Pakistan's Bishops Bring FABC Vision Home: Education, Dialogue, and Synodal Renewal

Three Pakistani bishops who participated in the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) have shared their reflections with Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), outlining how the Assembly's vision of synodality can shape the Church's mission in Pakistan.

In exclusive interviews with RVA following the July 20–26 gathering in Jakarta, Indonesia, Bishop Samson Shukardin, Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw, OFM, and Archbishop Khalid Rehmat, OFM Cap., highlighted education, dialogue, digital evangelization, and care for marginalized communities as priorities for the local Church.

Bishop Samson Shukardin, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Pakistan and bishop of Hyderabad, said the Church must respond to discrimination and social challenges by strengthening faith, education, and leadership formation.

"Suffering must not compromise our Christian identity or diminish our commitment to peace," he said.

Reflecting on Christ's words in John 1:50, "You will see greater things than these", the bishop said quality higher education enables young people to overcome poverty, contribute to society, and deepen their faith.

He also stressed that priests and lay leaders should be equipped with intellectual, legal, and social tools to defend human dignity and engage confidently in public life.

Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw, apostolic vicar of Quetta, said one of the Assembly's strongest messages was the importance of listening before speaking.

Drawing on the Gospel account of the road to Emmaus, where the risen Christ first listened to the disciples before revealing Himself, Archbishop Shaw said the Church must accompany people by understanding their experiences and concerns.

"Today's faithful seek a Savior, but their experiences and perspectives differ," he said. "Our mission begins by listening with charity and walking with people."

He also called for greater use of digital media in evangelization, urging Catholics to become responsible communicators.

"Delete negative and fake news instead of forwarding it," he said. "False information damages families and communities. Let us spread hope, truth, and the Good News."

Archbishop Khalid Rehmat, OFM Cap., of Lahore said the FABC Assembly challenged bishops and pastoral leaders across Asia to embrace "synodal conversion" in their daily ministry.

"The Assembly was deeply rooted in synodality," he said. "It called us as pastors to journey together with our people and to make synodality a lived reality in our local Churches."

For Pakistan, he said, this means engaging more closely with communities facing economic hardship, social exclusion, and religious discrimination.

"Our parishes must become places of dignity, safety, dialogue, and hope," he said, adding that the Church should continue accompanying vulnerable communities through pastoral care and outreach.

Together, the three bishops said the FABC Assembly reaffirmed the Church's mission to build communities rooted in listening, participation, and shared responsibility.

Their reflections point to a common vision for the Church in Pakistan, one that invests in young people through education, embraces digital evangelization responsibly, promotes dialogue, and walks in solidarity with those on the margins.