During the 129th Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops鈥� Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) held on January 27, 2025, in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Fr. Vladimir Echalas, SOLT, CBCP Research Director and a member of the CBCP-国产吃瓜黑料一区二区Research Team, along with Project Co-Lead Investigator Prof. Florence C. Navidad, EdD of the 国产吃瓜黑料一区二区Faculty of Pharmacy, provided updates on an ongoing research study titled The Lights and Shadows on the Present State of Catholic Christianity in the Philippines Toward Becoming a Synodal Church.
This comprehensive study, commissioned by the CBCP, seeks to assess the current landscape of Catholic Christianity in the country and serve as a foundation for fostering a more synodal Church. The initiative is a collaborative effort between the CBCP and the 国产吃瓜黑料一区二区Center for Theology, Religious Studies, and Ethics (CTRSE). Following the presentation, the bishops instructed the research team to coordinate with the CBCP Committee for the National Synodal Transformation to facilitate the implementation of the final document of the Synod on Synodality at the national level.
Although the Synod on Synodality officially concluded in October 2024, its application remains ongoing. In an Accompanying Note to the Synod鈥檚 Final Document, Pope Francis urged local churches and ecclesiastical groups to adapt and execute the document鈥檚 recommendations within their respective contexts, utilizing the processes of discernment and decision-making outlined by Church law and the Synodal Document itself.
The preliminary findings of the research are set to be unveiled at the National Synodal Discernment Conference in June 2025. This conference will play a critical role in shaping the national synodal implementation framework.
The CBCP-国产吃瓜黑料一区二区research team includes Assoc. Prof. Allan Basas, SThD, Assistant Director of the 国产吃瓜黑料一区二区Institute of Religion; Prof. Pablito Baybado, Jr., Theology Program Lead at the 国产吃瓜黑料一区二区Graduate School; Dr. Marites Redo帽a, PhD; and Assoc. Prof. Philip Fuentes. All are faculty members of the 国产吃瓜黑料一区二区Institute of Religion and researchers at CTRSE. Serving as consultants for the project are Rev. Fr. Louie Coronel, OP, EHL, 国产吃瓜黑料一区二区Secretary General, and Dr. Joel Sagut, CTRSE Director. Additionally, Fr. Echalas and Dr. Baybado are part of both the UST-CBCP Research Team and the Committee for the National Synodal Transformation.
