Bangalore 8 May 2023 (CCBI): Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, the President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) and the Archbishop of Goa and Daman, has issued a call to action for all bishops and priests to promote synodality in every aspect of the ecclesial life. He was inaugurating the national level workshop for strategic planning for the CCBI at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, on Sunday 7 May 2023.
“Synodality is journeying together. This journeying together with discernment calls for a new model of ecclesiastical leadership, termed ‘Synodal Leadership’. This leadership will create an environment which involves all who belong to the Church to ensure and respond to their deep desire of being understood, respected, appreciated and valued. It aims to take to a higher level, a synodal culture that boosts the morale and engagement of laity, religious and priests towards carrying forward Our Lord’s mission with enhanced zeal,” said Cardinal Filipe.
The two-day strategic planning workshop was attended by the CCBI Office Bearers, Chairmen Bishops of the CCBI Commissions, Executive Secretaries of the Commissions, Directors of the Departments and Coordinators of the Apostolates of the CCBI.
The CCBI is developing the strategic plan to energise its 16 Commissions 4 Apostolates and 6 Departments as well as the Regional and Diocesan Commissions. The strategic plan is the follow-up of the CCBI Pastoral Plan elaborated in 2013 as well as the two national syntheses for the Synod submitted for the Continental and Universal Synods. The CCBI also came up with ten proposals in the final message of its 34th Plenary Assembly held from 24 to 30 January 2023, which discussed the theme “Telling the Story of Jesus in Our Context: in a Synodal Way”. The strategic planning will also take into account the ten proposals of the 34th Plenary Assembly as well as the FABC Bangkok Document 2023.
The CCBI Office Bearers decided to take this process forward at the regional levels, inviting more persons to participate, including the religious and the lay faithful, so that a collective ownership of the plan is evolved, involving all the sections of the people of God and generating among them a new energy and passion to understand the Synodal Journey.
The two-day workshop on strategic planning, led by Fr. Joseph Xavier, S.J., Director of Indian Social Institute (ISI), Bangalore, aimed to chalk out a comprehensive roadmap for completing the strategic planning exercise at both national and regional levels.
Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara
Deputy Secretary General, CCBI