19 participants from South Asia in Synod of Bishops

(October 06, 2012) The Synod of Bishops on New Evangelization being inaugurated on Sunday in the Vatican has 19 participants from South Asia, 16 of them from India. The 13th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, from Oct. 7 to 28, on the theme, “New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith", has a record 262 synod fathers from across the world. 39 are from Asia, of whom 9 are from India and one each from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. 103 synod fathers are from Europe, 63 from the Americas, 50 from Africa and 7 from Oceania. The official list of synod fathers, experts, auditors, participants and others was released at a press conference on Friday by the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic. Besides the synod fathers, who have voting rights, there are also others participating in the synod, such as representatives of 15 Christian denominations and ecclesial communities, experts, auditors, special invitees, secretaries, collaborators, assistants and media persons, all of whom add up to more than 400 participants. Below are the list of synod fathers and other participants:

Synod fathers from India:
1. Cardinal George ALENCHERRY, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly, head of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
2 Bishop Joseph KALLARANGATT of Palai of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
3 Major Archbishop Baselios Cleemis THOTTUNKAL of Trivandrum, head of Siro-Malankara Catholic Church
4 Archbishop Filipe Neri António Sebastião DO ROSÁRIO FERRÃO of Goa and Daman
5 Cardinal Telesphore Placidus TOPPO, Archbishop of Ranchi
6 Archbishop A. Malayappan CHINNAPPA, S.D.B., of Madras-Mylapore
7 Bishop Stanley ROMAN of Quilon
8 Cardinal Oswald GRACIAS, Archbishop of Bombay
9 Fr. Jose PANTHAPLAMTHOTTIYIL, C.M.I., Prior General of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate
Experts, auditors, participants, secretaries, assistants etc. from India:
10 Fr. Thomas MANJALY, Professor of Sacred Scripture at Oriens Theological College and Inter-Diocesan Theologate for North East of India in Shillong”
11 Sr. Rekha (Mary Joseph) CHENNATTU, R.A., Professor of New Testament at Pontifical Institute of Philosophy and Religion in Pune
12 Sr. Mary Prema PIERICK, M.C., Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity (of Mother Teresa of Kolkata)
13 Mr. Manoj SUNNY, founding member of Jesus Youth movement
14 Fr. Jayaraju BATTU
15 Fr. George Matthew CHARTHAKUZHIYIL
16 Fr. Joychen Mathew PARANJATTU

Other synod fathers from South Asia:
Bishop Gervas ROZARIO of Rajshahi, Bangladesh
Bishop Sebastian Francis SHAW, O.F.M., Apostolic Administrator of Lahore, Pakistan
Bishop Julian Winston Sebastian FERNANDO, S.S.S. of Badulla, Sri Lanka

Coadjutor Archbishop Nicholas MANG THANG of Mandalay and Apostolic Adminstrator of Hakha, Myanmar