Island bishops gather to discuss future of Church in the Pacific
By Vatican News
What does it mean to be a Church that is authentically âof the Pacificâ?
That was the question on the agenda when bishops from around the region gathered in early August for a week of prayer and reflection in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
The meeting, which ran from the 5th to the 11th August, was held under the auspices of CEPAC, the Episcopal Conference of the Pacificâwhich is, by area, the largest episcopal conference in the world.
As well as time for prayer and discussion, the gathering featured a traditional Samoan welcome ceremony, âconversations in the Spiritâ using synodal methodology, and an address from Archbishop Gábor Pintér, the Apostolic Nuncio to CEPAC.
"Deeply rooted" in the Pacific
In his speech, Archbishop Gábor Pintér described the Pacific as âregion of breathtaking natural beauty, imbued with a profound sense of spirituality, and shaped by deep-rooted, resilient cultures.â
It also, the nuncio admitted, faces âsignificant challengesâ: climate change, economic disparities, social injustice, and youth disempowerment. These realities are ânot distant concernsâ, Archbishop Pintér said, but rather âwoven into the very fabric of our daily lives".
At the âvery coreâ of CEPACâs vision, the apostolic nuncio said, is a âdeep desire to be a Church that is authentically âof the Pacificâ ⊠a Church that courageously recognizes, respects, and seamlessly integrates the rich cultural heritage, ancestral wisdom, and communal values of our island nations into its very life.â
With this in mind, he suggested a number of areas for the Church in the region to focus on: care for the oceans, synodality, formation for mission, social activism, and empowerment of women and young people.
Archbishop Pintér brought his address to a close by outlining a vision of the Church in the Pacific as âChrist-centredâ, passionately committed to justice, peace, and environmental care, and âdeeply rooted and flourishing within the rich cultural tapestries of our islandsâ.
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