Media Release

Bengaluru, Sep 11: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has launched its new National Pastoral Plan, titled "Journeying towards a Synodal Church: Mission 2033." The plan was officially released by Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the CCBI, during a meeting at St John’s National Institute of Health Sciences, Bengaluru, on September 11. The event saw the presence of 40 bishops, along with 27 secretaries of CCBI Commissions and regional deputy secretaries from 14 regions of the CCBI.

This initiative follows a year-long process involving over 5,000 members of the Latin Catholic Church in India, including bishops, clergy, religious leaders, men, women and youth. The focus is on answering a crucial question: "Where is God calling the Church to be by 2033?"

"It is the fruit of conversations in the Spirit," Cardinal Ferrão said. He emphasized that the plan is a collective project and called on every individual to contribute to its realization at parish, diocesan, regional and national levels.

A committee, led by Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo of Udupi, has been formed to oversee the implementation of the plan, which will be rolled out through the Commissions, Departments and Apostolates of the CCBI at the national, regional and diocesan levels.