The “Continental Phase” officially began last August 26, 2022. Work continues as the Universal Catholic Church is now in the second phase of the process on Synod on Synodality.
Information collected by the local churches from consultations with ordinary people that took place in the previous months had been transmitted to their respective Bishops’ Conferences at the conclusion of the initial stage called the “Diocesan Phase”. The report by the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, which was prepared with the help of our Chancellor, Fr. Melvin Avilla, CRM, was submitted to Conferentia Episcopalis Pacifici (Episcopal Conference of the Pacific or CEPAC) where it was reviewed alongside those reports from other member-arch/dioceses in our region like Agana, Suva, Samoa-Apia, Rarotonga, Caroline Islands, etc. CEPAC then summarized those reports and submitted a synthesis to the General Secretariat of the Synod.
More than 100 syntheses were produced by the different Bishop’s Conferences worldwide. From all those syntheses, a “Document for the Continental Phase” will then be drafted by the Secretary General of the Synod together with a group of theologians. Once prepared, this document will then be sent back for examination by the Churches in each continent, in a process called the “Principle of Circularity”, to make sure that it effectively expresses the sentiments and realities in the local Churches of that continent. This Continental Phase will conclude with a general assembly and submission of a new document to Rome on March 31, 2023.
Our diocese is indeed honored by the appointment of the Most Reverend Ryan P. Jimenez, D.D. as CEPAC’s representative to the Oceania Continent Taskforce. The Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences in Oceania (FCBCO) is composed of 4 member-conferences and counts about 80 bishops from across Oceania.
His appointment also comes after an earlier appointment by CEPAC to be its representative for the World Youth Day celebration in Lisbon, Portugal in 2023.
This particular appointment to the Continental Phase of the Synod entails a big responsibility because Bishop Ryan will be speaking on behalf of all local churches within his own conference; albeit a noteworthy one because this guarantees that the voice of our own local church will be heard. In his message during the launching of the Continental Phase, Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod, said “The addition of a continental level was desired to further guarantee respect for the consultation of the people of God. A further level of discernment that must not be reduced to the celebration of an ecclesial assembly.” We pray that the Holy Spirit will guide Bishop Ryan and everyone joining the assembly so that the sentiments of the people will be heard and that ultimately His will be done.
