Indonesia’s Top Prelate Urges Asian Church to Listen Before Building Bridges

The president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Indonesia called on the Church in Asia to become a listening Church as it opened the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC), saying authentic synodality begins by listening to God, one another, and the voices of people on the margins.

"This Plenary Assembly is more than a meeting of bishops," Bishop Antonius Subianto Bunjamin, OSC, told delegates gathered at Hotel Mulia Jakarta on July 21. "It is a sacred moment to listen to the Holy Spirit, to listen to one another, and to listen to the voices of the peoples of Asia."

The opening ceremony brought together Church leaders, government officials, and delegates from across Asia. 

On the stage were Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão of India, president of the FABC; Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of the Philippines, vice president; Cardinal Tarcisio Isao Kikuchi of Japan, secretary general; and Indonesia's Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar, the guest of honor.

Welcoming participants to Indonesia, Bishop Antonius expressed hope that delegates would experience the country's hospitality while strengthening the bonds of communion among the Churches of Asia.

He recalled that the FABC has long emphasized dialogue as a defining characteristic of the Asian Church. At the 1990 FABC Plenary Assembly in Bandung, Indonesia, bishops articulated the spirituality of the "triple dialogue"—dialogue with the poor, with cultures, and with other religions. Today, he said, care for creation has become another essential dimension of the Church's mission.

Bishop Antonius encouraged participants to deepen their synodal conversion through listening, collaboration, and a shared vision for the future.

He also linked the synodal journey with the teachings of recent popes, recalling Pope Francis' call for a Church that listens before speaking and accompanies before judging. Pope Leo XIV, he added, has reaffirmed that vision by inviting the Church to become a builder of bridges through dialogue, openness, and charity.

As part of the opening ceremony, the Nusantara Dancers presented a series of traditional dances representing Indonesia's rich cultural heritage, including traditions from Sumatra, Java, and Nusa Tenggara. The performances reflected the country's cultural diversity and welcomed delegates from across Asia.

Bishop Antonius thanked the Indonesian government, particularly the Ministry of Religious Affairs, religious leaders, volunteers, benefactors, and the organizing committee for their collaboration in hosting the assembly, describing their cooperation as a concrete expression of synodality.

Concluding his address, he entrusted the gathering to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and prayed that the assembly would strengthen the local Churches of Asia, empower laypeople and young people, deepen care for creation, and renew the Church's witness across the continent.

He ended with a prayer that summed up the assembly's vision: "Make us instruments of peace. Make the FABC an instrument of peace, and then we will see greater things."