A top Philippine church leader said “kinship” must guide the Church in Asia as it seeks to build bridges across the region’s many cultures and religions.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, vice president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, said Asia’s cultural and spiritual diversity calls the Church to a deeper practice of listening, dialogue and shared mission.
“Asia is a vast mosaic of cultures, languages and religions. Yet in all this diversity, God is gently weaving us together into one family,” David said.
The outgoing president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines made the remarks ahead of the Asian Mission Congress in Penang, Malaysia, scheduled Nov. 27-30.
More than 900 delegates from all Catholic communities across the continent, including 10 cardinals, over 100 bishops, 150 priests, 75 religious sisters, and hundreds of lay people.
He said the Church must “grow in synodality,” calling it a way of being rooted in humility and genuine encounter.
“We must learn to build bridges across religions, cultures and generations,” said David.
“We must be a Church that protects the dignity of every person, cares for the wounded planet, and speaks truth with compassion in societies marked with so much poverty, conflict and fear,” he added.
The cardinal said his hopes for the Church in the coming decade center on walking more closely with communities, especially young people.
“My vision is of a Church that walks closely with the peoples of Asia, especially the young, listening deeply to their dreams, their wounds, their longings for a more just and peaceful world,” he said.
He described Asian youth not only as the future of the Church but “its vibrant present,” calling their “creativity, questions, courage and even [their] struggles” gifts to the wider Christian community.
Many young Asians, he noted, face burdens such as poverty, discrimination, unemployment and climate anxiety.
“Yet I believe the Lord is calling you to become pilgrims of hope,” he told young Catholics. “[You] can help our communities see beyond despair and rediscover God’s promise of life.”
David said the spirit of “pakikipagkapwa”—a value expressing shared humanity and mutual care—captures the kind of mission the Church must embrace.
“This is what our pilgrimage is about— finding hope together, not alone,” he said
