- 22 July, 2026
Jakarta, July 22, 2026: Reflecting on one of the most familiar expressions of the Church's synodal journey, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle invited bishops and delegates at the 12th Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) to consider a simple yet profound question: what does it truly mean to "walk together"?
Delivering the first spiritual conference during the Day of Prayer and Recollection at Hotel Mulia, Jakarta, Cardinal Tagle said the answer could be found in the experience of a child learning to walk.
"We say synodality means walking together," he said. "But have we studied well the phenomenon of walking?"
The cardinal explained that walking is a process that requires patience and growth. Before taking their first steps, children must develop strength, balance and coordination. They also need a safe environment where they are encouraged, supported and free to fall without fear.
"Walking needs skills, balance, coordination, the capacity to stand up," he said, inviting participants to reflect on what kind of spiritual strength, trust and mutual support are needed for the Church to journey together. He also asked what fears prevent people from taking those steps.
Cardinal Tagle then turned to a deeply personal experience, sharing that both his parents are 96 years old. While his father remains mentally alert but is no longer able to walk, his mother continues to walk with assistance. Their experience, he said, had taught him that accompaniment changes with age.
Posing the question, "How do you walk with someone who cannot walk?", the cardinal offered a simple yet powerful answer: "You stay. You touch the hand. You whisper to his ears, and he is assured he is not alone."
He said this image reveals the heart of synodality. Walking together, he explained, is not merely about moving forward at the same pace but about remaining alongside those who struggle, those who have fallen behind and those who can no longer continue on their own. He added that a synodal Church cannot measure its success only by efficiency or progress but must also be characterised by patience, attentiveness and compassionate accompaniment.
Cardinal Tagle also warned that the growing tendency to move through life absorbed by mobile phones can weaken genuine human encounter. Such individualism, he said, stands in contrast to synodality, which calls believers to be present to one another through listening, encounter and a willingness to adjust their pace for others.
As the assembly entered a period of silent prayer, Cardinal Tagle left participants with a final invitation: before speaking about walking together, the Church must first learn what it truly means to walk—with patience, trust and the assurance that no one journeys alone.
By Catholic Connect Reporter
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