Cardinal Ferrão: Synodality Must Lead the Church to Christ and Concrete Action

Synodality must lead the Church closer to Jesus Christ and bear fruit in concrete action, not simply in documents, structures, or pastoral programs, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão told delegates at the closing Mass of the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) on July 26.

Preaching at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Jakarta, the FABC president urged bishops, priests, religious, and lay faithful to ensure that the Assembly's week of prayer, discernment, and dialogue translates into renewed missionary commitment across Asia.

Reflecting on the Gospel parables of the pearl of great price and the fishing net, Cardinal Ferrão said the synodal journey finds its true meaning only when it leads people to an encounter with Christ.

"Synodality is not the pearl. Structures are not the pearl. Programs, documents, and pastoral strategies are not the pearl," he said. "They have value only if they help us encounter Christ and bring Him to others."

He explained that the merchant's search for the pearl symbolizes the Church's continual search for God's will. That search, he said, reaches its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, "the face of the Father's mercy" and the bridge who reconciles God and humanity.

Drawing on the First Reading, in which King Solomon asks for a discerning heart, Cardinal Ferrão said the Church in Asia today must make the same prayer.

"Lord, give us hearts that are willing to listen. A synodal Church is first and foremost a listening Church," he said.

The cardinal stressed that listening extends beyond Scripture to include the voices of those often overlooked, especially the poor, young people, migrants, and those living on the margins of society.

He said the Church's leaders should be known not primarily for their administrative abilities but for their capacity to listen, discern together, and lead in a spirit of communion.

Cardinal Ferrão also reflected on the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, observed on the same day as the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne.

He described older people as the Church's "living treasures," carrying the wisdom, faith, and sacrifices that sustain Christian communities. At the same time, he called for stronger bonds between generations, saying the Church's future depends on bringing together the experience of the elderly with the creativity and hope of young people.

Concluding his homily, Cardinal Ferrão challenged delegates to carry the fruits of the Assembly back to their local Churches.

Using the Gospel image of the fishing net gathering fish of every kind, he said the Church is called to embrace Asia's rich diversity of cultures, languages, and religions while remaining united in Christ.

He emphasized that authentic communion requires ongoing spiritual discernment, asking whether every pastoral decision promotes communion, participation, mission, human dignity, peace, and care for those most in need.

"Today we leave this Assembly to move from conversation to conversion, from documents to decisions, and from vision to implementation," he said.

Referring to the delegates' pilgrimage through Jakarta's Tunnel of Friendship to the Istiqlal Mosque following the Mass, Cardinal Ferrão said the visit symbolized the bridge-building mission that had shaped the Assembly. The Church, he said, is called not merely to speak about bridges but to walk the path of encounter and dialogue.

As the 12th FABC Plenary Assembly concluded, Cardinal Ferrão encouraged participants to return to their dioceses with a renewed determination to place Christ at the center of every pastoral initiative and to make synodality a lived reality through listening, service, and concrete witness.