Pago Pago, American Samoa: In a rare convergence of faith leaders from across one of the world’s largest geographical regions, bishops from the Pacific islands gathered in early August to ask a fundamental question What does it truly mean to be a Church of the Pacific?
From August 5 to 11, under the banner of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC), the bishops engaged in a week of prayer, reflection, and strategic conversation. The gathering combined traditional culture and deep spirituality, beginning with a ceremonial Samoan welcome and moving into synod inspired “conversations in the Spirit” designed to encourage shared discernment.
The Apostolic Nuncio to CEPAC Archbishop Gábor Pintér delivered a keynote address acknowledging the Pacific’s beauty and spiritual depth while also confronting its urgent challenges climate change, economic inequality, social injustice, and the marginalization of youth. “These are not distant concerns,” he said. “They are woven into the very fabric of our daily lives.”
Archbishop Pintér stressed the importance of building a Church that is authentically of the Pacific, one that embraces ancestral wisdom, cultural heritage, and communal values. He urged a focus on ocean stewardship, inclusive decision making, missionary formation, social advocacy, and the empowerment of women and young people.
Envisioning a future Church “Christ centred” and deeply anchored in the cultural identity of the islands, the nuncio called for a faith community committed equally to justice, peace, and environmental care thriving not in isolation, but in harmony with the region’s diverse traditions.
The meeting closed with a renewed sense of unity among Pacific bishops as they prepare to steer their flocks toward a future where faith and island culture are inseparably intertwined.