The Assembly of the Federation of Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania (FCBCO) took place in the Fiji Islands, which was also the continental stage of reflection towards the Synod. The appeal of communities that daily face the threats of climate change: ecological conversion is an urgent missionary priority, not only for us but for the entire Church.
Suva () – In Suva, Fiji Islands, the Assembly of the FCBCO took place between February 5 and 9, the Federation that brings together the four episcopal conferences of Oceania (Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, New Zealand Bishops’ Conference , Pacific Bishops’ Conference and the Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands Conference of Catholic Bishops). The meeting – the first to be held after the pandemic – was also the opportunity to reflect at the continental level on the progress of the Synod convened by Pope Francis. We publish below the central part of the final message issued by the FCBCO upon completion of the work.
Our assembly focused on three themes: caring for the oceans; become a more synodal Church; and mission formation.
Oceania is a network of islands, large and small, rich in diversity. Our oceanic identity and our geographic location provide the context in which we participate in God’s mission. In our region, the ecological crisis is an existential threat to people and to our communities. It manifests itself in rising sea levels, ocean acidification, droughts, floods, and more frequent extreme weather events.
Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, presided over the opening Mass and gave the assembly’s inaugural address. We welcome his emphasis on a holistic approach to caring for the well-being of people and all of creation. This is also affirmed by the wisdom of the cultures of our peoples.
We recognize ecological conversion as an urgent missionary priority, not only for us but for the entire Church. In addition, we feel called to make our voice heard at the highest levels of government in our countries and also at the world level – in the Church and in society in general – for the good of our oceanic land and its peoples.
The themes related to the conversion into a more synodal Church and formation for the mission were chosen by the executive of the Federation as a result of the reflection on the synthesis of the Episcopal Conferences for the diocesan phase of the international Synod “For a synodal Church: Communion, participation and mission”. Although our region is riddled with differences in many aspects, these two issues have been important to each of our Conferences.
Oceania is home to some of the world’s youngest local churches, as well as some of the world’s oldest cultures that have come down to us. We are aware of the complexity of the contemporary world with which our people must interact. If on the one hand being young can mean vulnerabilities, it also offers freshness and vitality. We have learned that the younger Churches in our region have lessons to teach the more established Churches about synodality and preserving the freshness of the Gospel encounter with local cultures and societies.
Above all, accompanying our young people in a more courageous, creative and committed way is an essential aspect of the mission of our Church in the context of today’s world. In this year of World Youth Day, we encourage you to participate in local and international celebrations.
We have shared our reflections on the many ways our churches are already living synodality and how they can become more synodal. As always, our desire is to be communities that follow Jesus Christ more and more faithfully, guided by the Holy Spirit towards the Kingdom of the Father.
We recognize that as a pilgrim people we are always on our way and that at times we can stray. As we continue our journey towards the Synodal Assemblies in Rome, we once again place our trust in the mercy of God who is surely with us.
In fact, we have spent significant time in our week preparing for these synodal assemblies, as we prayed and discerned our response to the working document for the continental phase of the Synod. Guided by the voices of God’s people in Oceania, we have continued the work already undertaken to ensure that a clearly oceanic voice continues to resonate in the Synod documents. We will complete our response in the coming weeks.
We have been able to deepen our understanding of synodality through the experience of our meeting. We appreciate the presence and contribution of Sister Nathalie Becquart, Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod, who introduced us to the Synodal experience from other parts of the world. In Oceania, as globally, there is no one-size-fits-all model. We have felt confirmed to respond in our own way in our own context.
The nature of our context and the desire to become more synodal communities require an integral formation of all the people of God: laity, religious and clergy. Comprehensive training requires a holistic approach to the person. It considers the physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual dimension of the human being and recognizes that we are creatures within God’s creation.
Formation is always at the service of the mission, which has various dimensions: the witness of life, the explicit proclamation of the Gospel, conversion, entry and growth within the Christian community and becoming an agent of evangelization. With Pope Francis, we affirm that witness requires the defense of human life from conception to natural death, respect for all life, the promotion of justice and peace, and personal, community, and structural ecological conversion.
As we walk the synodal journey together, our formation programs should place greater emphasis on inclusiveness, transparency, accountability, intercultural competence, new theological methods, and more participatory and collaborative leadership. Our efforts must help our Church to achieve and spread a culture of hospitality, encounter and dialogue in a world marked by both sin and grace, on our pilgrimage towards the kingdom of God.
We want to become people rooted in Scripture and Tradition, and in their interpretation within our cultural traditions. The laity, whose mission is at the heart of the world, need above all an education in the Church’s tradition of teaching and acting on social problems and ecological crises, that is, the Social Doctrine of the Church. In particular, formation must shape us to be people who joyfully accept the invitation to participate in God’s mission.
We conclude our meeting with this mission becoming clearer in our hearts and in our minds. We carry with us the hopes and dreams of our people and our precious region of Oceania.
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