Indonesia’s SAGKI 2025 Opens with a Call to Synodality

The Fifth National Assembly of the Catholic Church in Indonesia (SAGKI), which began on November 3, opened with a clarion call to become a listening Church.

Celebrating the Opening Mass, the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia (KWI), Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, OSC, emphasized that one of the key elements of SAGKI is the spirit of synodality, a Church that listens.

“A synodal Church is one where the young listen to the old, and the old listen to the young. This is the richness of diversity within the Church,” Bishop Antonius said.

“In love, no one is excluded, unheard, or ignored. Everyone is called to participate in the Church’s mission,” he added.

The assembly, which runs from November 3–7, 2025, gathers 374 participants, including 41 active bishops, 4 emeritus bishops, and 254 male and 120 female delegates representing 38 dioceses and the Military Ordinariate.

A celebration of diversity

The Opening Mass of SAGKI 2025 was marked by colorful expressions of Indonesia’s cultural richness. Participants wore traditional attire from their respective regions, and the Prayers of the Faithful were offered in various local languages, Papuan, Manadonese, Javanese, Balinese, and Dayak.

This year’s theme, “Journeying Together as Pilgrims of Hope: Becoming a Synodal and Missionary Church for Peace,” reflects the Indonesian Church’s desire to strengthen its commitment to the global Synod of Bishops by fostering communion, participation, and mission.

Bishop Antonius quoted Pope Leo XIV’s message at the Closing Mass of the Synodal Jubilee on October 26, 2025, reminding the faithful that relationships within the Church should not be governed by the logic of power or hierarchy but by the logic of love and the spirit of walking together.

He urged all Indonesian Catholics to listen to the Holy Spirit with an attitude of dialogue, fraternity, and the courage to speak the truth openly and honestly. “We cannot build a missionary, synodal Church if we remain closed to the Spirit or bound by excessive pride, thinking only of ourselves, our diocese, our island, or our region,” he said. “True discernment requires inner freedom, humility, prayer, and trust.”

Continuing the Spirit of the Istiqlal Declaration

Bishop Antonius underscored the importance of continuing the spirit of the Istiqlal Declaration, a joint statement signed by the late Pope Francis and Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar of the Istiqlal Mosque. “May SAGKI 2025 produce a synodal wisdom that stands with those on the peripheries, geographically and existentially, strengthening our common struggle for justice and peace, and upholding human dignity through the ongoing implementation of the Istiqlal Declaration,” he said.

According to Bishop Antonius, the declaration serves as a moral foundation for addressing dehumanization and the ecological crisis, promoting the integrity of creation through interreligious collaboration.

A relevant and hopeful Church

SAGKI 2025, he continued, is expected to yield ecclesial insights that make the Church more relevant and significant to both the faithful and society at large. “This assembly should not end as a mere formality,” Bishop Antonius cautioned, “but must bear fruit in decisions rooted in love and justice. This gathering must become a sign of hope and peace for those who are poor, marginalized, and dependent on our witness of faith.”

As a space for dialogue and discernment, SAGKI also provides an opportunity for the Church to listen to the social struggles of the Indonesian people. “In this spirit,” he said, “the Church must remain engaged and sensitive to the humanitarian challenges facing our nation.”

With this renewed spirit of synodality and solidarity, SAGKI 2025 marks a milestone for the Indonesian Catholic Church, a Church that continues to bring the light of faith into a pluralistic society, strengthen its national commitment, and nurture new hope for both the faithful and the nation.