Kochi — Five years after Pope Francis launched the global Synod on Synodality to make the Catholic Church more participatory, and 12 years into a political dispensation in India that critics say privileges a particular religious identity, the Indian Catholic Forum (ICF) is convening its third national conference on “Synodal Church – Secular Society” on 11–12 October at the Cardinal Parecattil Renewal Centre in Kochi, Kerala.
The two-day gathering aims to bring together laity, students, priests, religious, bishops and members of “Sister Churches” to examine what organizers describe as a widening gap between synodal rhetoric and ground realities, alongside growing insecurity among India’s small Christian minority. Registration, subsidized at ₹975 per person (excluding accommodation), is open through convenor Chhotebhai and organizing secretary Mathew Mathai.
Synod on Synodality: Process continues, critics say little has changed
Pope Francis inaugurated the Synod on Synodality in October 2021 under the theme “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission,” intending to foster a more listening, collaborative Church that walks with those on the margins. The formal synod concluded in October 2024 with a final document, but Rome has since mapped an extended “implementation phase” running to 2028, with diocesan, national and continental assemblies culminating in a Vatican gathering in October 2028.
However, conservative voices within the Church have increasingly questioned the theological grounding and practical outcomes of the process. Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke has called for halting synodality for deeper study, arguing it lacks clear definition and risks drifting from tradition, while other commentators describe it as an “endless synod” that has produced expectations at odds with doctrine. The ICF’s framing echoes some of these concerns from a different angle: that despite meetings and resolutions, the laity feel increasingly peripheral in an “increasingly clericalised church.”
Christians in India cite mounting insecurity under majoritarian politics
Parallel to ecclesial debates, the ICF points to a deteriorating environment for religious minorities in India. Rights monitors and media reports in 2026 document continued vigilante violence, hate speech, disruption of worship, and pressure to “reconvert” Christians, particularly in states with anti-conversion laws. India ranked 12th on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List of countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, with persecution attributed in part to radical Hindu groups and a political climate that critics say normalizes majoritarianism.
Recent controversies around the proposed Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 have intensified anxieties. While the government insists the amendments are “religion-neutral” and aimed at oversight of foreign funding, Christian organizations and civil society warn that provisions allowing state-appointed authorities to take control of assets when FCRA registration lapses could disproportionately affect minority-run schools, hospitals, charities and churches.
Conference seeks dialogue across Church and society
Against this dual backdrop, the ICF’s October conference seeks to bridge internal Church reform with external defense of constitutional secularism. By inviting a broad spectrum of participants—including bishops and members of other Christian traditions—the forum hopes to move beyond “pompous resolutions” toward concrete strategies for lay empowerment and minority protection.
For a community that describes itself as “miniscule” yet deeply rooted, the stakes are both theological and civic: how to walk together inside the Church while securing the right to exist safely and freely in a secular republic.