Pope Francis has chosen 13 Indians to attend the Synod of Bishops on Youth in October together with other Catholic leaders from around the world.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay, president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), will lead the Indian delegation composed of three cardinals, two archbishops, four bishops, two priests and two youth.
The Pope has approved the members elected by the three individual sui juris (Ritual) Churches that have their respective episcopal bodies, which constitute CBCI, to represent the Indian Church at the synod.
The Syro-Malabar Bishops’ Synod is represented by Cardinal George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam- Angamaly, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Pandarasseril of Kottayam, president of the Youth Commission, and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Pamplany of Tellicherry.
Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum-Malankaras, will represent the Synod for the Syro-Malankara Church.
The Conference of the Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) for the Latin Church will include Cardinal Gracias, Abp George Antonysamy of Madras and Mylapore, (Tamil Nadu), Bp Sebastian Thekethecheril of Vijayapuram (Kerala), Bp Henry D’Souza of Bellary (Karnataka) and Abp John Barwa, of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar (Odisha).
