Bishops’ biennial meet prioritizes family
January 31, 2017 by admin
Filed under newsletter-india
Bhopal, January 31, 2017: Catholic bishops from 132 Latin dioceses in India have begun their plenary meeting in Bhopal city on Tuesday, discussing ways improve Catholic family life in India.
The eight-day plenary assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) began with a Mass at the Assumption Church at Asha Niketan Campus, a Catholic-stronghold area with formation houses, seminarians and several other church institutions.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the main celebrant of the opening Mass in his homely called for revitalizing the families in view of the call given by Pope Francis. “We need to turn good families to better, and holy families to holier,” he said.
“Revitalizing the families is one of the most urgent needs for the Church”, he said and assured that the bishops will “issues affecting family life in the changed social milieu”
“Even though, the Asian families do not face so much of problems as in the West, families worldwide are in crisis on account of economic disparities, cultural difference, religious and linguistic differences among a host of other things,” he said.
The prelate also urged the people to be optimistic, work hard and take risk for a better and life.
The assembly’s theme, “Promoting the Joy of Love in Our Families” follows up the ‘Pastoral Plan for the Church in India’ promulgated in 2013. It has highlighted family as one of the pastoral priorities of the Church in India.
The Secretaries of the twelve Commissions of the CCBI will present the biennial reports of the activities of their Commissions for the year 2015 and 2016.
The Bishops will also evaluate the programmes and chalk out plans for CCBI Commissions of Bible, Catechetics, Canon Law and Other Legislative Texts, Ecumenism, Family, Laity, Liturgy, Proclamation, Theology and Doctrine, Vocations, Women and Youth.
The bishops will also elect new office bearers for their conference besides spending a day in recollection, directed by theologian-Archbishop Thomas Menamparambil.
The meet will close Feb. 29, presided over by the newly elected president.
– ucan