Latin Bishops aim to strengthen Indians’ ‘moral fibre’

(January 07, 2011) Latin-rite bishops of India have gathered in Chennai, in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state, to seek ways to improve social moral fibre through valuable education in their institutions. More than 125 members of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), or the Latin rite, are attending the seven-day plenary that began Thursday. CCBI President Cardinal Oswald Gracias told Ucanews that they have chosen catechetics as the theme because “we realized the need to take up issues relevant to society now.” The cardinal who is archbishop of Bombay, said the plenary is a follow-up to the conference’s last meeting that discussed the “The Word of God.” Pointing indirectly to recent corruption scandals that have rocked the nation, the cardinal noted an increasing restlessness in the country. The Church would like to provide moral guidance through valuable education, he said. “We want to contribute to improving the moral fibre of society,” he added. Cardinal Gracias expressed the hope of deepening the moral formation of students in Catholic institutions so that they can influence individuals and society. The Chennai meet, he added, would also address the recently introduced English translation of the missal. On Saturday, the Latin bishops are to attend the dedication of St. Thomas Shrine in Chennai as a national shrine. The hilltop site is traditionally believed to be the place where Saint Thomas the Apostle was martyred.