Synod Contact Persons meet to dialogue on timeline, teams and processes

Jan 21, 2022

KUALA LUMPUR: Eleven Synod contact persons from Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei met online on January 18, 2022, to discuss timelines, teams, and processes. Also present was the general coordinator, an additional synod team member from Kuching archdiocese and two from Malacca Johore diocese.

The team’s agenda was to fix the timeline for diocese synod reports, diocese assemblies, and submission of diocese reports to the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei (CBCMSB) Secretariat. It also looked into scheduling a date for the National (Malaysian) pre-Synodal event and establishing the teams for synthesising the reports as well as preparing the programme for the pre-Synodal event in Malaysia.

The session enabled participants to share some of their learnings and experiences on analysing and compiling the reports, and the online submissions in their respective dioceses.

It was agreed that all dioceses submit their draft report to the general coordinator or conference secretariat between May 1 and June 1, 2022, at the latest, and the National (Malaysian) pre-Synodal event to be held on July 11, 2022. A guide template will be designed to assist members in writing their diocese reports.

A guide for the Diocese Assembly and National Assembly will also be compiled from the notes in the Vademecum, especially Appendix C and D.

The CBCMSB will meet from Aug 8 to 12, 2022 where there will be a final reading of the reports. All dioceses in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei are required to submit their reports to Rome, preferably through the CBCMSB Secretariat, by Aug 15, 2022.

As the team is concerned about the possibility of travel and face-to-face meetings, it is recommended that the Malaysian pre-Synod be a hybrid event, online by Zoom. They aim to have 10 -12 persons per diocese as official delegates representing a cross-section of ministries and peoples. Delegates may gather at their respective pastoral centres to participate together.

Despite current travel challenges, Singapore and Brunei members have been invited to send delegates to the event and be present as part of a larger conference. They will gather in a spirit of prayer, participate in the discussions, discern the voice of the Spirit, reflect and make recommendations to the draft report, celebrate the journey and closing liturgy, and share the final document.

The programme/animation team will come up with an outline for the Malaysian pre-Synodal event by the end of January 2022. If the Conference decides to include a closing liturgy within the said event, it will be presided over by either or both Presidents of the Conference – in Penang or Kuala Lumpur.