Two Indian prelates are among the new members Pope Francis appointed on July 8 to the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

They are Archbishop Felix Anthony Machado, the secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, and Bishop Raphy Manjaly of Allahabad.

They will join Cardinals Luis Antonio Tagle, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples; and Michael Czerny, the Jesuit under-secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Vatican News reports.

The council is the Church’s central office for promoting interreligious dialogue in accordance with the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, in particular the declaration Nostra aetate (In our time), the declaration on the Church’s relation with other religions.

It is responsible for promo-ting mutual understanding, respect, and collaboration bet-ween Catholics and followers of other religious traditions; encouraging the study of religions; and promoting the formation of persons dedicated to dialogue.