Cardinal Stephen Chow, S.J., has called on the Church in Hong Kong and worldwide to deepen their commitment to synodality and shared responsibility as the Ordinary Jubilee Year 2025 approaches.
In his Advent letter, the prelate emphasized mutual listening, collaboration, and mission-oriented efforts among clergy and laity.
“The Church, as the People of God, is awaiting a new dawn from the Holy Spirit, the protagonist of the Synod,” Cardinal Chow wrote, referring to the recently concluded Second Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.
He connected this anticipation to the Jubilee Year, themed “Pilgrims of Hope,” citing Romans 5:5: “Hope does not disappoint.”
Cardinal Chow described the Church’s identity as a synodal community, rooted in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council.
“The Church as the ‘People of God,’ which incorporates everyone in the Church, is a main theme in Lumen Gentium of the Second Vatican Council. This model of the Church is the foundation of what we are called to become—a synodal Church,” he said.
He explained that synodality involves “gathering of all levels of the Church in mutual listening, dialogue, and communal discernment” to reach a consensus guided by the Holy Spirit, aiming “to be witnesses of the presence of Christ among us.”
Highlighting the need for co-responsibility among clergy and laity, Cardinal Chow said, “Ordained and lay ministers are to share and exercise powers and authority, and shoulder respective responsibilities, i.e., we are co-responsible according to our different roles and functions within the faith community.”
He encouraged various units within the Church in Hong Kong to collaborate across functions and goals, describing this as “an important aspect of our conversion.”
Such collaboration, he noted, requires a deep “conversion of our hearts through respectful and empathic listening, followed by communal discernment for decision-making and decision-taking.”
Reflecting on the Advent season, Cardinal Chow reminded the faithful of their ultimate destiny in God’s eternal Kingdom.
“Such is the special reminder of the Season of Advent, that everything in this world will come to an end, except for God’s love and our eternal abode,” he said.
He also highlighted the link between Pope Francis’ newly issued encyclical Dilexit Nos (He Loved Us) and the renewal of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, emphasizing its relevance in today’s world.
“As stated by the Holy Father, the renewal of the devotion of the Sacred Heart is of particular relevance in the present heartless world. We journey together as missionary disciples of synodality because of the immense love of the Sacred Heart motivating each one of us.”
As the Jubilee Year approaches, Cardinal Chow urged pastors and lay leaders to embrace transparency and accountability while fostering communal discernment.
Key elements of this process, he noted, include prayer, reflection, and “inner freedom to listen and pursue the common good.”
He encouraged the faithful to root themselves in their local communities while keeping their focus on God’s eternal Kingdom. “Most of all, let the love of the Sacred Heart transform us from within so that we will become effective agents for the transformations in the Church and the world.”
The Jubilee Year 2025, themed “Pilgrims of Hope,” is set to begin on December 24, 2025.
