Pope Leo XIV has sent a video message to the bishops and members of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia, for the Plenary Assembly running from 20 to 26 July 2026. In the text, released by the Holy See Press Office, the Pontiff assured participants of his spiritual closeness and prayed that the Holy Spirit would inspire and guide their deliberations.
The theme chosen for the gathering draws on the words Jesus addresses to Nathanael in John’s Gospel: “You will see greater things” (Jn 1:50). Reflecting on the passage, Leo XIV noted that, in calling Philip and Nathanael to follow him, the Lord alludes to himself as the sole mediator between God and humanity (cf. Jn 1:51).
The Pope went on to link this biblical reflection to his recent Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, recalling that Christian solidarity springs from the mystery of Christ and flows from sacramental communion, particularly the Eucharist (cf. n. 88). From this principle came his appeal to the Asian bishops to keep fostering, within their local Churches, a Eucharistic spirituality understood as a spirituality of ecclesial unity, rooted in the charity that flows from the Lord’s gift in the sacrament.
According to Leo XIV, strengthening the bonds of communion within and between the local Churches can become an ever clearer sign of God’s presence in the various countries of Asia, while also helping the continent’s Catholics act together as bridge-builders.
The message closes by entrusting the Assembly’s work to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, and by invoking upon participants the gifts of wisdom and fortitude, ahead of a final blessing given in the name of the Trinity.
The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences brings together the episcopates of much of the continent and stands as one of the principal bodies for pastoral coordination at supranational level within the Catholic Church. The Jakarta Plenary Assembly comes at a moment when relations between Christian communities and the social and religious contexts of Asia, often marked by pronounced confessional pluralism, remain high on the pastoral agenda of the continent’s bishops.
