Cardinal Telesphore Toppo Elected President of CCBI
(January 13, 2011) Indian Cardinal Telesphore Toppo has been elected as the new president
of the Latin Rite Conference of Catholic Bishops in India known as the CCBI, during
the plenary session held at Chennai South India. 71 year old Cardinal Toppo was appointed
Bishop of Dumka in 1974 and has been the Archbishop of Ranchi since 1984. Pope John
Paul II elevated him to the College of Cardinals in 2003. He has been the President
of Catholic Bishops Conference of India from 2004 to 2008 and has been CCBI President
from 2003 to 2005. Archbishop Philip Neri of Goa was elected as the vice-President
and Bishop Vaghese Chakkalakal of Kannur as the secretary general. More than 120 bishops
attended the January 6-12 event where the bishops were deliberating “Catechetical
renewal, essential for a vibrant Church.” The bishops ended their plenary with a call
for a catechetical renewal to counter corruption in the country. “Catechetical renewal
is imperative in the context of the Church in India today,” said Cardinal Oswald Gracias,
president of the CCBI. Widespread corruption and impropriety in all areas of life
in India “not only indicates the lacuna in the education, but highlights the urgency
of character formation,” he added. The bishops urged priests, Religious and the laity
to grow in awareness of “our vocation to be catechists by our word and life.” A statement
at the concluding day of the plenary stated that the bishops would make every effort
to read the signs of the times in the Indian socio-cultural and multi-religious scenario
and to become authentic and credible witnesses of faith in their lives. The CCBI is
a National Episcopal Body that enables the Latin Catholic Bishops of the country to
exchange ideas and information, deliberate on the Church’s broad concerns and take
care of the pastoral needs of the faithful.