The Catholic Church in Indonesia is preparing to hold the Fifth National Assembly of the Catholic Church in Indonesia (SAGKI) from November 3 to 7, 2025, in North Jakarta.
Carrying the theme “Walking Together as Pilgrims of Hope: Becoming a Synodal and Missionary Church for Peace,” SAGKI 2025 seeks to renew the Church’s commitment to live as a communion of faith, hope, and love, and to strengthen its missionary spirit in promoting peace and dialogue, said Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, OSC, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia (KWI), during a press briefing,
SAGKI is a major ecclesial gathering that brings together all members of the People of God, bishops, priests, religious men and women, and lay faithful, to listen, discern, and chart the pastoral direction of the Church amid contemporary social, cultural, and pastoral realities.
374 Participants from 38 Dioceses Across the Country
Delegates from 38 territorial dioceses and the Military and Police Ordinariate will participate in this national assembly, which serves as a moment of communion, reflection, and renewal for the Church in Indonesia.
“The total number of participants is 374, including 38 active bishops and four retired bishops,” explained Bishop Bunjamin to the media at the KWI headquarters in Central Jakarta. Each diocese has been authorized to send eight representatives.
First convened in 2000 and held every five years, SAGKI was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2025 assembly marks its fifth edition, reaffirming the Church’s identity as a synodal Church that walks together in faith and mission.
A Church That Walks Together
The theme of SAGKI 2025 underscores the Church’s self-understanding as a pilgrim community journeying together, internally among bishops, clergy, religious, and laity, and externally through dialogue and collaboration with people of other faiths, beliefs, and cultures.
“Walking together means living in solidarity, subsidiarity, mutual respect, and service. In this spirit of communion, the Church is called to proclaim God’s love, promote justice, and build peace amid a rapidly changing world,” Bishop Bunjamin emphasized.
The synodal journey also invites the Church in Indonesia to respond to the nation’s pressing concerns, including environmental degradation, corruption, social inequality, intolerance, violence, and gender injustice, through shared discernment and collaborative action.
When asked by journalists whether sensitive humanitarian and violence issues in Papua would be discussed, Bishop Bunjamin said such matters may or may not arise during the assembly. “It all depends on the deliberations within each diocese, as every participant has the same right and freedom to speak,” he explained.
Goals and Pastoral Orientation
SAGKI 2025 aims to strengthen communion between the hierarchy and the laity, foster the Church as a community of hope imbued with a missionary spirit, and enhance its relevance and commitment to promoting peace. It also seeks to discern and set the pastoral direction of the Catholic Church in Indonesia for the next five years, ensuring that its mission remains responsive to the spiritual and social needs of the people.
The assembly will also feature sharing sessions highlighting stories of “walking together” from various perspectives, including young people, the elderly, persons with disabilities, environmental advocates, and leaders of other faith traditions. These testimonies are expected to enrich the Church’s discernment and deepen its call to be a listening and serving Church.
Unity in Diversity
The spirit of “walking together” resonates deeply with Indonesia’s national values, rooted in the 1928 Youth Pledge and expressed in the national motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity).
In this light, SAGKI 2025 is not only an ecclesial event but also a sign of the Church’s participation in the nation’s ongoing journey toward justice, harmony, and peace.
Through this assembly, the Catholic Church in Indonesia reaffirms her vocation to be a pilgrim community of faith and hope, walking together with all people of goodwill and bearing witness to the coming of God’s Kingdom in this land.
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