KOCHI: The 15th General Body meeting of the Catholic Council of India (CCI) will be hosted by the Pala Diocese, marking a significant occasion as the diocese celebrates its Platinum Jubilee year. This event follows the recent hosting of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India conference. The three-day meeting will begin on Friday evening and conclude by Sunday noon.
Founded in 1993 by the CBCI, the Catholic Council of India serves as the national pastoral council and includes bishops, priests, religious persons, and laity from the Syro-Malabar, Latin, and Syro-Malankara Rites in India.
Around 200 representatives from dioceses across India will participate in the meeting. The CBCI president, Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath of the Thrissur Archdiocese, also serves as the head of the CCI.
The General Body meeting was last held in 2017 at St John’s Church in Bangalore. This year’s main discussion topic will be the “Unique Role of the Laity in the Socio-Political Context of India.”
The opening day of the meeting will feature Holy Mass celebrated by Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai.