Nearly 120 bishops, theologians, and Church leaders from across Asia are gathering this month in Jakarta, Indonesia. The occasion is the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), taking place from July 20 to 26, 2026. Ahead of the gathering, Pope Leo XIV sent a personal letter with a simple but powerful message: be builders of unity, not division.
Thanks to a growing number of livestream options, including EWTN Asia Pacific News and several other trusted Catholic platforms, Catholics anywhere in the world can follow this historic event as it happens.
If you are looking for the FABC Plenary Assembly livestream, want to understand Pope Leo XIV’s letter to Cardinal Oswald Gracias, or simply want to grow spiritually alongside the Church in Asia this week, here is everything you need to know.
Pope Leo XIV’s Letter: A Call to Be “Builders of Communion”
In a letter signed on June 24, 2026, Pope Leo XIV wrote to Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop Emeritus of Bombay and the Pope’s Special Envoy to the assembly. He urged the Church in Asia to keep God at the center of every decision and to serve people without fear, even when the work gets difficult.
The line that has since spread across Catholic media worldwide is this. Pope Leo XIV asked the Church in Asia to pray that it may become a builder of communion, not an architect of another Babel. He called the faithful to be servants of God’s coming Kingdom, not builders of towers meant to collapse.
This is a clear reference to the Tower of Babel from the Book of Genesis, humanity’s attempt to build a name for itself, which ended in confusion and division. Pope Leo XIV flips that image around. Instead of towers built for pride, he is asking Asia’s Church to build bridges of unity, humility, and shared mission.
The Pope also encouraged the bishops to pray, think wisely, and work steadily, placing God first in every action and people at the center of every choice. He described a hopeful outcome of this work: a Church where the poor, the sick, migrants, and the little ones become the foundation stones of a common home built on charity, truth, justice, and peace.
Inside the 12th FABC Plenary Assembly: Theme, Location, and Schedule
The assembly runs from July 20 to 26 in Jakarta and brings together around 120 participants, including bishops, theologians, pastoral workers, and representatives of the Holy See. It is hosted by the Archdiocese of Jakarta at the Hotel Mulia Senayan. The theme for this year’s gathering is “Synodal Conversion and the Church’s Mission to Build Bridges of Communion.”
Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the FABC, will deliver the opening keynote address and outline the Church’s vision for deeper cooperation across Asia. One highlight of the week is a full day of prayer and reflection on synodal spirituality, led by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. Theologian Msgr. Tomáš Halík and scholar Dr. Choong Pui Yee will also share reflections during the assembly.
On July 25, participants will receive a special message from Pope Leo XIV before reviewing the assembly’s final message and next steps. The gathering closes on July 26 with a final Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Jakarta, followed by a visit to the nearby Istiqlal Mosque as a sign of respect and friendship between faiths.
Why the “Builders of Communion” Message Matters for the Global Church
Asia holds an incredible mix of cultures, languages, and religions, and Catholics remain a small minority in most Asian countries. FABC Vice President Cardinal David reflected on this, saying that Asia’s diversity gives it something valuable to offer the whole Church: not sameness, but communion; not conquest, but encounter; not walls, but bridges.
This message reaches far beyond Asia. The FABC’s approach to unity within diversity offers a model for a global Church, and a divided world, dealing with polarization and fragmentation. The Pope’s warning about Babel is both a spiritual and a cultural reminder. It points to the danger of self-interest and projects built apart from God and human dignity.
For everyday Catholics, this message is personal too. It invites us to look at our own relationships, parishes, and communities and ask a simple question: are we building bridges, or are we quietly building small towers of our own pride?
Building Bridges Beyond the Church: Interfaith Dialogue in Jakarta
The FABC Plenary Assembly is not only an internal Church gathering. Its choice of location and closing activities carry meaning for people of every faith. Indonesia, home to the world’s largest Muslim population alongside significant Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist communities, offers a fitting backdrop for a theme centered on communion and bridge building.
After the closing Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption on July 26, delegates will walk through the Friendship Tunnel to visit the nearby Istiqlal Mosque. This short walk between a Catholic cathedral and Indonesia’s national mosque has become a well known symbol of peaceful coexistence between Muslims and Christians in the country. For the bishops gathered from across Asia, the visit is a living example of the assembly’s theme in action: a Church willing to step outside its own walls and build relationships with neighbors of other faiths.
This gesture speaks to a wider truth about Asia. In a continent where Catholics are often a small minority living alongside much larger religious communities, unity cannot mean isolation. Real communion asks the Church to be present, respectful, and engaged with the wider society around it. The interfaith visit in Jakarta reminds Catholics everywhere that building bridges of communion is not just a task within the Church, but a mission that reaches out to the whole human family.
A Spiritual Resolution
Beyond the news and the livestream schedules, this moment invites quiet reflection. The Tower of Babel was not wrong because people worked together. It was wrong because their unity was built on pride and a desire to make a name apart from God. Pope Leo XIV’s call points the other way. He asks for unity built on humility and service, one that places the poor, the sick, the migrants, and the little ones at the center rather than the margins.
This week, consider a small personal resolution alongside the bishops of Asia: to be a builder of communion in your own home, parish, or workplace. That could mean reaching out to someone you have drifted from, choosing patience over pride during a disagreement, or simply praying for the success of the FABC assembly and for greater unity in the Church. Spiritual growth rarely starts with grand gestures. It starts with small, humble steps taken one at a time.
Join the Church in Asia This July
The 12th FABC Plenary Assembly is more than a meeting of Church leaders. It is a spiritual moment for the whole Church, carrying a message that reaches far beyond Jakarta. Pope Leo XIV’s call to be builders of communion, not architects of Babel, challenges every Catholic, wherever they live, to choose unity over division and service over self-interest.
Whether you follow the assembly through EWTN Asia Pacific News, Vatican News, FABC’s own channels, or your local diocesan broadcaster, take the chance to walk alongside the Church in Asia this week. Watch a session, share this article with someone who would appreciate it, and leave a comment below on how you plan to be a builder of communion in your own community.
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