Verghese V Joseph –
Bengaluru: In keeping with the theme of the 35th general body meeting of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) – ‘Synodality: The Call to be a Synodal Church,’ its president Oswald Cardinal Gracias stated that “Dialogue is not an option but a necessity for the church in India.”
Cardinal Gracias was addressing a press conference, jointly with Vice President and Archbishop Dr Joshua Mar Ignathios, Secretary General Archbishop Dr Felix Machado and Deputy Secretary General Fr Jervis D’Souza on the various deliberations the meet would be taking up.
Normally, the General Body Meeting held every two years, but due to COVID-19, the last meeting had to be put off. The 35th CBCI meet is taking place at St. John’s, Bengaluru, from 6th to 11th November 2022.
Aligning with its inter-religious harmony, “The church in India is aiming to be the builder of peace and bring people together,” said Cardinal Gracias. “The church wants to be close to migrants, LGBTQ+ community, the marginalised, people who’ve left the church, youth and women, and in this context every member of the church is called to play an active role,” he elaborated.
The synod will discuss and deliberate on the need to stay close to faithful, be more collaborative, inclusive and relevant.
Addressing various issues affecting the community, Archbishop Dr Felix Machado stated that the country is diverse and hence each issue needs to be addressed locally and uniquely.
Responding to a question on Vizhinjam coastal protest by fishermen, Archbishop Dr Joshua Mar Ignathios said, “the protest is against coastal erosion, among other things, and not necessarily of the Catholic community alone.”
The CBCI is the Apex Body of the Catholic Church in India, which has approximately 22 million adherents in India. The CBCI is made of 174 Ecclesiastical jurisdictions, with over 200 active Bishops and 64 retired Bishops. The Catholic Church in India has been present in India for over 2000 years since the Birth of Christianity with the advent of Apostle Thomas to India in the first century after Christ.
Since then, it has been involved in nation building as an integrated community of our Nation and it continues to do that. Today, the Catholic Church in India runs over 54,000 educational institutions, which impart education to nearly 6 crore children and youth; and over 20 thousand hospitals, clinics, dispensaries and other health care centres. It also involved in disaster and calamity relief as well as social work and assistance to the poor in very remote areas of the country through the services of over 60,000 priests, 90,000 sisters and thousands of laymen and women.
The Assembly of over 200 Bishops will discuss on the Theme of “Synodality: The Call to be a Synodal Church “. All the dioceses in the country have gone through the process of discussing Synodality from the grass root level. New ways have been discussed and are being implemented as to how all sections of the parish and diocese can be involved in walking together for one mission of Christ. Workshops too will be held which will give rise to the final statement of the Assembly where the Bishops will strive to implement in the coming two years.