Nuncio opens bishops' meet in Kerala

Kottayam, February 6, 2014: Vatican's envoy to India Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio opened the biennial meeting of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), calling for accelerated inter-church dialogues.

He wanted the Church in India to strengthen the inter-faith and inter-church dialogues and emphasized the need to ensure that all sections of society benefited from its ministry.

He addressed the opening session of the meeting saying it was important that in a country where people professing different faiths live together in harmony the church should foster dialogue among various communities.

Addressing the assembly of bishops from all parts of the country, the Papal Nuncio recalled that the welfare of the rejected and marginalised was an important mission as enjoined by the Second Vatican Council.

All the 182 bishops and office-bearers of various CBCI commissions joined a concelebrated mass as part of the opening of the meet.

Cardinals, archbishops and bishops from three Indian Catholic rites--Latin, Syro Malabar and Syro Malankara attend the 8-day meet.

President of CBCI Cardinal Oswald Gracias presided over the opening session.

The meet is expected to discuss organisational, spiritual and social issues affecting the church in India.
(Source: UCAN)