May 12, 2026: As the Church in India continues its synodal journey, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), reflected on the call to become a more participatory, inclusive and missionary Church. Speaking to Catholic Connect, the Cardinal spoke candidly about the opportunities and challenges before the Church in India, urging Catholics to move from “working for people to walking with people” through deeper listening, shared

Promotional Video for the National Synodal Assembly - Catholic Connect India The Catholic Church in India is set to gather in Bangalore from May 1–3, 2026, for the National Synodal Assembly. Bringing together 220 delegates—including 107 lay leaders, bishops, and youth—this landmark event focuses on the theme "Synodal Pilgrims of Hope.

New Delhi, 23 April 2026 – The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) accorded a warm and fitting farewell to Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, who served from 13 March 2021 to 23 April 2026. The farewell gathering was hosted by the Apostolic Nunciature in New Delhi on 23 April 2026. The event was attended by Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the CCBI; Archbishop Peter Machado, Vice President of the CCBI; Archbishop Anil Couto o

New Delhi 22 April 2026 (CCBI) - The CCBI General Secretariat in New Delhi accorded a warm farewell to Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli on Wednesday, 22 April 2026, as he paid a farewell visit marking the conclusion of his pastoral service as Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal. Fr. Stephen Alathara welcomed the Apostolic Nuncio and honoured him with a memento of the Taj Mahal as a token of gratitude and a lasting remembrance of the Church in India. A floral bouquet was also prese

The Catholic Church in India will convene a National Synodal Assembly from 1–3 May 2026 in Bangalore. The assembly will be held in Bangalore and will carry the theme “Synodal Pilgrims of Hope.” The gathering seeks to advance the implementation of synodality in the life and mission of the Church in India. The initiative is part of the global synodal process launched in 2021 by Pope Francis. The worldwide consultation invited the entire Church to reflect on how the People of

From the Leadership of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC)

New Delhi, April 14, 2026: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has expressed its prayerful solidarity with Pope Leo XIV, endorsing his urgent appeal for peace amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. In a statement issued today, the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of India underscored the moral and spiritual significance of the Holy Father’s call, describing it as a timely reminder to the global community to choose dialogue over confrontation. As violenc

Vatican City, April 9, 2026: The Holy Father has appointed Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India and Archbishop of Goa and Daman, as one of the members of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, the Vatican body responsible for overseeing the Church’s global communication efforts. Cardinal Ferrão also serves as the President of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC), placing him among the most prominent Catholic le

New Delhi, 24 March 2026 (CCBI): Jerome Dhas Varuvel, Bishop Emeritus of Kuzhithurai, passed away in the early hours of Tuesday, 24 March 2026, at 1:30 am. He died at the Care Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor on Harrington Road, Chetpet, Chennai. He had been hospitalised in recent months following complications arising from dementia and Parkinson’s disease and was undergoing treatment at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai. The funeral will be held on Wednesday, 25 March 2026,

New Delhi, March 3, 2026: In response to the escalating violence and instability in the Middle East, the President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, has called on the faithful of the Latin Catholic Church in India to unite in prayer for peace. In a circular addressed to archbishops, bishops, priests, deacons, religious, catechists and lay faithful, Cardinal Ferrão urged the Church across the country to observe Sunday, March 8,

New Delhi 18 February 2026: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI0 has issued a circular to all its member bishops, calling for active and committed participation in the Implementation Phase of the Synod on Synodality from June 2025 to December 2026. In his message, CCBI President Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão invited the bishops and their collaborators to make this period a time of spiritual renewal, shared responsibility, and deeper communion in Church life. He de

Bangalore, 11 February 2026: The CCBI has released the Apstolic Letter “A Fidelity That Generates the Future” and it is a timely and inspiring message of the Holy Father Leo XIV on the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the Conciliar Decrees Optatam Totius and Presbyterorum Ordinis. The Indian edition of the Apstolic letter was released by Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, in the presence of Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the CC

Bangalore, 11 February 2026: The CCBI has released the following rituals: (1) Institution of Catechists, Lectors, and Acolytes; (2) Order of Baptism of Children; and (3) Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. The rituals were released by Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, in the presence of Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the CCBI; Archbishop Peter Machado, Vice President of the CCBI; Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha, Chairman of the Commi

Bangalore 7 February 2026: The new building of the Pontifical Mission Organisations was blessed and inaugurated on 7 February 2026 in Bangalore. The event took place in the presence of more than 170 Bishops of the Latin, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara Churches. They were in the city to attend the CCBI and CBCI meetings. His Excellency Leopoldo Girelli, Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, inaugurated and dedicated the building by reciting the prayers, cutting the ribbon and

Bangalore 7 February 2026 (CCBI): His Eminence Cardinal Poola Anthony, Metropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad, has been elected as the new President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) during its 37th General Body Meeting held on February 7, 2026. Cardinal Poola Anthony was born on November 15, 1961, in Poluru in the Diocese of Kurnool. After completing his formation at the minor seminary in Nuzvid, he pursued priestly studies at Saint Peter’s Pontifical Seminar

Goa, February 05, 2026: The New Revised Edition of the Konkani Missal was formally released during the 37th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, marking a significant development for the Konkani-speaking Catholic community across the country. The publication is seen as a major step in strengthening the liturgical life of the faithful by enabling fuller participation in the Eucharistic celeb

Bangalore 3 February 2026: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has honoured Fr. Lucien Legrand, MEP, one of Asia’s most respected biblical scholars and missionaries, in recognition of his lifelong service to the Church in India and his outstanding contribution to biblical studies. Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, the President of the CCBI honoured him with memento and shawl during the 37 Plenary Assembly of the CCBI held on February 3, 2026, in Bangalore. Born on N

Bangalore, 3 February 2026 (CCBI): Pope Leo XIV has urged the Latin Catholic Bishops of India to promote unity and human fraternity and to inspire the faithful to live the Gospel of peace in daily life. The Pope made this appeal in a special message to the bishops gathered for the 37th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), held at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences in Bangalore on 3 February 2026. He said the Latin Church in Indi

New Delhi, 31 January 2026 (CCBI): The Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo (76) from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Udupi, effective 31 January 2026. Bishop Lobo served as Bishop of Shimoga from 2000 to 2012 and as Bishop of Udupi from 2012 to 2026. He is presently the Chairman of the CCBI Committee for the Implementation of the Pastoral Plan. Born on 12 November 1949, Bishop Lobo was ordained a priest on 5 May 1977. He

New Delhi, 31 January 2026 (CCBI): The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has appointed Rev. Fr. Leslie Clifford D’Souza, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Health, Shirva, as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Udupi. The Holy Father has accepted the resignation of Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Udupi. Fr. Leslie Clifford D’Souza was born on 19 August 1962 in Yermal, in the Diocese of Udupi, Karnataka. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts through distance