Bishops in Asia call for ‘bridges, not barriers’ at close of Jakarta assembly

By CBCP News

Catholic bishops from across Asia closed a week-long summit Sunday with a call to build “bridges, not barriers” across a continent strained by war, migration and inequality.

The message came at the end of the 12th plenary assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, which brought together cardinals and bishops from 22 member episcopal conferences for six days of prayer and discussion in the Indonesian capital.

In their closing statement, the bishops said Christ himself should be seen as a “living bridge” connecting heaven and earth, and that the church in Asia is called to follow that example in a time of division.

“Our faith calls us to build bridges and not barriers,” the bishops wrote, pointing to their visit to the passage connecting Jakarta’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption with the Istiqlal Mosque as proof the idea can work in practice.

The bishops listed the challenges they say are testing the region: political polarization, the weakening of global institutions, fast-moving technology, migration, environmental damage, shrinking room for democracy, and growing gaps between rich and poor.

Rather than treating those problems only as threats, the bishops said they see them as opportunities for the church to demonstrate its values through education, interfaith dialogue, hospitality and support for the poor.

The bishops also pointed to a problem closer to home: clericalism, or excessive power held by clergy, which they said can get in the way of shared decision-making within the church.

“This calls us to ongoing pastoral and synodal conversion, fostering a culture of listening, shared discernment, and servant leadership,” they said.

In a video message to the assembly, Pope Leo XIV told the bishops that closer unity among Asia’s local churches is key to carrying out their mission as bridge builders in a region with many religions and cultures.

The message leaned heavily on the idea of “synodality,” a term Pope Leo XIV and his predecessor, Pope Francis, have used to describe a more collaborative, listening-based style of church leadership, in contrast to top-down decision-making by clergy alone.

The bishops also pledged to walk with other faiths as “fellow pilgrims” in the search for truth, justice and peace, and to stand with the poor and vulnerable as they push for stronger environmental protections.

“We renew our commitment to walk together in an ecumenical way as a missionary synodal Church with our neighbor religions and cultures, recognizing them as fellow pilgrims seeking truth, justice, peace, and the care of our common home,” they added.

The message was delivered during the assembly’s closing Mass at Jakarta Cathedral by Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

Caceres Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon was one of the delegates at the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conference (FABC) 12th Plenary Assembly held in Jakarta, Indonesia, July 20-26. The Assembly, which largely focused on synodality, also discussed servant leadership, discernment, regional partnership, and evangelization. (Photo credit: Radio Veritas Asia/Facebook)