
Bishop Chow said that the Asia Continental Assembly on Synodality had provided important insights for the local Church. He quoted Jean-Claude Cardinal Hollerich, SJ, the relator general for this year’s Synod, who said synodality is the result of baptism, which reminds Christians to walk together in synodality from an ecumenical perspective, and the Church should serve humanity and the environment as a whole. The bishop also encouraged Catholics to look beyond themselves, help other groups and care for the community.
Bishop Chow said he remains grateful to the FABC for the opportunity to build relationships with other bishops in the East Asia region, a process that leads to the awareness that the Church in Hong Kong is not alone. And given that Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city, so it is even more important for the local Church to follow the pace of the world and do its best to participate in the universal Church.
“Asians are relatively subtle people and may not be able to express their happiness or sorrow easily. The Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality was held in the way of spiritual conversation, allowing the Church in Asia to listen to each other, pray together and benefit from the Asian experience,” Cheng said. She believes the Diocesan Ad Hoc Committee for the 16th Synod of Bishops is active in promoting spiritual conversation in the local context, as advocated by the synod. Although the progress in this aspect varies across Asia, delegates from across the region experienced the communion of the Church at the assembly through participation in spiritual conversation.
Asians are relatively subtle people and may not be able to express their happiness or sorrow easily. The Asian Continental Assembly on Synodality was held in the way of spiritual conversation, allowing the Church in Asia to listen to each other, pray together and benefit from the Asian experience
Vanessa Cheng
Cheng also took part in a seminar on synodality, organised by the Centre for Catholic Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong on March 4, at St. Francis of Assisi Church, Shamshuipo. She shared her experience in participating in the Asian Assembly and facilitating the consultation of the synod in Hong Kong.
“I was very impressed on the first day that there was an empty chair at each table in the group, symbolising those who cannot and do not want to speak out. Let us not forget them,” she said.
She went on to say that participants of the Asian assembly had “experienced conversion after listening to each other, deepened their discernment by truly emptying themselves,” and that “the Holy Spirit had lifted them out of their own Churches at the local level to the Asian level.” She emphasised that the Holy Spirit has been with the people in the world in the process of discernment.
The General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops will gather the results of the meetings of the seven continents in preparation for the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to be held at the Vatican in October this year and October next year [2024]. Other Chinese participants in the Asian Assembly included Father Cyril Jerome Law, Jr., chancellor of the Diocese of Macau, and Bishop John Lee Keh-mien, president of the Chinese Regional Bishops’ Conference of Taiwan.
