Cardinal and bishop delegates from across Asia gathered in Jakarta on July 20, 2026, for the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences. Opening a weeklong schedule focused on synodal conversion, the assembly features addresses from Pope Leo XIV urging Eucharistic spirituality alongside calls for interreligious bridge-building.
When Catholic leaders from across the continent began arriving in Jakarta on July 20 for the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), they stepped into an event designed around meticulous logistical preparation and deep regional symbolism. Hundreds of volunteer teams stationed at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport monitored flight updates and greeted delegates arriving from East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. These volunteers coordinated transport to the official assembly accommodation at the Mulia Hotel Jakarta, where registration centers provided accreditation badges and conference materials.
Father Frans Kristi Adi Prasetya, secretary of the Local Organizing Committee, emphasized that the reception of delegates went beyond mere administration. Before delegates enter the meeting hall to reflect together on the challenges facing the Church in Asia, we want them first to experience that they are received as brothers and sisters,
he said, adding that the welcome reflected the synodal spirit underpinning the gathering.
Pope Leo XIV Urges Eucharistic Spirituality and Ecclesial Unity
As delegates convened in Jakarta, Pope Leo XIV delivered a video message on Saturday, July 25, at the Vanda Room of Hotel Mulia. The Bishop of Rome encouraged the assembly to recognize that ecclesial communion finds its source in the mystery of Christ and exhorted local churches to continue promoting a Eucharistic spirituality rooted in shared charity.
“As His disciples today, we know that Jesus is not only the source of our communion with God, but also with one another.”
Pope Leo XIV, via Fides News Agency
The Pope’s message drew upon the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas to stress that Christian solidarity emerges directly from sacramental communion, particularly the Eucharist. By strengthening these bonds, the pontiff expressed hope that local churches across Asia would become an ever more eloquent sign of God’s presence in their respective nations.
Navigating Pluralism, Social Challenges, and Interreligious Harmony
The assembly brings together more than 120 cardinals and bishops representing 22 episcopal conferences and ecclesiastical jurisdictions, alongside theologians, pastoral experts, and observers. Indonesia’s capital was selected for the 2026 gathering to highlight a living church thriving amid religious and cultural diversity, interfaith brotherhood, and ecological vulnerability.
At a July 20 press conference, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, archbishop of Goa and Daman and president of the FABC, stated that the regional church carries a vital mission in hostile or challenging environments. The Church believes that even in a hostile environment, when there are challenges, sometimes even persecutions, that the Church has a special role of being not only bridge builder, but bridge ascent, and promote peace, harmony, dialogue,
Ferrão noted.
Toward the Final Document and Interreligious Outreach
Participants are examining and approving a final document and a message to the People of God designed to offer a guide for local churches on addressing continental challenges in a synodal manner. Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, Archbishop of Jakarta, emphasized during assembly briefings that the call for synodal conversion must extend beyond ecclesiastical structures to influence political and strategic leaders.
The weeklong gathering, scheduled to run through July 26, concludes with a Eucharistic celebration at Jakarta’s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption.
Related reading
