MESSAGE FROM THE ARCHBISHOP
Jesus who is God’s revelation had a mission, namely the reign of God. In fact, Jesus’ mission is God’s mission. God’s mission gave birth to Church. It is not that the Church has a mission, but rather that God has a mission. “Mission precedes the Church.” If God is missionary then the Church must be missionary. The Vatican II’s document on the Mission Activity of the Church confirms that “The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature, since it is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she draws her origin, in accordance with the decree of God the Father”. The Church has continued God’s mission for the last 2000 years.
After four years into my episcopal ministry I discerned that it was time for the Church in the Archdiocese of Suva to renew and strengthen its commitment to God’s mission. I identified the following needs that necessitates a synod:
1. To re-define the Church’s mission through a diocesan pastoral plan,
2. To promote good leadership in the Church’s mission through sound diocesan policies and procedures,
3. To promote God’s mission through effective catechesis programs on the sacraments, liturgy, and Church teachings
4. To connect the Church’s mission to social, economic, political, environmental and moral issues in Fiji.
Hence, on the Feast of Pentecost 4th June 2018, after consulting the Council of Priests, I issued a decree for the convocation of the Archdiocese of Suva Synod.