Fr. Giacomo Costa SJ

A synodal Church is not one in which local Churches become more independent, but one in which they grow stronger by deepening their communion with one another, a Vatican synod official told bishops and Church leaders gathered at the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC).

As the Catholic Church moves into the implementation phase of the Synod on Synodality, local Churches are being encouraged to tell the story of how God is at work in their communities rather than simply produce administrative reports.

The implementation of the Synod on Synodality is not about Rome directing local Churches from the center but about empowering them to discern their own path in communion with the universal Church, a Vatican synod official told delegates at the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC).