(Note: This article first appeared on Radio Veritas Asia on October 28, 2025.) 

Synodality has always been a core foundation of the Catholic Church, but in recent years, it has gained renewed focus, particularly through the efforts of the late Pope Francis. His vision for synodality sought to deepen the Church’s sense of collegiality, recognize the diverse gifts within the community, and foster a more missionary spirit across the global community.

But what does synodality mean in a rapidly changing world? And what unique contributions can Asia offer to the Universal Church from its distinct perspective?

To explore these questions, I had the privilege of conducting an exclusive, brief interview with His Eminence Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), Archbishop of Goa and Daman, and President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC). The interview took place on October 25, 2025.

Cardinal Ferrão was a key figure in the 2024 Synod on Synodality and was personally chosen by Pope Francis to serve on the commission that drafted the synod’s final report. He was also one of the cardinal electors in the 2025 papal conclave, which elected Pope Leo XIV.

(This interview has been edited for length and clarity)

Synodality in the Church, as we understand it, means walking together, listening, and discerning God’s will collectively. In a changing polarized world, especially with the rise of social media and AI, how can synodality foster unity, both within the Universal Church and beyond?

For me, synodality means walking together, listening deeply and discerning God’s will as a community. In today’s polarized world, especially with social media and AI sometimes dividing us, synodality offers a way to rediscover unity. It calls us to pause amidst the noise, to create spaces where voices — especially those often unheard — are genuinely listened to. This kind of collective listening and openness can help heal divisions not only within the Universal Church, but also beyond, showing everyone the power of communion and dialogue.

Synodality creates an interpersonal trust: a shared sense that one’s voice will be heard and honored. By engaging in patient dialogue and discernment rooted in prayer, it lowers the temperature of debates amplified by social media and accelerated by AI.

Practically, it calls communities to set common rules for conversation: verifying sources and giving priority to the voices of the poor, the young and those on the margins. In this way, synodality becomes a school of communion: it builds trust locally, reconciles differences across cultures, and offers the wider world a witness that unity is possible without uniformity.

Synodality was a key focus for Pope Francis. With Pope Leo XIV, do you see this emphasis continuing? How will synodality reflect the universality of the Church in this new chapter?

Pope Francis laid a strong foundation for synodality, and Pope Leo XIV is continuing this emphasis with great conviction. Synodality truly reflects the universality of the Church by inviting everyone — no matter where they come from or what role they play — to participate in discerning God’s direction together. This new chapter encourages even deeper engagement with our diverse cultures and traditions, inviting the whole Church on a shared journey, open to the Spirit’s movement among us all.

We must remember that it was the wish of Pope Francis that the synodal path did not end with the Assembly’s Final Document in October 2024. Now, with Pope Leo XIV, it has moved into an implementation phase that invites local Churches to translate proposals into concrete reforms and ministries. Recent papal messaging on peace, hunger and social fracture indicates continuity in style and substance: a universal Church that listens, serves, and acts together in the face of global wounds. The recent Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te carries the invitation to positively include the underprivileged in the process.

Pope Leo XIV visited the General Secretariat of the Synod on 26 June 2025. In his brief address to them, he said: “Pope Francis has given a new impetus to the Synod of Bishops, taking his cue, as he has often said, from Saint Paul VI. And the legacy he has left us seems to me above all this: synodality is a style, an attitude that helps us to be the Church, fostering authentic experiences of participation and communion … And you are the body tasked with gathering these fruits and undertaking a forward-looking reflection. I encourage you in this work, I pray that it may be fruitful, and I am grateful to you already.”

Asia, particularly India, is rich in theological, spiritual, and cultural traditions shaped by a multi-religious context. How can these perspectives contribute to a more inclusive expression of synodality within the Universal Church?

Asia, especially India, is uniquely positioned with its rich theological, spiritual, and cultural heritage shaped by interactions among many religions. These traditions teach us the beauty of dialogue, respect, and coexistence. Asia has a lot of images and practices of synodality: ‘taking off the shoes’ (i.e. sense of sacred, respect, letting go of one’s status), ‘circle of elders’ (i.e. inclusion, diversity, dialogue, growth, listening, gender and religious complementarity),  ‘tree’ (i.e. communion as roots, participation as trunk, and mission as branches), ‘rangoli’ (i.e. complementarity of colors, center and periphery correspondence, subsidiarity),  ‘tribal dance’ (i.e. harmony, symphony, synergy), etc.

Asia brings a lived expertise to interreligious encounter, familial piety, and community-based solidarity. From Small Christian Communities to practices of hospitality across faiths, Asian Catholics can learn how to listen without fear and to cooperate for the common good.

India’s theological reflection at the intersection of many religions also equips the Church to articulate the Gospel with intellectual humility and cultural resonance: key ingredients of a synodality that is truly Catholic and dialogical.

In India, where the clergy traditionally holds a central role, how can the Church encourage the laity to take a more active part in the synodal process, while maintaining balance with the clergy?

In India, where clergy have often held the central role in Church life, synodality invites us to rethink how we can journey together. It is important to create opportunities where the laity feel empowered and encouraged to share their insights and gifts. At the same time, these efforts should foster collaboration rather than competition, with the clergy acting as facilitators and companions in the process, ensuring a balanced and harmonious participation of the laity that strengthens the entire community.

Another way of ensuring the participation of the laity is by promoting steward-leadership. While the clergy safeguard faith, sacraments and communion, the laity exercise co-responsibility in councils, ministries, and mission fields, where their competence is decisive – such as in education, media, governance, healthcare, and social outreach. Concrete steps include parish pastoral councils with tangible charters and timelines, trained lay facilitators for “conversations in the Spirit,” shared accountability for budgets and priorities, and formation tracks that pair biblical-theological depth with leadership skills. Co-responsibility is not a concession; it is a baptismal claim!

The participatory structures that are already approved by the Code of Canon Law, and the ministries (lector, acolyte, catechist) that are granted by the Church have not adequately reached the laypeople yet. The laypeople are not to be seen as mere participants in the Church’s mission; they are partners in mission. The clergy must include the laypeople, and the laypeople must open themselves up to the invitation for inclusion.

There’s often scepticism about synodality. What would you say to those who doubt its relevance, to help it move from an abstract idea to a lived reality in local Catholic communities?

By and large, the dioceses in Asia – including those in India – have accepted and welcomed the concept of synodality. However, some people – clergy and laity – resist it, saying that it is impossible. They doubt the relevance of synodality, as it sounds abstract or idealistic. Some say this is nothing new. We must know, however, that synodality has been there since the inception of the Church. At its core, it’s about living our baptismal vocation actively and responsibly. It’s not just a theory, but a practice that begins in every parish, in conversations, in shared decision-making, and in listening with an open heart. When people experience being truly heard and involved, synodality stops being a distant concept and becomes a lived reality that can transform communities.

We must remember that synodality is not a slogan, but a concrete method that delivers results: clearer priorities, better protection of the vulnerable, and renewed missionary outreach. Invite sceptics to judge by the fruits: start with small, time-boxed processes, like listening sessions, with feedback published for transparency; a parish discernment that leads to one measurable initiative for the poor; or a deanery-level youth forum that shapes the catechetical plan. When people see, prayerful listening becomes decisions and decisions become service: the “abstract” turns concrete.

Asia is home to 60% of the world’s youth. What message would you offer to young Catholics in the region eager to engage with synodality and shape the Church’s future?

To the young people in Asia, I would say: your energy, creativity, and faith are gifts the Church needs urgently. Synodality invites you to be bold, to raise your voices, and to help shape the Church’s future. Don’t wait to be asked; step forward with your questions, your ideas, and your passion for a Church that listens, loves, and walks with everyone. You are not just the Church of the future; you are active participants in the Church’s journey today – as Pope Francis said in ‘Christus Vivit.’

Bring your questions – and your gifts. The Church needs your digital intelligence, your impatience with injustice, your creativity in worship and service. Learn to pray. Build communities that are welcoming on-site and online. Refuse both cynicism and naïveté. If you give the Church your energy, she will give you a mission worthy of your courage: to make hope visible in a wounded world.

Finally, going off topic, with your tireless dedication as Cardinal, Archbishop of Goa and Daman, and President of both the CCBI and FABC, what are you most grateful for in your service to the Church?

I am deeply grateful to the Lord for the grace that has allowed me to contribute to the advancement of synodality, first at the CCBI level through initiatives like Mission 2033, through the “Spiritual Conversation Method” at plenary assemblies, and by promoting inclusivity, diversity, dialogue, and listening within CCBI Commissions.

At the FABC, I have worked to advocate for an Asian perspective in the universal Church, embracing interfaith dialogue and the spiritual richness of the continent’s traditions.

Most of all, I am thankful for the privilege of serving the Church across parishes, dioceses, and beyond, where I have been moved by the holiness of ordinary believers—families, catechists, religious, and priests. Their faith and witness continually inspire me.

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Image: “Microphone” (CC BY 2.0) by Juan_Alvaro