Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli on January 28 urged India’s Latin rite bishops to become the disciples of Christ and not just his fans. When Jesus worked miracles, he had many fans watching him, but only a few chose to follow him generally, said the nuncio in his homily at the opening Mass of the 36th plenary assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI).
The CCBI, the largest national episcopal conference in Asia and the fourth largest globally, represents 132 dioceses and 209 bishops in India. The January 28-February 4 plenary on the theme, “Discerning synodal pathways for mission,” is being held at the Xavier Institute of Management University in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha state in eastern India. The plenary is poised to be a landmark event, fostering collaboration and renewal as the Church discerns its future path in mission and synodality, says a press statement issued by the conference’s deputy secretary general Father Stephen Alathara.
Reminding the bishops that that their episcopal mission in India, the nuncio urged them to pray to the Holy Spirit for a greater opening to respond faithfully to the tasks and responsibilities of the Church. The nuncio referred to the Gospel of the day, where Jesus denounces his sentimental attachments with his mother and embraces universal brotherhood, symbolically opening the door to people of all ethnicities and social statuses. He pointed out that unity comes from journeying together.
The nuncio applauded the Indian Church’s contribution towards the development of society. The current challenge of the Church is to engage with those who are deeply afflicted through climate change, poverty, and digital media, and those who remain excluded from our ecclesiastical structure, he said. Archbishop Girelli expressed his concern about the emerging challenges in India. He affirmed that India is a land of the young, but finding a job for all is a challenge, and that leads to migration. He stressed that the church has a role to play in addressing the causes of migration.

An official of the Indian bishops’ conference has questioned a Hindu leader’s claim that former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee supported converting tribal Christians to Hinduism to save them from becoming anti-nationals. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India called the claim “fabricated” on Jan. 17, two days after the media published the statements of Mohan Bhagwat, the head of the powerful Hindu group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In a statement, the bishops’ conference questioned the motive behind publishing a “fabricated personal conversation being attributed to a former president of India.” Bhagwat told a public function in central Indian Indore city on Jan. 13 that Mukherjee supported the campaign to convert Christians during a private conversation with him in 2017. Mukherjee died in 2020.
The bishops’ statement questioned the media ethics of “posthumous publication” of statements attributed to a pre-sident by “an organization with questionable credibility.” It also questioned why Bhagwat “did not speak” about this when Mukherjee was alive. “It is unfortunate” that RSS, which was banned thrice and often associated with violence in India “as seen over the past several decades, is allowed with impunity to call the non-violent, peace-loving and service-oriented Christian community as anti-nationals,” said the statement issued by the bishops’ public relations officer Father Robinson Rodrigues. The RSS is seen as the umbrella organization of all Hindu groups working to make India a nation of Hindu hegemony.
Hindu group Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council) spearheads a campaign called Ghar Wapsi (homecoming) in northern India to convert Christians to Hinduism, claiming Hinduism is the “home” religion of all Indians.

Indian Christians face an existential threat if the government fails to act immediately to stop the spiralling incidents of hate crimes, says an ecumenical Christian group. Incidents of anti-Christian violence rose steeply from 127 in 2014 to 834 in 2024, revealed the latest report released by the United Christian Forum (UCF) on Jan. 24. “If the trend is not stopped immediately by political will and concerted government action, it will threaten the identity and existence of the Indian Christian community in their motherland,” the New Delhi-based body of several Christian denominations said in a statement. A.C. Michael, a UCF office-bearer, said practicing the Christian faith in the country is going to be a challenging task unless the government reins in the right-wing Hindu groups. “Chri-stians are being treated like they do not belong to this country,” Michael told. Michael, a former member of the Delhi state’s minority commission, said that the Church’s charitable works were falsely portrayed as “a façade for religious conversion through false narratives” by the right-wing organizations.
Michael Williams, president of UCF, said the attacks against the community have become “more frequent, brutal, and systematic.” “Christians who have long been a peaceful and integral part of India’s diverse society are now living in fear,” he said. Williams said the data collected by UCF wasn’t just numbers. “They are the stories of real people, individual lives shattered, families torn apart, and communities destroyed because of their faith,” he added. The findings of the latest report are “very disturbing” as there has been no let-up in violence against Christians in states like northern Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in central India.

The Major Archbishop of the Syro Malabar Church has lauded the Vatican for appointing Cardi-nal George J. Koovakad as the new prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. The Jan. 24 appointment of Koovakad is “a matter of great pride for his mother Church and the Indian Church,” said Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil. Koovakad becomes the second Indian cardinal to head a Vatican office after Cardinal Ivan Dias, who was Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples from 2006 to 2011. Dias died in 2017. In his message, Thattil, said, “Koovakad will be able to promote harmony between different religions and accelerate dialogues for peace.” The dicastery is responsible for nurturing dialogue with Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, and members of other world religions.

Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Oswald Gracias as the Archbishop of Bombay on Jan 25 and elevated Coadjutor Bishop John Rodrigues as his successor in India’s largest diocese. Although retired from the archbishop’s office, Gracias continues serving on the Council of Cardinal Advisers. Gracias joined the Council of Cardinal Advisers in 2013 when Pope Francis established it and handpicked Gracias to be part of the nine-member team to advise him on revising the Roman Curia. Gracias “was a giant of a man, and now as his successor, I have mighty big shoes to fill,” Rodrigues, 57, said in a Jan. 25 statement. He thanked “Gracias for his dedicated service” to the archdiocese, the Church in India, and the Universal Church,” adding that they are proud of him. Rodrigues also urged his bishops, priests, religious men and women, and the Catholic community to work with the authorities and citizens “to further unity and true development in society.” Pope Francis appointed Rodrigues as coadjutor bishop on Nov. 30, and his installation took place only last week on Jan.23. Gracias said in a video message on Jan. 25 that Pope Francis “has accepted my resignation as the Archbishop of Bombay.” He said he submitted his resignation five years ago, when he turned 75, the canonical retirement age. However, the Vatican did not accept it then. He “reminded Rome about it recently,” Gracias said. His successor “comes with great knowledge, competence, experience and holiness of life,” he added.