Preparations are underway for the Peninsular Malaysia Regional Pastoral Assembly 2024 (RPA2024), to be held at MAJODI Centre in Plentong, Johor, from 25 to 27 August.
Jul 19, 2024
By Fr Dr Lawrence Ng
Preparations are underway for the Peninsular Malaysia Regional Pastoral Assembly 2024 (RPA2024), to be held at MAJODI Centre in Plentong, Johor, from 25 to 27 August. About 550 participants from the dioceses of Penang and Malacca Johore, as well as the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, will attend this event.
The RPA2024 is best understood within the context of the journey towards the Malaysian Pastoral Convention 2026 (MPC2026). The MPC2026 represents a decisive step by the Malaysian Bishops towards a vision of communion among the Catholic dioceses of Sabah, Sarawak, and Semenanjung.
A Journey Weaved by the Synodal Process
Several threads shaped the early stages of the MPC2026 initiative, which began in 2020. First, Pope Francis steered the Catholic Church towards the path of synodality in 2022. The call to synodality is a call for the Catholic Church to “journey together,” affirming the journey of the Peninsular Church that started with Aggiornamento 1976. The 1976 process can be accurately described as the Catholic Church of Malaysia working out how to better “journey together” through its five diocesan and then regional assemblies, held every decade to review the 1976 process.
In light of this, the RPA2024 is an essential part of the journey towards MPC2026. MPC2026 is not the final destination but a platform for the Peninsular Malaysia Church (PMC) to begin transitioning towards being one Church in communion with Sabah and Sarawak.
The Bishops of Malaysia identified four common areas of concern that each diocese will discern upon leading up to 2026: Church, Family, Society, and Ecology. Since 2022, all dioceses have adopted the synodal process.
The heart of the RPA, as it was for all earlier processes, is the synodal process. The method of “Conversation in the Spirit” will be employed, ensuring that all participants prayerfully engage and discern the ideas or questions presented through a prepared booklet or e-booklet provided weeks before the RPA.
Fruits of the RPA2024
It is hoped that the discernment process will achieve three things: First, offer counsels for pastoral direction to continue building our local Church in the four areas of concern. Second, address common areas of concern that Sabah and Sarawak are also discerning, which will be brought to MPC2026. Finally, initiate a journey and conversation towards a sense of ownership, identity, love, and appreciation for what it means to be a local or Malaysian Church.
The term “counsels” describes the thoughtful and spiritually guided advice emerging from the collective discernment at the RPA.
These counsels are not prescriptive commands but guiding insights that help shape our ongoing conversation and pastoral directions within our local Church. By embracing these counsels, we commit to continuous discernment and adaptation, ensuring our journey towards deeper communion and synodality is inclusive and responsive to the movement of the Holy Spirit among us.
Celebrating, Listening, and Walking Together
The RPA theme Celebrating, Listening, and Walking Together in a Spirit of Communion, Participation, and Mission captures the main threads sparked in 1976 and the spirit of synodality. The RPA will emphasise the importance of celebrating faith together, listening to diverse voices within the Church and society, and walking together as pilgrims on a journey of faith while listening to the Holy Spirit.
All the dioceses of Malaysia have been praying for our journey towards MPC2026 and what will emerge from it. The participants at the RPA will contribute to this pivotal time in the history of the Catholic Church of Malaysia
Arch/diocesan Pastoral Assemblies in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca Johore and Penang back in 2023.