The general assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) held in Thailand in October served as a “launchpad” for next year’s synod in the Vatican.
“I think in some ways it’s like a launchpad to lead the Church and Asia into the second phase,” said Father William LaRousse, FABC assistant secretary general, in an interview with Vatican News.
The priest was in Rome recently for a conference of organizers of the synod next year.
Father LaRousse said a president of one of the conferences contacted him, “and he said he’s already had a meeting with the people from the 37 dioceses who are in charge of the synodal process.”
“They are already actively engaging the document for the continental stage [of the synod],” he said.
In October, the Vatican released the “frame of reference” that will guide the next stage of the synodal process that Pope Francis launched in October 2021.
Titled “Enlarge the space of your tent,” the document forms the basis for the work of the second stage of the synodal process.
