“I Was Listening to the Voice of the Church in Asia”: RVA Mandarin Staff Reflects on Covering FABC Assembly

Although she never set foot in Jakarta, Rosaria Xu Jinhong says she experienced the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) as if she were journeying alongside the delegates every day.

Xu, who has served with the Mandarin Service of Radio Veritas Asia (RVA) as a daily news staff member for nearly two years, was part of the multilingual RVA team that covered the July 20–26 assembly for audiences across Asia. While bishops, priests, religious, and lay leaders gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia, under the theme, "Synodal Conversion and the Mission to be Bridges and Bridge-Builders in Asia," Xu worked behind the scenes translating the Assembly's daily reports into Chinese for readers and listeners.

"I was not merely translating information," Xu reflected. "I was listening to the voices of local Churches from different countries and cultures, while also listening to the Holy Spirit guiding the Church in Asia toward the future."

Each day, she translated English news reports produced by the RVA ground team in Jakarta, carefully proofread them, recorded audio versions, edited the files, and published them on the RVA Mandarin platforms and Truth Culture, enabling Chinese-speaking Catholics—especially clergy, religious, and lay faithful in China—to follow the proceedings of the assembly.

The workload increased dramatically during the weeklong gathering.

"The volume of news reports increased five to six times compared with ordinary days," Xu said. "Every stage of the work, from translation and proofreading to recording, editing, and publishing, required great concentration and patience."

Despite the demanding schedule, she said the experience brought an unexpected sense of peace rather than fatigue.

"My heart remained calm, joyful, and steady," she said. "Rather than feeling overwhelmed, I found myself becoming more deeply engaged in the work and increasingly grateful for the opportunity to serve."

For Xu, the Assembly became more than a series of news stories. As she translated speeches, testimonies, and reports from bishops and Church leaders across Asia, she gradually discovered the deeper meaning of synodality.

"Though I remained in my office, I journeyed together with the Church throughout Asia through every news story," she said.

Xu said reading and translating the Assembly's reports allowed her to hear what she described as "the voice of the Church in Asia", a Church discerning together, responding to contemporary challenges, and seeking new ways to proclaim the Gospel across the continent.

The experience also transformed her understanding of Catholic media and its place in the Church's mission.

"In the past, I often regarded my work as simply translating news, organizing information, and producing audio recordings," she said. "During this Assembly, however, I came to realize that media is not merely a means of communication; it is an essential bridge in the Church's synodal journey."

Xu also described her work as a form of evangelization. Reflecting on the Assembly's scriptural inspiration, "You will see greater things than these" (John 1:50), she said she came to understand that God often works through ordinary acts of service.

"Every translation, every audio recording, and every news report became a possible channel through which the Holy Spirit could work, helping more people encounter the journey of the Church in Asia," she said.

Her experience also deepened her appreciation of the vocation of lay people within the Church.

"Synodality does not belong only to bishops, priests, or religious," Xu said. "It calls every baptized person to participate according to the gifts God has given them."

Currently, Xu is in Malaysia as part of the RVA team organizing a three-day Sacred Music Concert Series from July 31 to Aug. 2 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the RVA Mandarin Service.

Looking back on her role during the FABC Assembly, she said the experience reaffirmed that even work carried out behind the scenes contributes to the Church's mission.

"It was more than a job, it was a grace. It was more than a responsibility, it was a vocation," Xu said.