Bishops from around the Pacific gather in American Samoa for a week of prayer and discussion, and ask: Where is God calling the Church in the Pacific?
By Vatican News
What does it mean to be a Church that is authentically “of the Pacific”?
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 Pacific—which 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, ‘conversations in the Spirit’ using synodal methodology, and an address from Archbishop Gábor Pintér, the Apostolic Nuncio to CEPAC.
The welcoming ceremony on August 6th
“Deeply rooted” in the Pacific
In his speech, Archbishop Gábor Pintér described the Pacific as “region of breathtaking natural beauty, imbued with a profound sense of spirituality, and shaped by deep-rooted, resilient cultures.”
It also, the nuncio admitted, faces “significant challenges”: climate change, economic disparities, social injustice, and youth disempowerment. These realities are “not distant concerns”, Archbishop Pintér said, but rather “woven into the very fabric of our daily lives”.
Dr. Susan Pascoe facilitates a conversation in the Spirit
At the “very core” of CEPAC’s vision, the apostolic nuncio said, is a “deep desire to be a Church that is authentically ‘of the Pacific’ … 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.”
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 “Christ-centred”, passionately committed to justice, peace, and environmental care, and “deeply rooted and flourishing within the rich cultural tapestries of our islands”.
The Apostolic Nuncio, bishops, and facilitators