FABC Ends Plenary Assembly with Closing Mass at Jakarta Cathedral and Call to Synodal Mission

The 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) concluded on July 26 with a solemn Eucharistic celebration at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Jakarta, sending bishops and delegates back to their local Churches with a renewed commitment to synodality and bridge-building across Asia.

The closing Mass was presided over by Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, Archbishop of Jakarta, and concelebrated by Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, OSC, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Indonesia (KWI), Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, president of the FABC, and bishops and priests from across the continent.

The week-long Assembly brought together cardinals, bishops, priests, religious, and lay delegates from Asia to reflect on the theme, "Synodal Conversion and the Mission to Be Bridges and Bridge-Builders in Asia."

Before the liturgy, delegates gathered outside the cathedral for a commemorative group photograph and were welcomed with the Jai Dance from Ngada, East Nusa Tenggara, symbolizing hospitality and unity. Indonesian cultural traditions continued throughout the celebration, with the entrance procession accompanied by a Timorese dance and the offertory procession by the Bird Dance from Kalimantan.

The multicultural character of the Indonesian Church was also reflected in the Prayer of the Faithful, proclaimed in Sundanese, Nias, Toraja, and Lamaholot, highlighting the country's rich linguistic and cultural diversity.

In his homily, Cardinal Ferrão reminded participants that the Church's future depends on remaining rooted in its spiritual heritage while embracing renewal through synodality.

He called on the Church to build bridges between generations by bringing together the wisdom of the elderly and the creativity of young people. Every pastoral decision, he said, should be measured by whether it fosters communion, strengthens participation and mission, promotes peace, and serves the poor and marginalized.

The liturgy concluded with the promulgation of the Assembly's Message to the Peoples of Asia, titled "You Will See Greater Things" (John 1:50). Signed by Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, the message was proclaimed by Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, chairman of the drafting committee. Addressed to the peoples of Asia, it calls the Church to deepen its synodal journey by becoming "bridges and bridge-builders" of dialogue, reconciliation, hope, and peace across the continent.

Following the Mass, delegates made a symbolic pilgrimage through Jakarta's Tunnel of Friendship, which links the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption with the neighboring Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia.

The visit underscored one of the Assembly's central themes: that the Church in Asia is called to foster dialogue, reconciliation, and mutual respect in societies marked by cultural and religious diversity.

Throughout the week, delegates repeatedly emphasized that synodality is not simply a method of governance but a way of being Church, rooted in listening, participation, and shared mission.

As the Assembly came to a close, bishops and delegates departed Jakarta carrying a common commitment to strengthen communion among the Churches of Asia and to become authentic bridge-builders of hope, peace, and reconciliation in their local communities.