In an interview, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) and the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), reflected on the meaning of synodality in today’s fast-changing and polarised world. He shared his hopes for the future Church in Asia, the vital role of the laity and youth, and the blessings he has received throughout his long and distinguished ministry as a priest and bishop. According to him, synodality means walking together, listening deeply, and discerning God’s will as a community. In today’s polarised world, especially with social media and AI sometimes dividing us, synodality offers a way to rediscover unity. It calls us to pause amidst the noise, to create spaces where voices, especially those often unheard, are genuinely listened to. This kind of collective listening and openness can help heal divisions not only within the Universal Church, but also beyond.

The Supreme Court of India on October 17 quashed multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) filed under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. The FIRs, lodged by third-party complainants affiliated with right-wing Hindu groups, accused Christian educators and clergy of orchestrating mass conversions—charges the Court found to be legally untenable and procedurally flawed.

The apex court’s ruling, authored by Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, declared that “criminal law cannot be a tool to harass innocent citizens,” and emphasized that only the alleged victim or their immediate family may file a complaint of coercive conversion. The Court noted that none of the FIRs had been filed by actual victims, rendering them “incurably defective.”  Legal experts hailed the judgment as a watershed moment. “This ruling restores the sanctity of personal faith and curbs the weaponization of anti-conversion laws,” said constitutional scholar Anjali Menon. “It sends a clear message that religious choice is a matter of conscience, not criminal suspicion.”

The court’s decision also prompted a relook at pending cases across Uttar Pradesh, where dozens of FIRs had been filed under similar circumstances. “The judgment will encourage greater scrutiny of politically motivated complaints and protect minority communities from targeted harassment,” said advocate Ramesh Thomas, who represented several of the accused. In a poster circulated for public awareness following the judgment, the Court’s stance was summed up in bold clarity: “Faith is a matter of personal choice. No one else can police it.” As India navigates the tensions between religious plurality and political majoritarianism, this judgment stands as a constitutional compass—pointing firmly toward liberty, dignity, and the rule of law.

The national convention and general body of the All India Association of Catholic Schools (AINACS) opened with a call from Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão urging Catholic educators to be “rooted in Christ and be messengers of hope.”

Addressing more than 1,050 delegates gathered at the Park Regis Convention Centre in Arpora, Goa, the archbishop of Goa and Daman drew inspiration from the Gospel and Pope Francis to invite educators to embody compassion, wisdom, and synodal leadership in their ministry.

Reflecting on the healing encounter between Jesus and the leper, Cardinal Ferrão illustrated the transformative power of loving care. He reminded the assembly that Jesus approached the leper, touched him, healed him, and became a witness of hope. In the same spirit, Catholic educational institutions are called to radiate hope through attitudes of mercy and understanding, the cardinal added.

In his keynote address, Cardinal Ferrão expanded this vision through the lens of synodality, describing Catholic educational leadership as a journey of communion, participation, and mission. He called on leaders to cultivate open hearts, to encourage dialogue, and to respect diverse perspectives. Leadership, he said, must move beyond rigid bureaucracies and embrace relationships built on trust and shared responsibility.

He emphasised that discernment is central to synodal leadership. Drawing from the Gospel, he described it as a patient, prayerful approach, attentive to God’s will rather than personal ambition. True discernment, he noted, allows educators to respond effectively to the evolving needs of their communities, making decisions that nurture growth, understanding, and holistic development.

The cardinal also framed leadership as stewardship, reminding educators that students are gifts entrusted to them, deserving care, guidance, and love. Quoting the Gospel of Luke, he described stewardship as a vocation of service, compassion, and patience, one that prioritises the integral development of each student.

The Vatican has extended greetings to Hindus worldwide ahead of their Diwali festival, calling it an occasion to promote peace, dialogue, and reconciliation in a divided world. In an Oct. 10 message, the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue said the festival of lights — celebrated on Oct. 20 this year — symbolizes “the victory of truth over falsehood, light over darkness, life over death, and good over evil.” The three-day celebration marks the beginning of a new year, family reunions, and the worship of God, the dicastery noted.

This year’s Diwali message coincides with the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate — the Second Vatican Council’s landmark declaration on the Church’s relations with non-Christian religions, promulgated on Oct. 28, 1965. The dicastery’s prefect, Cardinal George J. Koovakad, and secretary, Monsignor Indunil Janakaratne, signed the message on the theme: Hindus and Christians: Building world peace through dialogue and reconciliation in the spirit of Nostra Aetate. The dicastery recalled that Nostra Aetate urged believers to “recognize, preserve, and promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values” present in other faith traditions for the sake of peace. The Vatican urged Christians, Hindus, and all people of goodwill to strengthen shared efforts for peace “through dialogue and collaboration in the spirit of Nostra Aetate,” emphasizing unity and fraternity across religions and nations. It also reaffirmed the Church’s teaching to reject “nothing that is true and holy” in other religions, and to honour teachings and practices that “reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all people.”

The Indian Theological Association (ITA) has elected Sister Evelyn Monteiro, a member of the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod, as its president, the second woman to head the 49-year-old association. The election took place during the association’s 47th annual meeting at Ishvani Kendra in Pune, western India. Sister Monteiro was the association’s vice president during the past three years. The first woman president of the association was Presentation Sister Shalini Mulackal.

The meeting also elected Jesuit Fathers Thomas Kuriackose as the ITA vice-president and Joseph Victor Edwin, the secretary. The new executive members are Astrid Lobo Gajiwala, a lay woman theologian from Mumbai, Father Jacob Parapally MSFS, Father Jacob Naluparayil MCBS, and  Father Xavier Francis Tharamel SJ.

Sister Monteiro, who has a doctorate in systematic theology from the Centre Sèvres, Facultés jésuites de Paris, France, teaches the same subject in a number of theoretical institutions in India and overseas. She is the co-founder of Ecclesia of Women in Asia (EWA), an association of Catholic women theologians in Asia.

In 2004, she authored the “Church and Culture: Communion in Pluralism,” besides editing several books and publishing a number of articles in national and international theological journals. Her research addresses ecclesiology, particularly in situating the conciliar and post-conciliar understanding of the Church in the pluri-religious and socio-cultural context of Asia and India, and contextual and liberation theologies.

The September 26-28 gathering explored Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes, two key documents from the Second Vatican Council. The meeting reaffirmed the vocation of theologians in India is to be deeply rooted and dialogical. An Indian theologian is called to be grounded in the Catholic tradition while engaging in dialogue with the diverse religious and cultural landscape of India.

The Mother House of the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata stood bathed in reverence and quiet joy on October 7 as the congregation founded by Saint Teresa of Calcutta celebrated its 75th Foundation Day. At the platinum jubilee, the international congregation recommitted to their charism of “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor.”

The day’s commemorations began with Mass in the tomb chapel, attended by sisters, volunteers, and friends of the congregation. Prayers were offered for peace, interfaith harmony, and the suffering poor across the globe. A short documentary on the congregation’s global outreach was screened, followed by testimonies from long-time collaborators.

Sister Mary Joseph, the congregation’s superior general, in her address, said: “We do not celebrate ourselves today, but the grace of God that has sustained this mission for 75 years. Mother taught us that holiness is not a luxury—it is a simple duty of love. We renew that duty today.”

A highlight of the celebration was the unveiling of a newly installed statue of Mother Teresa, mounted on the side wall of the Mother House facing AJC Bose Road. The statue depicts Mother Teresa bending forward with open arms to receive a girl child running toward her—a tableau of welcome, humility, and maternal love. The composition captures the essence of Mother’s mission: to embrace the abandoned and unloved with the heart of Christ.

The function was attended by civic and religious dignitaries. Many onlookers paused in prayer to witness the roadside event. O’Brien hailed the Missionaries of Charity Sisters calling them “our champion women” – 5,766 of them along with 390 Brothers and several hundreds of collaborators and volunteers spread out in 138 countries. “For 75 years, they have served not just the poor, but the conscience of our city. Mother Teresa’s legacy is not just in homes and hospices—it’s in every act of quiet compassion that this city has learned to offer,” he said.

A Senior Vatican official has called on religious leaders to promote reconciliation and peace amid growing violence and intolerance worldwide, as he addressed a meeting in India. Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, made the appeal while addressing an interreligious gathering for peace in Mumbai on Oct. 4.

The meeting, organized by the Interreligious Dialogue Commission of the Archdiocese of Bombay as part of the Church’s Jubilee Year 2025 celebrations, brought together leaders from Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Zoroastrian, Jewish, and Islamic traditions, along with civic representatives, scholars, and peace activists.

Linking the gathering to the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, Cardinal Koovakad described the saint as “the saint of fraternal love, simplicity, and joy” and “a pioneer of interreligious dialogue who sowed seeds of peace.” Quoting Pope Leo XIII, he said religion “is not a source of conflict but a wellspring of healing and reconciliation.” Interreligious dialogue, he added, enables believers to “bear witness to the truth that faith unites more than it divides” and strengthens “our hope for a more just world.” Reflecting on the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council’s landmark document on interreligious relations, Koovakad said its principles continue to inspire “fraternity, friendship, unity, and solidarity for the good of humanity.”

Pope Leo XIV has confirmed Lazarus Devasahayam, an 18th century Indian saint, as the patron of the laity in the country, the Latin bishops’ conference announced on September 20. The July 16 confirmation came through the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. It follows a petition submitted by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), the national body of the Latin rite prelates in the country.

The official proclamation of the patronage will take place on October 15 during Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Varanasi. The event will coincide with the annual national meeting of the diocesan and regional secretaries of the CCBI Laity Commission, gathering representatives from dioceses across India, the conference stated.

Saint Lazarus Devasahayam (1712–1752) was a Hindu convert to Christianity and the first layman and martyr from India to be canonized by the Catholic Church. Born Neelakanda Pillai in Nattalam, Tamil Nadu, he served as a court official in the Kingdom of Travancore. Drawn to the Christian faith, he converted in 1745 and was baptized as Lazarus (Devasahayam in Tamil, meaning “God is my help”). His conversion led to persecution, imprisonment, and torture for refusing to renounce his faith. He was executed in 1752.

He was beatified on December 2, 2012, at Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, in a ceremony presided over by Salesian Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Francis canonized him on May 15, 2022, at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, proclaiming him a model of courage, faith, and commitment to justice. The Catholic Church has no single patron for the entire laity. It has recognized different saints as patrons of various aspects and groups within the laity, such as Saint Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) for laypeople living a holy life in the world and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925) as a patron for young adults.

Emeritus Archbishop Jacob Thoomkuzhy of Trichur, former vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, founder of the Society of Khristudasis (Handmaids of Christ) congregation and founder chairman of Jeevan TV, has died. The death occurred at 2:50 pm on September 17 at Trichur. He would have turned 95 on December 13 this year.

The Major Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly paid tribute to the late Archbishop Mar Jacob Thoomkuzhy, remembering him as a great pastor who, through his distinctive leadership, imparted the simplicity of Christ and a new sense of direction to the Church and society, aligning with the needs of the times.

Throughout his priestly life spanning over half a century and his pastoral service across three dioceses, Archbishop Thoomkuzhy was dedicated to spreading the Gospel and clearly manifesting the witness of Christ to many. By harmonizing his profound life experiences with a loving lifestyle, he made the Church’s services more meaningful and welcoming. Mar Thoomkuzhy’s ministry was set apart by his vision that the Church’s mission should be grounded in real-life experiences, human-centred, and open to timely renewal, says a press release published by the Major Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.

His leadership style in the dioceses of Mananthavady and Thamarassery, and Thrissur Archdiocese not only inspired the Church but also contributed to the moral and social development of the community. Mar Thoomkuzhy’s influence extended beyond the dioceses where he served; he made interventions that gave the entire Kerala Church a new sense of direction. Always close to the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly in both his methods and thoughts, Archbishop Thoomkuzhy courageously embraced the prophetic role of taking a firm stand, consistently serving as a good shepherd to God’s people. His passing is an immense loss to the Church, particularly to the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese. The unique qualities he demonstrated in his life of service will serve as an inspiration for the present and future of the Church.

The violence and harassment against Christians persist unabated in India, with at least two cases of harassment and police arrests over the weekend. A Catholic nun and a group of girls were detained in Jharkhand on suspicion of conversion on Sept. 19, while police in Uttar Pradesh arrested 14 Christians for allegedly violating the state’s strict anti-conversion law and the national criminal code.

In the Jharkhand incident, a Catholic nun, two staff members of a non-government organization, and 19 girls were detained at a railway station in Jamshedpur, eastern India. Church sources say police action followed allegations made by some right-wing Hindu groups, as the girls were traveling to attend a training program, and the nuns came to the railway station to welcome them.

Father Birendra Tete, director of Catholic Charities in the Jamshedpur diocese, told that the girls, aged 13-19, arrived for a focused event on adolescent health and skill development scheduled for Sept. 20-21. The police checked the girls’ documents, including consent papers from their parents and national identity cards, but seven of them did not have these papers, and some Hindu activists began to make noise. Diocesan chancellor Father Sushil Dungdung stated that Hindu hardliners, who are working to turn India into a Hindu theocratic country, often make false accusations to harass Christians and portray them negatively. About 1.4 million of Jharkhand’s estimated 33 million people are Christians, mostly tribal communities.