CBCI meeting underscores Eucharistic unity and national mission

India’s Catholic bishops highlight unity across rites, address challenges facing Christians and reflect on the Church’s constitutional witness during their 37th General Body Meeting in Bengaluru.

BENGALURU, Karnataka (Indian Catholic News) — Emphasising unity, mission and the Church’s engagement with the nation, Catholic bishops of India gathered for the 37th General Body Meeting, highlighting Eucharistic communion and coordinated pastoral action amid contemporary national challenges.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) in its Feb. 5 press release said the meeting “witnessed a profound emphasis on unity, mission, and the Church’s engagement with the nation,” as Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, CBCI president, was the main celebrant of the Holy Eucharist.

In his homily, Archbishop Thazhath said the unity of the early Christian community “was not merely organizational but deeply Eucharistic.” He said that sharing “one faith, one hope, and one breaking of the bread” enabled believers to share their lives, resources and mission, leading to common witness and common action.

Drawing a parallel with today’s Church in India, he said the Catholic Church — Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara — is called to be “one heart and one soul.” He added that the CBCI is not just an administrative body but a living symbol of Eucharistic communion “where diversity of rites enriches unity in Christ.”

Immediately after the Holy Mass, Archbishop Thazhath blessed and inaugurated St. John’s Jubilee Park. All participants of the CBCI General Body Meeting took part in the ceremony.

National concerns and pastoral responses

Plenary sessions then turned to pressing concerns of the Christian community in India. Journalist Shaji Joseph “presented the ground reality faced by Christians,” while Joel Singh spoke on “the all-India situation of Christians.” Senior Supreme Court lawyer P. J. Jose “highlighted the challenges ahead.” The session was moderated by Archbishop John Moolachira.

Reports were also presented by the National Vocation Service Centre, the National Biblical, Catechetical and Liturgical Centre, the CBCI Office for Environment and Climate Change, and the Catholic Council of India, described as “the pastoral council of the CBCI.”

In the afternoon, bishops were divided into 12 groups for in-depth discussions on themes connected to the main theme of the meeting, “Faith and the Nation: The Church’s Witness to India’s Constitutional Vision.” The group discussions were aimed at “collective discernment and concrete pastoral responses in the light of contemporary national realities.”

Organisers said the sessions reflected a coordinated effort to link Eucharistic unity with practical engagement, as bishops sought to strengthen common witness and address national concerns through shared pastoral strategies.