Monday, 24th October, the first day of the segment ‘Envisaging New Pathways’ of the FABC General Conference began with the Holy Eucharist, celebrated by Bishop Joseph Đỗ Mạnh Hùng of Phan Thiết, Vietnam. The President of the day, H.E. Charles Cardinal Maung Bo, led the representatives in the Adsumus, and the morning prayer, hosted by
Myanmar, was led by the video prepared by Myanmar’s Fr Dominic, Fr Hubert, Fr Paulinus and Sr Catherine.
The day began with a video recap of the previous segment ‘Emerging Realities’.
Archbishop Héctor Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte OFM, President of the Conferencia Episcopal Peruana and of the Consejo Episcopal Latinoamericano y Caribeño (CELAM), sharing an in-depth look into the experiences and history of CELAM, the effects of Vatican II and the
Episcopal Conferences, added context to the development of the Church in Latin America and its part in ecclesial networks. H.E. Oswald Cardinal Gracias gave an overview of how the week ahead and the sessions for the day would progress, and introduced resource- person Mr Leslie D’Souza, who led the representatives in several sessions based on self-assessment and leadership in preparation for the days
ahead.
For the first session, Mr D’Souza, reflecting on the theme ‘and they went a different way’, called the representatives to be ‘new-age magis’, who will forge a new path forward. Explaining the ‘Theory-U’ methodology - ‘moving from the ecosystem where I am to the ecosystem of where I can be’, Mr D’Souza led a session on ‘presencing’; seeing, understanding, feeling, sensing, followed by an evocation activity.
The next session focused on the three divides in Asia; the ecological,social, spiritual divide between ‘self’ and ‘others’, the way of bridging them, and the levels and importance of listening. Mr D’Souza, underlining the root meaning of leadership, spoke about the need to develop an open mind, heart and will, and conducted a group-survey
activity on listening.
The afternoon began with a journaling activity; with representatives answering questions about themselves, their habits and the systems they work in. Next was an empathetic walk, with representatives pairing up to listen to each other, while leaving assumptions and impressions behind. This was followed by a case clinic activity, where groups were handed case studies based on leadership and the levels of listening, to discuss and reflect on, a journaling activity based on the case study, and a sharing
with the representatives as a whole. The day concluded with the angelus, led by H.E. Cardinal Bo.