Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC) has launched a web portal “to coordinate and promote communication of the Synod on Synodality” in the region.
During its inauguration on August 29, Bishop Sebastian Francis of Penang said the Synod “is a privileged moment to continue the threefold dialogue with cultures, religions, and the poor”.
The prelate, who is a cardinal-elect and head of FABC’s Office of Social Communication (OSC), said the “Synod Asia” website is an “important point of reference” for the Church in Asia and all media.
He urged everyone to share the resources and richness of the Synod “as we walk together as People of God.”
In a recorded message, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, president of FABC, described the Synod as “a moment of grace”.
“It is a call to witness to Jesus and his message in this vast continent of Asia and to the millions of brothers and sisters in whose midst we live,” he said.
Cardinal Bo, who is a member of the Vatican’s Dicastery of Communication and the Ordinary Council of the Synod, said the church leadership has heard “many heart-warming stories about the Synod” from across the globe and from communities in Asia.
The prelate said the online platform that will gather and share the stories about the Synod, with a special focus on Asia, is essential so that the people “can be part of the synodal journey”.
Father George Plathottam, executive secretary of FABC-OSC, said the online portal will serve as a point of reference for episcopal conferences and media to access the latest news and communication on the Synod Assembly in Rome in October.
The priest said the initiative also aimed to create a network of journalists who report on Synod-related events.
He urged journalists in Asia to help the Church “rediscover the word together.”
