5 Powerful Lessons from Pope Leo XIV’s Historic Message
to the FABC Plenary Assembly
- Benjamin
Gabriel
- July
16, 2026
Nearly 120 bishops, theologians, and Church leaders from
across Asia are gathering this month in Jakarta, Indonesia. The occasion is the
12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC),
taking place from July 20 to 26, 2026. Ahead of the gathering, Pope Leo XIV
sent a personal letter with a simple but powerful message: be builders of
unity, not division.
Thanks to a growing number of livestream options, including
EWTN Asia Pacific News and several other trusted Catholic platforms, Catholics
anywhere in the world can follow this historic event as it happens.
If you are looking for the FABC Plenary Assembly livestream,
want to understand Pope Leo XIV’s letter to Cardinal Oswald Gracias, or simply
want to grow spiritually alongside the Church in Asia this week, here is
everything you need to know.
Pope Leo XIV’s
Letter: A Call to Be “Builders of Communion”
In a letter signed on June 24, 2026, Pope Leo XIV wrote to
Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop Emeritus of Bombay and the Pope’s Special
Envoy to the assembly. He urged the Church in Asia to keep God at the center of
every decision and to serve people without fear, even when the work gets
difficult.
The line that has since spread across Catholic media
worldwide is this. Pope Leo XIV asked the Church in Asia to pray that it may
become a builder of communion, not an architect of another Babel. He called the
faithful to be servants of God’s coming Kingdom, not builders of towers meant
to collapse.
This is a clear reference to the Tower of Babel from the
Book of Genesis, humanity’s attempt to build a name for itself, which ended in
confusion and division. Pope Leo XIV flips that image around. Instead of towers
built for pride, he is asking Asia’s Church to build bridges of unity,
humility, and shared mission.
The Pope also encouraged the bishops to pray, think wisely,
and work steadily, placing God first in every action and people at the center
of every choice. He described a hopeful outcome of this work: a Church where
the poor, the sick, migrants, and the little ones become the foundation stones
of a common home built on charity, truth, justice, and peace.
Inside the 12th FABC
Plenary Assembly: Theme, Location, and Schedule
The assembly runs from July 20 to 26 in Jakarta and brings
together around 120 participants, including bishops, theologians, pastoral
workers, and representatives of the Holy See. It is hosted by the Archdiocese
of Jakarta at the Hotel Mulia Senayan. The theme for this year’s gathering is
“Synodal Conversion and the Church’s Mission to Build Bridges of Communion.”
Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the FABC, will
deliver the opening keynote address and outline the Church’s vision for deeper
cooperation across Asia. One highlight of the week is a full day of prayer and
reflection on synodal spirituality, led by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.
Theologian Msgr. Tomáš Halík and scholar Dr. Choong Pui Yee will also share
reflections during the assembly.
On July 25, participants will receive a special message from
Pope Leo XIV before reviewing the assembly’s final message and next steps. The
gathering closes on July 26 with a final Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of
the Assumption in Jakarta, followed by a visit to the nearby Istiqlal Mosque as
a sign of respect and friendship between faiths.
Why the “Builders of
Communion” Message Matters for the Global Church
Pope Leo XIV speaks with the College of Cardinals in the
New Synod Hall at the Vatican on May 10, 2025, during his first formal address
to the college since his election on May 8 that year. (Photo: Vatican Media)
Asia holds an incredible mix of cultures, languages, and
religions, and Catholics remain a small minority in most Asian countries. FABC
Vice President Cardinal David reflected on this, saying that Asia’s diversity
gives it something valuable to offer the whole Church: not sameness, but
communion; not conquest, but encounter; not walls, but bridges.
This message reaches far beyond Asia. The FABC’s approach to
unity within diversity offers a model for a global Church, and a divided world,
dealing with polarization and fragmentation. The Pope’s warning about Babel is
both a spiritual and a cultural reminder. It points to the danger of
self-interest and projects built apart from God and human dignity.
For everyday Catholics, this message is personal too. It
invites us to look at our own relationships, parishes, and communities and ask
a simple question: are we building bridges, or are we quietly building small
towers of our own pride?
Building Bridges Beyond the Church: Interfaith Dialogue
in Jakarta
The FABC Plenary Assembly is not only an internal Church
gathering. Its choice of location and closing activities carry meaning for
people of every faith. Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population
alongside significant Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist communities, offers a
fitting backdrop for a theme centered on communion and bridge building.
After the closing Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the
Assumption on July 26, delegates will walk through the Friendship Tunnel to
visit the nearby Istiqlal Mosque. This short walk between a Catholic cathedral
and Indonesia’s national mosque has become a well known symbol of peaceful
coexistence between Muslims and Christians in the country. For the bishops
gathered from across Asia, the visit is a living example of the assembly’s
theme in action: a Church willing to step outside its own walls and build
relationships with neighbors of other faiths.
This gesture speaks to a wider truth about Asia. In a
continent where Catholics are often a small minority living alongside much
larger religious communities, unity cannot mean isolation. Real communion asks
the Church to be present, respectful, and engaged with the wider society around
it. The interfaith visit in Jakarta reminds Catholics everywhere that building
bridges of communion is not just a task within the Church, but a mission that
reaches out to the whole human family.
A Spiritual Resolution
Beyond the news and the livestream schedules, this moment
invites quiet reflection. The Tower of Babel was not wrong because people
worked together. It was wrong because their unity was built on pride and a
desire to make a name apart from God. Pope Leo XIV’s call points the other way.
He asks for unity built on humility and service, one that places the poor, the
sick, the migrants, and the little ones at the center rather than the margins.
This week, consider a small personal resolution alongside
the bishops of Asia: to be a builder of communion in your own home, parish, or
workplace. That could mean reaching out to someone you have drifted from,
choosing patience over pride during a disagreement, or simply praying for the
success of the FABC assembly and for greater unity in the Church. Spiritual
growth rarely starts with grand gestures. It starts with small, humble steps
taken one at a time.
Join the Church in Asia This July
The 12th FABC Plenary Assembly is more than a meeting of
Church leaders. It is a spiritual moment for the whole Church, carrying a
message that reaches far beyond Jakarta. Pope Leo XIV’s call to be builders of
communion, not architects of Babel, challenges every Catholic, wherever they
live, to choose unity over division and service over self-interest.
Whether you follow the assembly through EWTN Asia Pacific News, Vatican
News, FABC’s own channels, or your local diocesan broadcaster, take the chance
to walk alongside the Church in Asia this week. Watch a session, share this
article with someone who would appreciate it, and leave a comment below on how
you plan to be a builder of communion in your own community.
To remain informed about Catholic life, teachings, and
global Church developments, readers may be encouraged to visit www.ewtnvatican.com for
trusted Catholic news and resources.
https://ewtnasiapacific.com/watch-the-fabc-plenary-assembly-from-jakarta/
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