Yesterday afternoon, Cardinal Mario Grech met with the bishops of the Vietnamese Bishops’ Conference during their ad limina visit.

On behalf of the Vietnamese bishops, Mons. Joseph Đỗ Mạnh Hùng, Bishop of Phan Thiet and Head of the Subcommittee for Synodality, outlined the initiatives put in place to implement synodality in the local churches.

The Bishops’ Conference has adopted a three-year pastoral program, centered on the missionary dimension of the Church:

• • 2025–2026: Every Christian is a missionary disciple (Mt 5:14)
  • 2026–2027: Every Christian community is a missionary community (cf. Acts 2:47)
  • 2027–2028: The Church in Vietnam goes forth in mission (cf. Mt 28:19)

This progression reflects a synodal dynamic: from the individual, to the community, and finally to the whole Church in mission.

In this first year, emphasis is placed on: the universal call to mission rooted in Baptism; the witness of life in daily contexts; the centrality of the Word of God and the Eucharist.

This is concretely translated in pastoral orientations which include: fostering a life of prayer; deepening sacramental awareness; encouraging Scripture reading; promoting Christian witness in society; forming the faithful for the sharing of faith; engaging the digital environment.

 Priests and religious were called to accompany the faithful and to apply the method of “Conversation in the Spirit”.

At the national level, a Synodal subcommittee of Bishops’ Conference has been established, while all 27 dioceses have formed their own synodal teams, ensuring a coordinated nationwide process.

A set of formation materials (3 volumes) entitled: “Guidelines for Receiving, Studying, and Implementing the Synod on Synodality” has been developed for clergy, religious, and laity

 The implementation is structured around regular gatherings combining formation, prayer, and discernment. Each month they focus on a theme. The method of “Conversation in the Spirit” serves as the central approach, fostering listening, discernment, and shared responsibility.

Data are collected through structured reports, allowing for evaluation at the diocesan and national levels in 2027.

This process aims at a profound pastoral conversion, so that synodality may become not only a method or a spirituality but a way of life in the Church. The Church in Vietnam is also particularly engaged in FABC initiatives.

From the report, one can see how the Church in Vietnam is deeply committed to advancing the synodal journey not only through concrete initiatives, but through a genuine pastoral conversion. Synodality is progressively becoming a defining characteristic of ecclesial life in the country.