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 13 March 2026 (CCBI): The Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has appointed Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli (73) until now Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, as Apostolic Nuncio to Croatia. The appointment was made public on 13 March 2026. Archbishop Girelli had been serving the Church in India since 13 March 2021. Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli was born in Predore (Bergamo), Italy, on 13 March 1953. He was ordained a priest on 17 June 1978 and holds a Doctorate in Theology. He e

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

New Delhi, 14 February 2026 (CCBI): Pope Leo XIV has appointed Francisco Antonio Agnelo Jacinto Pinheiro, a priest of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, as the new Bishop of the diocese of Sindhudurg in Maharashtra. The appointment was announced on 14 February 2026. Fr. Pinheiro, 53, popularly known as Fr. Agnelo, was born in Raia, Goa, on 6 July 1972. After completing his SSC in 1988, he joined the minor seminary and continued his higher secondary studies in Mapusa. In 1990,

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