By Chainarong Monthienvichienchai
THAILAND – More than 50 bishops and Church leaders from across Asia gathered in Samphran, a western suburb of Bangkok, from Sep 22–26 to reflect on and deepen synodality in the Church.
The FABC Bishops Seminar on Synodality, held at Baan Phuwan, opened with Mass on Sep 23 presided over by Archbishop Anthony Weradet Chaiseri, vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand, ahead of the 2026 Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) Plenary Assembly in Bali.
“The purpose was to study and understand the Final Document of the Synod together, reflect on our dioceses, and consider how the Church in Asia can put it into practice,” Archbishop Chaiseri told LiCAS News.
The prelate also noted that the gathering revisited the Bangkok Document, issued during the FABC’s 50th anniversary in 2022, which is deeply connected to the global synodal process.
Participants used a process modeled after the Synod of Bishops in Rome — combining lectures, prayerful reflection, and small-group sharing.
Nine group discussions focused on three themes: the link between the Synod’s Final Document and the FABC’s Bangkok Document of 2022; the reception of the synodal pathway across Asia; and the need for transparency and accountability in a synodal Church.
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