As india prepares to elect a new federal government this spring, its catholic bishops have urged citizens “to vote wisely” to help the country remain a secular and democratic republic.
“we urge all citizens to enroll as voters and exercise their sacred duty to vote wisely, so that we elect leaders who are committed to constitutional values and to the uplift of the poor,” said in a statement the catholic bishops’ conference of india issued at the end of their 36th biennial meeting.
As many as 170 bishops from india’s 174 dioceses attended the jan. 31-feb. 7 meeting in the southern indian city of bengaluru. The meeting’s central theme was “the church’s response to the current sociopolitical situation of the country and the benefits and challenges of artificial intelligence (ai).”
The bishops, representing india’s latin, syro-malabar and syro-malankara rite churches, met as the current federal coalition government led by the hindu nationalist bharatiya janata party (indian people’s party) completes its second five-year term in may.
India’s 966.8 million voters will elect the country’s 543-mem-ber lok sabha (people’s council), the lower house of parliament, in april and may. About 170 bishops attended the opening mass of the 36th biennial meeting of the catholic bishops’ conference of india in bengaluru, india.