Fr. Vimal Tirimanna CSsR

National synodal teams across Asia were urged to accompany dioceses patiently and creatively as the Catholic Church seeks to move from consultation to deeper participation and shared responsibility.

National synodal teams should see themselves not as another layer of authority in the Church, but as facilitators helping bishops, clergy and pastoral communities discover practical ways of living synodality, said Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David, Vice President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC).

National synodal teams across Asia should help dioceses address their existing pastoral challenges through synodal methods rather than become another source of programs, targets and workload, participants heard on September 2 during a discussion on strengthening synodal engagement.

Addressing the Asian bishops on the theme “The Conversion of Bonds for a Synodal Church in Asia: The Crucial Role of the Local Churches,” Fr. Vimal Tirimanna, CSsR, emphasized the Asian Church’s mission to live authentic synodality. He explained that the term “bonds” does not refer to rigid structures but to a dynamic network of relationships within and beyond the Church.