Asian Church’s engagement in the Synod, a “launchpad” for the worldwide process

Asian Church’s engagement in the Synod so far, has served as "a launchpad to lead the Church and Asia into the second phase," Father William J. LaRousse told the Vatican News in an interview.

Father LaRousse, the Assistant Secretary-General of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conference (FABC),  was in Rome for a Synod organizers' meeting.

The priest recalled that one of the conferences' presidents indicated his meeting in charge of the synodal process from the 37 dioceses, and they're already working on the Continental Stage document.

"So I think that's good and encouraging news," LaRousse remarked.

The priest spoke about how the Asian Bishops' Conferences have participated in the synodal process.

"We've received the reports from almost all of the Conferences," the priest said, "It seems as though a good number of the Conferences got very involved very early on with the synodal process."

He acknowledged the different conferences' eagerness to participate and praised them for their diligent work for the synod.

The FABC General Conference was scheduled for 2020 but was delayed due to the global pandemic. It was held in Thailand on October 12 to 30, 2022.

Father LaRousse called it "a gift of God" because FABC General Conference was held after the first stage of the synod process and just before the second stage.

For the second phase of the synodal process that Pope Francis initiated in October 2021, the Vatican announced the "frame of reference" in October as the guide.

This text, titled "Enlarge the space of your tent," serves as a basis for the work of the synod's second stage. - With inputs from Vatican News and Licas News