The Document for the Continental Stage (DCS) had been distributed at the FABC 50th General Conference (29 October 2022).

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, General Rapporteur of the XVI General Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops and Susan Pascoe, Member of the Continental Task Force of the General Secretariat of the Synod addressed the participants to explain the Continental Stage of the Synodal Process and the Working Document for the Continental Stage.

The continental process towards the Continental Synodal Assembly

All FABC members received the DCS and have been asked to spread it to all their dioceses. Each Diocese/Conference will decide on their own methodology as to how the DCS will be studied.

All Conferences will review the responses to the three questions laid out in the DCS and then submit a ten-page “report” to the FABC Secretariat on or before January 15.

Afterwards, the FABC Synodal Task Force, together with a few others experts, will study these reports from 30 January – 4 February to make a synthesis and work towards a provisional draft of the Final Document to be discussed during the Continental Synodal Assembly.

This draft document that will be distributed to all who will attend the Continental Synodal Assembly to be studied in preparation for the Assembly. The latter will be the basis of the Continental Assembly.

The Continental Synodal Assembly

Dates: 24-26 February 2023

Venue: Baan Phu Waan Pastoral Training Centre Archdiocese of Bangkok, Thailand

Composition of Participants:

• The FABC Presidency (President, Vice President and Secretary General).
• All Presidents of the 17 Bishops’ Conferences and of the 2 Synods of Oriental Churches.
• Bishops from the 3 Associate Members.
• 38 other delegates from the Conferences and Synods (2 each).
• One delegate from each Associate Members.
• The Bishop Chairmen and the Executive Secretaries of the FABC Offices
• Synod Council Members from Asia
• Synod Commission Members from Asia
• FABC Synodal Task Force
• Other invited guests
• Around 100 expected participants.

For more information: https://fabc.org/ - https://www.rvasia.org/synod