The Center for Ignatian Spirituality (CIS Vietnam) has just concluded the Pastoral Leadership in a Synodal Church Course – Session 3 – June 2025, marked by profound reflections and spiritual transformation among the participants. The course was honored with the partial participation of Bishop Joseph Đỗ Mạnh Hùng – Bishop of Phan Thiết Diocese and General Secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam, and Bishop Joseph Nguyễn Tấn Tước – Bishop of Phú Cường Diocese.
This course not only provided knowledge about synodality—the spirit of journeying together—but also introduced a new way of thinking and practicing pastoral leadership within a Church that listens and dialogues. Many participants felt enlightened about the true meaning of “synodality,” recognizing the significance of discernment and attentive listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit through the roundtable conference model.
A notable aspect of the course was that all members of the People of God—bishops, priests, religious men and women, and laity—were invited to sincerely share and listen, transcending barriers of age, roles, or regions. The authenticity expressed in discussions allowed many to feel as if they had directly encountered the voice of the Holy Spirit.
The course was not simply about gaining knowledge but about transformation. Numerous participants expressed a determination to first change themselves, intending to bring the learned values into practice within their parishes and deaneries—particularly through dialogue and collaborative models.
Concluding the course, one participant remarked: “Pastoral leadership does not belong exclusively to anyone; it belongs to every member of God’s People. And I have begun to change.”
Here is the course summary video: