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River Above Asia and Oceania Ecclesial Network

Asian forum on synodality and Indigenous living traditions within the Church amplify Indigenous voices

The Asian Forum on Celebrating Synodality and Indigenous Living Traditions in the Church issued a comprehensive statement calling for greater inclusion, recognition, and celebration of Indigenous traditions within the Catholic Church. 

Convened by ROOTS: Catholic Network among Indigenous Peoples of Asia, the gathering on 10 to 16 November 2024 at the Caritas Nepal Center in Dhulikhel, Nepal brought together lay faithful, priests, religious, and bishops from 13 Asian countries and highlighted the need for reconciliation between the Church and Indigenous communities.

“We acknowledge their rich cultural heritage in the ongoing journey of negotiating, resisting, and liberating themselves from all forms of discrimination and marginalization, genocide, and violence,” the statement read.

Indigenous spirituality and Church synodality

Forum participants emphasized the importance of incorporating Indigenous wisdom into the Church’s synodal journey as Indigenous Peoples embody synodality in their governance systems and traditions. Participants explored Indigenous practices such as mogitatabang (sharing seeds), lakēta (welcome), and tenhag (co-responsibility), which align closely with the Church’s call for inclusivity and discernment.

Quoting Laudato Si’, the statement noted, “Indigenous worldviews regard land not as a resource but as a sacred inheritance, deeply intertwined with identity, community, and spirituality.”

The forum also called for urgent action against discrimination, land dispossession, and ecological destruction. 

It urged the Church to amplify Indigenous voices, incorporate their ecological wisdom, and develop contextualized hermeneutics that respect Indigenous eco-spirituality.

Focus on women, youth, and the laity

The role of women in Indigenous communities was emphasized as pivotal and called for their full participation and recognition within the Church. The statement affirmed that Indigenous women are “custodians of traditions and guardians of cultures, who play a pivotal role in the preservation and transmission of traditional practices, languages, and ecological knowledge.” 

Young people were also acknowledged as crucial to the future of Indigenous communities and the Church, likened to “young saplings in a forest” for their role in carrying forward traditions and bringing fresh perspectives.

The forum highlighted the critical contributions of lay faithful, describing them as “bridges between the Church and communities, fostering inclusion and mutual learning.”

Recommendations for action

The forum’s final statement offered recommendations that called for advocating for Indigenous media and governance to amplify the voices of Indigenous communities. 

The development of Indigenous liturgies and faith formation programs was also emphasized as a way to align Church practices with Indigenous traditions. 

The forum highlighted the importance of promoting the inculturation of catechesis and liturgy to ensure they reflect the unique cultural and spiritual heritage of Indigenous Peoples. 

It also proposed the establishment of a pan-Asian synod on Indigenous Peoples to deepen dialogue and collaboration within the Church across Asia.

The statement called on dioceses and parishes to integrate Indigenous ecological wisdom into broader environmental strategies, aligning with Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’.

A synodal commitment

The forum concluded with a commitment to continue the journey of a synodal Church with a preferential option for Indigenous Peoples. “Inspired by God’s all-pervasive Spirit, we embrace the ‘ancestral wisdom’ of Indigenous cultures as we strive to build a Church and a world that reflects God’s reign,” the statement read.

This article was originally published in LiCAS News.

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