CATHOLIC bishops will discuss what it means for a church to be authentically of the Pacific when they meet in Pago Pago, American Samoa.
They have been reminded by a papal representative of the need for the church to be Christ-centred passionately committed to justice, peace, and environmental care, and “deeply rooted and flourishing within the rich cultural tapestries of the islands.
The leaders—members of CEPAC or the Conference of Pacific Bishops—make will spend time in prayer, reflection, and conversation.
Archbishop Gábor Pintér, the Apostolic Nuncio (ambassador) to CEPAC, described the Pacific as “region of breathtaking natural beauty, imbued with a profound sense of spirituality, and shaped by deep-rooted, resilient cultures”.
It also, the nuncio admitted, faces “significant challenges”: climate change, economic disparities, social injustice, and youth disempowerment. These realities are “not distant concerns,” Archbishop Pintér said, but rather “woven into the very fabric of our daily lives”.
Pinter said the Pacific church had a deep desire to be authentically of the region, courageously recognising, respecting, and seamlessly integrating the rich cultural heritage, ancestral wisdom, and communal values of island nations into life.